Storm Eunice

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

This thread covers the expected severe weather on Friday - named Storm Eunice by the met office. At the moment there is great uncertainty, so the met office have put out a very wide yellow weather warning. It looks likely that some regions within the warning area will see gusts of 60-70mph inland, with a small chances of inland gusts above 80mph. The storm also carries the potential for some blizzards, but again there is currently considerable uncertainty.

www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2022-02-18

A separate thread exists for Storm Dudley which is expected Wednesday/Thursday.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weather/4481213-Storm-Dudley

@kirinm This might help

(Hope I'm getting all the information I'm giving out here right as I'm looking things up/typing quickly!)

I remember several years ago, high winds were predicted.
A primary school in Surrey closed their back playground for safety reasons. The playground was surrounded by trees and the head teacher was worried about them: a few years before at another school, a child had been killed by a falling tree.
It meant that parents had to collect from the front and some were not happy! It was only a bit of wind, they said.
Then two trees came down and smashed the play equipment that would have been full of children playing, had the head teacher not taken the sensible precaution of closing the playground.

It's also worth bearing in mind that, thanks to restrictions over the past few years, a lot of trees have not been maintained and topped as they should have been.

@twoshinyspoons there is a big difference between the BBC and Met office for our area, I prefer the Met office figures!

@Doghairismyglitter

It’s surprising how many people aren’t taking this seriously. House along the road having a new glass conservatory put up today which they’ve said won’t be finished by today so scaffolding will be staying up (is that safe?) neighbours leaving everything outside, my friend is driving from Cornwall to Bath tomorrow morning and thinks me silly for pleading with her not to. Meanwhile I’m getting such bad anxiety about this. Can’t concentrate at work today. *@OhYouBadBadKitten* is there any ANY chance it might not be as bad as they say or downgraded?? 🙏🏼

Yes, there is certainly the chance of the peak winds being less strong. The storm is in the process of developing right now and although it is extraordinary that we have known about the potential of this for a week, it only takes a tiny tweak of where it develops and how deep it develops to make an observable change.

Tomorrow there will be people in the amber area claiming they dont know what the fuss is about while others say it is some of the the worst weather theyve experienced for a long time. Severe winds have a 'lumpy' distribution for all sorts of reasons. They don't hit everywhere evenly.

It's difficult to think about the difference between sustained wind speeds and gusts as well. Here in Bristol we're only expecting up to about 40mph sustained wind speeds, and then probably gusts up to say 65mph or so as we're not right on the edge of the coast. And it makes sense that the sustained winds can accumulate damage, weakening things, but you get a few sharp gusts in the right direction and that is what's picking objects up and throwing them at windows or stretching a tree or branch to breaking point.

Please, please don't rely on apps for making decisions. I've said upthread why they are not reliable.

I'm on the south west coast we are in the red warning waiting to see if they close the school or not. I hope they do as I can't see how it could be safe to open. Ds works right on the sea front I am hoping they close that at least for the morning. I cant see them doing much trade anyway.

I'm nervous. We're driving from North herts to FIL's birthday in Clacton. Weather is not an excuse for missing it. I've 'made a fuss' so we're travelling up and staying in a hotel tonight, so we're already there tomorrow. But my DH thinks the roads back will be fine by about 3pm. Thoughts? If we stick to motorway should it be okay? I am not happy about it but seems like it needs to be done. I was thinking of saying we should have our evening meal there so leave more like 6pm?

(so will only be travelling Clacton to North Herts tomorrow between 3-6pm depending on who gets their way!)

I'm right in the predicted worst bit of the red warning area. We've moved anything we can from the garden into the shed (although I'm not certain the shed will survive) and have got out the candles and extra water. And I've moved the car away from the house.

We're rural, so tend to be at the end of the line for any electricity repairs etc.

I'm not looking forward to this. :(

@Covidisdrivingmecrazy

Surely last minute red additions from the met office are pointless? People would already be out about their business if they wait until tomorrow morning?

It is a very difficult position for them to be in. They have to be as certain as possible that it will be dangerous enough to pose a threat to life. If they are used to often it weakens people's response to them.

