Storm Darragh

[Frozensnowflake]

winds of 80mph are predicted to hit parts of Ireland and the UK over Friday and Saturday. I’m north wales and we’re looking at winds of around 72mph on Saturday according to the met office. Lots of local events have been cancelled. Anyone else potentially affected by the storm?

I have never driven in 70mph winds but I’m guessing it’s very much not advisable?

Anyone wondering if the grid have dialled back.. weirdly my tablet and phone are taking much longer.

It's such a relief. We've been googling battery back-ups for next time...

We were without power for around 35 hours, had to ditch a load of fridge stuff, but the freezer held up ok and all the potentially risky stuff was still frozen solid apart from some ice cream.

Have discovered that the banging noise was not a loose gutter or fascia board but the corner of our very exposed flat roof lifting up and the boards crashing back down again, repeatedly (and still doing so as it's still very gusty...) 😭

When is the wind speed going to properly drop? Bristol area.

Oh that's a pain, @Techno56 hopefully the wind will die down soon and it can be fixed 🤞🏼

National grid just updated that the power won't be back on until 6pm tomorrow, they said 6pm today and didn't update until 5.30pm. What was the point of that, give us a little bit of hope and they must have known for ages it wasn't coming back tonight? I am SO cold and fed up. It gets dark so early round here as well, long time until sunrise tomorrow. Grrrr, | just want to cry.

Oh that's horrid @lostinwales

@lostinwales if you’re up for a trip to the Vale of Glamorgan you’re welcome here xx

So sorry @lostinwales fingers crossed they do it sooner than they indicate like with mine 🤞🏼

aaaah thank you, Vale of Glamorgan lovely as well!

I went out to football this afternoon and got really cold, which I knew I would, and it's so hard to warm up again. There hasn't been a single crew out doing repairs anywhere round here, in fact there's a live wire down on my friends car in the village which has just had to be cordoned off by locals as they can't come and sort it. I love where I live but sometimes we are so rural we are completely forgotten I think.

So sorry. I recall the storm of 1997 Xmas eve Anglesey was without power for 10 long days.

Oh don't say that 😂 If I didn't have my dogs I'd check into a bloody hotel and shower for about half an hour!

And it's STILL windy!

You need a Travelodge. Dogs accepted!

Try an Airbnb locally, they'll welcome any business pre Xmas week.

Good to know but I think the nearest Travelodge is about 50 (rural road) miles away, we don't have a McDonalds for nearly an hour in any direction, this is proper away from people territory!

Good suggestion for an Air bnb if it were earlier in the day, not going to get one now and my motley crew would take an age to round up, if I knew that tomorrow was going to bring the same result I'd try and find one, that's the problem with them moving the goal posts so late in the day really. You can't plan ahead.

DS2 has suggested cooking tea might warm me up, any suggestions for DS2

@lostinwales I can't remember whether you said whereabouts you are, but we've been getting a lot of info about centres Ceredigion CC have opened up so people can charge phones, fill flasks or hot water and get a shower. Definitely available in Cardigan, Lampeter, Aberaeron and Aberystwyth.

Apologies if I've got you mixed up with another poster but there was someone on the Pembs/Ceredigion border for whom the Cardigan one would be a possibility.

@lostinwales

@lostinwales

Thank you, Cardigan perfect for us although I have seen their showers, I would have to be a lot more stinky than I am now 😬 shame because they built a really nice one during Covid when it was a vaccination centre but they took it out again. Think if it comes to it I'll get a morning pass for The Cliff spa and get nice and clean in there!

At least I have slow 4G, I think @Jellykat must be in the area with no power OR mobile signal.

I'm in West Mids (Worcs) and haven't had power since 1700 yesterday. The grid has said 8pm tonight but as it gets closer I'm not feeling it's gonna happen. A power line exploded shortly after the power went out and it had been flickering all day.

Im so bloody cold and fed up of sitting in the dark.

FFS they've just updated to 6pm tomorrow.

Ahaa @lostinwales i'm back , we've just got leccy returned, HALLALULAH!..
I lost mobile signal yesterday morning and thats not reappeared, phone had run out of battery anyway..
Was getting so so bored of sitting in the dark, in complete silence, starring at a candle both evenings!!

Lost is your leccy back on? DS2 went to Cardi earlier to get a phone signal, and they updated him (us) with a Tuesday deadline..
Newport and Llantood/ Croft never lost it, so i'm thinking my leccy must come via Crymych/ Boncath maybe? Could yours be the same?

Jelly! Glad you are back, I am currently staring at a candle for entertainment Where the power is out is such an odd mix, there's a grid of the very middle of the village that is fine then everyone else is out, at least until late tomorrow apparently. I'm cold. And grumpy.

Oh @lostinwales how weird that some are on and some arent in your village!
At least there was a bit of road between my areas' discrepancies..

I'd say go The Cliff in the morning, you deserve a treat and they might give you a discount if you explain what we've been through!