Strap everything down -- it might get a bit bumpy

[enrico]

It half blew an old pergola over. I went to investigate and the whole lot gave way with about 6 rafters, of 6x3 about 10 ft long fell right across my back. Thank heaven it missed my head. Very sore

Beginning to lose stuff now, pergola gone over, branches coming down and various other garden items been demolished. Just checked the bees and still all upright but well strapped. Need to change one of the stands, one leg looking iffy. Hope it holds till tomorrow. The gusts are super frightening.

 

[JamezF]

The gusts are super frightening.

It is quite scary. Not too much damage here that I can see so far, fortunately. A couple of stacks of kit toppled over and a plastic window has been sucked out of the bee shed. Some odds and ends blown around the garden. The most worrying thing is that the wind is trying to peel some of the wrinkly tin off workshop roof. Plenty of time until it all dies down yet

James

 

[pargyle]

The gusts are super frightening.

Yes ..that's the scary bit ..

I was just out putting some mesh up, where the fence panel had come down, in order to stop the dog wandering round the neighbours garden (not that he's in the least bit interested in going out !). Whilst I was doing it a massive gust took the next 6 x 6 panel out of the fence, blew it into the air and landed it in the middle of the lawn 30 feet away .. if I had been stood in front of it, rather than next to it, I think it would have done some serious injury. The wind picked it up like a feather. In the same gust a branch of the neighbours sycamore came down and just missed the fence (I may ask if I can salvage that ... more turning wood ! - there's always a silver lining).

 

[JamezF]

And yet my wife said to me just now: "I want to go into Taunton to Sainsbury's"
"Not in this weather you aren't"
"But they have wine on sale!"

James

 

[Swarm]

Essential journey then.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A stand of mature willows down along the pond behind the bees.
Hives ok
Field shelter lost one side with contents strewn all over.
Polytunnel ok.
Boughs down into neighbours field along our drive
Branches all over the garden. Water leaking under sunroom doors.
No 4g
Intermittent WiFi
Still very gusty till this evening.
Inventory of damage tomorrow

 

[Garry R]

Yes and me, frightened the **** out of me. All our phones went off at full sound level. Talk about an air raid warning!!!!!

Me too about 11pm Turned it off and got back to sleep again only to be woken up at 11.30pm with the same message.

 

[Penninetrader]

Of all weather conditions it is the wind, especially gusting, that I fear the most. Life is more valuable than property.

 

[JamezF]

Just had Dan the DPD delivery man knock on the door (he's a local celebrity -- shop openings a speciality). Being self-employed and on overtime rates he's working today, obviously. Only he couldn't get down our drive because in the last couple of hours a tree has fallen over it. Looks like that will be my first job for tomorrow then.

James

 

[Penninetrader]

Just had Dan the DPD delivery man knock on the door (he's a local celebrity -- shop openings a speciality). Being self-employed and on overtime rates he's working today, obviously. Only he couldn't get down our drive because in the last couple of hours a tree has fallen over it. Looks like that will be my first job for tomorrow then.

James

Get those batteries charged ready and steady as you go. How big is the tree ? On a wider note, back when those severe and unpredictable winds brought down the seven oaks and millions of others some new thinking emerged. The new thinking developed a plan for pruning trees to reduce both weight and foliage but in a manner as to keep the esthetic shape, this was to be achieved by cutting the in between branches. It of course never happened.
There are so many trees lining our roads that are clearly dangerous due to their size, they also obscure light and road signage and are only kept trimmed by passing HGV's, the deaths and damage will continue unless we address this in a serious manner. Don't hold yer breath.

 

[enrico]

Woops, there goes the greenhouse door, luckily two of the glass panels survived, the other is in a million pieces in the carrot bed!!! Hope the wind doesn't change direction as it will be blowing into the greenhouse and I have my suspicions it won't take that

 

[JamezF]

Woops, there goes the greenhouse door, luckily two of the glass panels survived, the other is in a million pieces in the carrot bed!!! Hope the wind doesn't change direction as it will be blowing into the greenhouse and I have my suspicions it won't take that

Oh no! The wind is due to drift around towards the north as far as I'm aware, but quite slowly.