As I said upthread, if you are in the red area. Do not go out during the storm unless absolutely vital. Dog walking, children to school, popping out for milk. not vital.

@InaccurateDream If you must travel tomorrow, leave it as close to 6pm/late as possible.

We're on the coast in a red area and I'm worried. Feel like we've prepared as much as possible (packing away garden stuff etc), but it's so hard to know what'll happen.

Its on swansea.gov.uk

www.swansea.gov.uk/schoolsandlearning

@InaccurateDream

I'm nervous. We're driving from North herts to FIL's birthday in Clacton. Weather is not an excuse for missing it. I've 'made a fuss' so we're travelling up and staying in a hotel tonight, so we're already there tomorrow. But my DH thinks the roads back will be fine by about 3pm. Thoughts? If we stick to motorway should it be okay? I am not happy about it but seems like it needs to be done. I was thinking of saying we should have our evening meal there so leave more like 6pm?

I'd just remain flexible, as the storm is coming from the west heading east it may arrive and leave later with you however it might well have lost strength by then too. Play it by ear

As a survivor of the horrible storms up in Scotland recently, make sure everything is charged - phones, laptops, any power banks, etc. Some of the homes here lost power for more than a week because of the sheer scale of the damage and number of properties affected. I also kept the heating on and house warmer than usual in case we lost power and the heating, so we would be comfortable for a bit longer.

Hmm, DS's school is in the red zone though we are amber. They still haven't said if the school will be closed...

I'm going to struggle to answer travel questions, especially as the warnings cover such a huge area. I think my general advice is:

Red: don't

Amber: Rail services look to be hugely disrupted with operators asking people not to travel or advising that time tables are going to be cut roughly in half with speed restrictions. Lines will start closing once trees come across them.
Road. Check tonight and in the morning to see if there are any changes. Think about whether your journey is needed. If you have to make them (say for hospital appointments) think about avoiding wooded routes. Try and travel outside the warning times. Tricky I know, but I guess if you are in the east, youve got some leeway in the morning before the severe gusts arrive. Listen to local radio stations and check out highways england, fire brigade and police twitter feeds for any closed roads.

ExH's girlfriend (weirdly we're all good friends) has just taken the decision to shut her school tomorrow (west Cornwall)

And I definitely wouldn't drive in an amber warning. We had an amber warning recently and it was scary out there. Trees coming down all over, solar panels flying off roofs. Unless it's life or death I would stay home. And we are no stranger to storms in the north of Scotland, but I would have felt very uncomfortable driving in it.

At what point will it be calm enough to venture out if you’re in southern Cornwall

in the red zone? 😳🙈

Insurance companies must be shitting themselves 😬

@BrieAndChilli

what should we be doing to prepare if we are in red zone?

put away/tie down anthing in garden

Water issues:
fill up bath in case of water supply issues?
get some bottled water

Power issues:
make sure devices charged
charge up power banks for mobiles
check battery supplies
have lanterns/torches handy
know where camp stove and gas
fill up wood basket for log burner

supplies
easy to eat food, snacks etc.
check first aid supplies.

what else should we be doing?

Fill flasks with boiling water. Wrap these in blankets to keep warm long term.

Buy couscous sachets (with dried fruit and tinned meat or chickpeas/seeds) can make a warm meal from hot water.(or sachets of noodles like mug shot/pot noodles)

Set up a cool box with milk and other stuff for sandwiches or stuff you can cook on camping stoves/BBQ after the storm has passed if the electricity goes off. (Freeze ice blocks this afternoon. ) A don't open the freezer box. I'm going to stand some milk in a bowl of cold water.

Do your washing and washing up. And any urgent jobs needing electricity (Advised by pp up thread. Thanks!)

@BrieAndChilli see above

@Thewiseoneincognito

At what point will it be calm enough to venture out if you’re in southern Cornwall

in the red zone? 😳🙈

Not all of Cornwall is on the red zone. Some still just have an orange warning which is bad enough. I'm in Cornwall, in an area covered by the red warning. I have nowhere to be tomorrow, kids are on inset day before half term next week. But Dp will still have to go work 😪