Sunday 10 August 2014

She's nearly here



That was the view from the bedroom just a few minutes ago. The Downs are out there somewhere!  Fortunately, it was just "Scotch mist" when I walked the dog after breakfast.  Scotch mist is what the schoolmasters called light rain when I was but a lad.  At playtime we might complain, "But, Sir, it's raining!"  "Nonsense," would be the reply.  "It's just a bit of Scotch mist.  Get out there and play!"

We were warned to expect heavy rain and strong winds, gusting to between 50 and 60 miles an hour.  An "Emergency Services Day" had been planned for today, to be held on the lawns along Hove seafront, but that was cancelled because of worries that people might be injured.  The latest forecast from the Meteorological Office is for the sun to appear mid=afternoon, and the strongest wind is expected to be just 31mph.

There were a few rumbles of thunder about half an hour ago but otherwise it seems to me that it will all be a bit of a damp squib.  So much for the severe weather warnings.

I think it all goes back to the 1987 hurricane.  At the time we were told that there was no need to worry, only to be hit by the worst storm for 300 years.  Since then, the Met Office have, perhaps, been over-cautious and now many people take warnings of severe weather with a large pinch of salt.

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