I've been trying to report a power fault for friends just over the valley behind us. National Grid claim not to know about it, but they're no longer taking reports online and their phone system is therefore completely swamped

James

 

[roche]

Oh no! The wind is due to drift around towards the north as far as I'm aware, but quite slowly.

I've been trying to report a power fault for friends just over the valley behind us. National Grid claim not to know about it, but they're no longer taking reports online and their phone system is therefore completely swamped

James

Is it national grid, or the local power company? SSE or someone...

 

[pargyle]

Just taken the dog around the garden .. the wind is increasing here and its now got some North in it .. branches down from several trees -plastic flower pots all over the garden (no idea where they came from !) the cover for the garden bench (new this year) has disappeared. There's a branch from the neighbour's ash tree down in my apiary - fortunately it missed the hives. The noise from the top of the Lawsons and a pine that's not quite as tall is incredible - if either of those come down it will be very interesting. There's hardly any traffic on the A27 which runs along the bottom of the garden (apart from the Amazon man who has just delivered a box !). I don't think I've seen a blow like this one here since the 1987 storm .. it's not at that level but it's more than a breeze.

I wonder what it's going to look like in the morning. The dog hates it .. he's barking every time there is a big gust and everything rattles !

 

[JamezF]

Is it national grid, or the local power company? SSE or someone...

National Grid as far as I'm aware. They're the ones who have the power cut maps and suchlike. Used to be Western Power, but as of a couple of years ago they're part of National Grid to the best of my knowledge.

James

 

[Andy]

National Grid as far as I'm aware. They're the ones who have the power cut maps and suchlike. Used to be Western Power, but as of a couple of years ago they're part of National Grid to the best of my knowledge.

James

It'll be the local DNO for your area. For instance SSE N where I live in Scotland.

https://www.energynetworks.org/customers/find-my-network-operator

 

[JamezF]

It'll be the local DNO for your area. For instance SSE N where I live in Scotland.

https://www.energynetworks.org/customers/find-my-network-operator

Indeed. Which for us is National Grid.

James

 

[enrico]

And finally.... Power off until 6 pm tomorrow at earliest
Scrabble by candle light I think

 

[JamezF]

And finally.... Power off until 6 pm tomorrow at earliest
Scrabble by candle light I think

I think "6pm tomorrow" may well just be a placeholder for "when we can get to it". Looking at the wider map of outages for the area I'd not be surprised at all if they were just running out of engineers and equipment to attend the incidents (and the engineers will need to get some sleep at some point). And of course HV overhead supplies may not be fixable at all until the weather has calmed down a bit.

Not that I wish to tempt fate, but I'm somewhat amazed that we still have power. The villages to the north east, north west and west are out and Wiveliscombe (our nearest town) to the south is out. We've had the occasional "brown out", but for the moment things are holding up. Just as well really, as according to reports many of the major roads in the area are blocked by fallen trees.

James

 

[enrico]

I think "6pm tomorrow" may well just be a placeholder for "when we can get to it". Looking at the wider map of outages for the area I'd not be surprised at all if they were just running out of engineers and equipment to attend the incidents (and the engineers will need to get some sleep at some point). And of course HV overhead supplies may not be fixable at all until the weather has calmed down a bit.

Not that I wish to tempt fate, but I'm somewhat amazed that we still have power. The villages to the north east, north west and west are out and Wiveliscombe (our nearest town) to the south is out. We've had the occasional "brown out", but for the moment things are holding up. Just as well really, as according to reports many of the major roads in the area are blocked by fallen trees.

James

Yep, just come back on, nearly had to get the generator going to top the freezers up before bed! At least I won the Scrabble