[AutCaesarAutNihil]

It looks like a big storm is coming and from what I read it is rather alarming. In 1987 I was not even born, but the pictures I saw are not really reassuring.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 01530.html

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013 ... power-cuts

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weath ... lands.html

[dolanbaker]

I remember it well, I lived in Wales at the time but my parents were in Suffolk, that morning there was no television because all the relays for the network were down, that set off alarm bells right away so listened to the radio and hearing the news of thousands of trees down, houses flattened etc.

Drove over to Suffolk that evening and saw nothing out of place until the last 30 miles or so, it was like driving through the aftermath of an explosion in a sawmill, there was bits of trees & saw dust everywhere.

It took over a week to get the power back on and many people were cut off for days because of fallen trees.

Sunday evening could be very "interesting!"

[dorlomin]

These kind of Atlantic Lows are relatively common and reasonably unpredictable. There is a good chance of it not spinning up as much as predicted or not hitting us full square.

But I did hear a woman rang the BBC and said she had heard that there was a hurricane on the way.....

[dolanbaker]

It really depends on just how wet the ground is when the gales arrive, as it was the saturated ground caused trees to be blown over that would have remained standing if the ground was drier.

As you say, normal Atlantic lows for this time of the year.

[vision-master]

Blame it on that little OIL SPILL in the Gulf a few years back.

[dolanbaker]

Blame it on that little OIL SPILL in the Gulf a few years back.

1987?????

[dorlomin]

It really depends on just how wet the ground is when the gales arrive,

Soaked, been getting flood alerts. Bit blowey out as well.

The low pressures in these Atlantic pressure bombs can match hurricanes but the sustained wind speed does not. Different mechanism, but they are sometimes called 'cold core hurricanes' and localised gusts can get up to 165mph.

The main reason the '87 one gets all the press is that it hit the SE. Had that hit north of Manchester it would have barely registered a shrug.

[vision-master]

Blame it on that little OIL SPILL in the Gulf a few years back.

1987?????

No. April 20, 2010

Guess who's birthday is on the 20th of April (1889).

[dolanbaker]

It really depends on just how wet the ground is when the gales arrive,

Soaked, been getting flood alerts. Bit blowey out as well.

The low pressures in these Atlantic pressure bombs can match hurricanes but the sustained wind speed does not. Different mechanism, but they are sometimes called 'cold core hurricanes' and localised gusts can get up to 165mph.

The main reason the '87 one gets all the press is that it hit the SE. Had that hit north of Manchester it would have barely registered a shrug.

I was driving through the worst of it that morning on the M6 near Birmingham, no damage as far as I could see. But yes, you're right, we have the same here in Ireland now Dublin flooded = front page news!

Several towns in the mid west cut off feck all! I'm sure the USA'ians have the same problem.

[dolanbaker]

Just an update, it's over.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24699748
A teenager in Kent and a man in Watford have been killed by falling trees after a storm battered parts of Britain.

Around 270,000 homes are without power, while rail services across much of southern Britain have been cancelled as high winds brought down trees.

Network Rail said the damage was "worse than expected," while 130 flights have been cancelled at Heathrow airport.

The Met Office said a gust of 99mph (159km/h) was recorded at Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight, at 05:00 GMT.

BBC forecasters say the storm has now ended in the UK - leaving a "broadly windy day".

[dorlomin]

It seems we missed the worst of it. More of a one in five year type storm for southern England.

Or a breezy summers day in the Hebrides.

[dolanbaker]

It seems we missed the worst of it. More of a one in five year type storm for southern England.

Or a breezy summers day in the Hebrides.

Exactly, most people in the highlands & Islands are simply gobsmacked about the fuss.