Hurricane Ophelia

[Uncle Al]

This hurricane, now a CAT 2, is expected to hit Ireland.

Hurricane Ophelia 2017-10-12.jpg

I hope that Kirbstone and other UK members will remain safe

Uncle Al

[r.m.anderson]

It is a death knell for hurricanes heading into open cold waters of the north atlantic.
Ireland will get probably no worse than a liberal down-nor'easten blast something
that Kirbstone would have a "Another cracking good day before the wind" !

Ophelia will lose it's hurricane status with winds diminishing off Spain enroute thru Ireland downgraded to a
tropical storm (60 mph).

What a shame we couldn't douse this years hurricanes with a heavy overdose of COLD water or an iceberg party !

Battened down the hatches boys - It is going to be a rough ride in any event !

[Kirbstone]

Our Met office are admitting that we're in for 'a bit of a blow' on Monday/Tuesday next. Described as a storm with winds of 60-70MPH. Nothing special for these windy parts, but for RMA's info., Far from having a Cracking good day &c., we'd ride that one out very firmly tied up in Port.....as we did in the N.W.Med. earlier on this year.

Tom

[crfriend]

Our Met office are admitting that we're in for 'a bit of a blow' on Monday/Tuesday next.

According to the latest data, the thing has spun up to Category 3 strength over sea surface temperatures that are a few degrees warmer than normal. It'll transition into colder water as it moves northeast to be sure, but there's a lot of energy in it now and that energy is going to go somewhere. The US satellites don't have a very good view of the thing, those being too far west, but the European one that hovers over the Prime Meridian and Equator does, and it looks pretty spectacular.

ss-Ophelia.png

I don't expect to see it get any stronger, but then again I never thought it'd make it to Cat 3 status, either.

I follow this stuff pretty closely, and this year so far has been even stranger than last year with several -- not just one or two -- storms doing full loops in the Atlantic. I remember being fascinated when I first saw this phenomenon four or five years back simply because it was so unusual; now it seems to be becoming commonplace. My worry is that we've crossed some threshold or tipping-point with the climate and sea temperatures, because if we have it'll have serious consequences for many densely-inhabited coastal areas.

[Big and Bashful]

It'll blow a few cobwebs away no doubt, as most of the leaves are still bolted to trees we might lose some branches, most years here on the Scottish Wet coast we see at least one force 10 or force 11 gale so I am not going to get exited, might charge up the camcorder to get some storm footage.

[Kirbstone]

Well, It's the calm before the storm here just now.

We had what turned out to be a glorious rowing outing this morning in an eight. We portaged the boat over our weir onto the high tide, which is a neap tide, not very high and with sluggish movement. We rowed at a 'steady state' three-quarter pressure paddle under all twenty city bridges down to the docks, Alexandra Basin, spun her round and on the return leg sprinted between the alternate bridges at near racing pace. Nonsense for this time of year, but most of the guys are fresh from sprint events and they wanted to blow some cobwebs away.

Time pressure meant no pauses for photos and it was deadly dull & overcast anyway. It'll be interesting to see how it blows up in the next 24 hours.....

Tom

[Uncle Al]

UPDATE - Ireland & Scotland - TAKE COVER
http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/15/europe/hu ... index.html

Uncle Al

[pleated]

Two dead so far, woman killed in car hit by tree and man killed in chainsaw accident while cutting a fallen tree.
Storm is currently directly west of Galway.

Hurricane Ophelia Live Tracking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY1HETiDckY

[pleated]

Gym roof of school takes flight-
https://twitter.com/EoinBearla/status/9 ... 6614459392

[pleated]

Regular updates-
https://twitter.com/MetEireann
http://www.met.ie/

[pleated]

Male driver killed by falling tree near Dundalk, Co. Louth, bringing number of deaths to three.
About 350,000 homes and businesses lose electricity. May take days for power to be restored to some.
Eye of the storm moving NE over north Galway and Mayo.
All Dublin buses were cancelled earlier. All provincial bus services also cancelled.
All schools will be closed again tomorrow.

[pleated]

Best to make the most of it-
https://twitter.com/Hollywoodbine/statu ... 0379399169

[Kirbstone]

Right now we're sitting out the worst of it. Not much rain, but serious destruction of our trees down by our lake. Walking the dogs down there an hour ago I saw that we have lost our two very largest trees, one of which has fallen right across the lake, the top branches reaching the island. Pics to follow.

The authorities were right to close schools & offices as no doubt it removed most people from the danger from flying debris and falling trees

Tom

Ophelia's gift to Ireland Oct. 2017.jpg

[pleated]

The eye of the storm is now in Donegal on the NW coast. One prediction is that it will get to Scotland in the early hours of the morning, though it is weakening.

I came across this article about the storm in 1839 known as "the night of the big wind"-
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/book ... -1.3257684
Very interesting read. We have got off lightly compared to that one. There were estimated to have been from 300 to 800 people killed.

[pleated]

Right now we're sitting out the worst of it. Not much rain, but serious destruction of our trees down by our lake. Walking the dogs down there an hour ago I saw that we have lost our two very largest trees, one of which has fallen right across the lake, the top branches reaching the island. Pics to follow.

The authorities were right to close schools & offices as no doubt it removed most people from the danger from flying debris and falling trees

Tom

Ophelia's gift to Ireland Oct. 2017.jpg

Hi Tom, whereabouts was that?