Scotland - North 2007

[sewer rat]

Well, summer has well and truly arrived. I know I grow on an area that has it's own little microclimate - the Fearn Peninsula to be exact - but whilst Tain (where I live and 7 miles away) and Nigg Hill (2 miles away) have both had a fair bit of rain recently, I have had no rain to speak of (okay two showers and a sea harr) for five (count 'em folks) five weeks ! My field is like a dust bowl and if it wasn't for the weeds (if I'm posh I call it ground cover) it'd all blow away !

[JennieAtkinson]

Summer - you lucky people!

Today was reasonably pleasant, but temp not much above 8 degrees. Very clear tonight with quite a spectactular moon for a while over the loch. Feels as though it may be frosty tonight.

[diana]

Time you moved to Orkney Jennie just down the sea from you

[sewer rat]

Well today was another scorcher, tunnel doors wide open for the third or fourth day in a row.
Have had only 3mm of rain in the last 5 weeks.
HOWEVER...................
Exactly one year ago on Friday, we had horrendous floods, with sections of the A9 swept away, cars swept away, water mains bursting, drains collapsing etc etc etc. Guess what the forecast is for Friday - torrential rain - falling on top of rock hard ground - couldn't happen two years running ............

[JennieAtkinson]

A huge storm brewing for tomorrow up here and the rest of NE Scotland. There is a severe weather warning giving wind speeds of up to 85 mph and damaging gusts. Pretty windy here already, but set to get worse through tomorrow.

Last night we had 3 degrees and wintry showers.

Winter definately here

[mandyballantyne]

Thinking of you up there Jennie,

Pretty windy down here but not as bad as you are forecast, I have just been fixing the greenhouse and it is set to get mutch worse.

You wrap up and keep safe, Mandy x

[sewer rat]

Been pretty gusty here for the last two days too but as Jennie says, tomorrow is to be a b*****d of a day . I was deliverin veggies to Golspie n Brora on Tuesday night and the wind was blowing my van across the road in exposed areas. Also Brora Firework Display was cancelled due to the high winds.

[JennieAtkinson]

Thanks Mandy - SR and I will have to check in tomorrow evening just to show we are ok!

Windy here tonight, but torrential rain too. I think the worst tomorrow is when it goes around to the NW which is anticipated here at about mid afternoon.

[Hazel at the Hill]

We must check on Birdiewife too!

Batton the hatches, peeps!

[mandyballantyne]

How are you all doing up there?

Head count time later today. Been gusty with really bad rain through the night down here, just waiting for it to hit.

Take care all of you, Mandy

[JennieAtkinson]

Apparently 87 mph so far!

Still here and so is my polytunnel (Thank heavens!), but OH just phoned and said the housing around the gas cannisters has gone completely and they are laying on the ground! He's not sure whether they are attached still!! It is too windy to go out and see

Tingwall is very exposed but here in Lerwick at the moment its a little more sheltered. Although i can see the sea from the office window and it is horrendous.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Jennie,

You stay safe up there, Birdie Wife has been on-line but wonder how Rat is doing?

Mandy

[sewer rat]

Well, I survived. At 8:45 this morning, all 16 stone of me was blown over whilst lifting leeks ! I don't know who got the bigger shock, me, the puppy or the leeks I landed on.
Spent an hour between 13:00 and 14:00 standing in the doorway of my shed, watching my polytunnel preparing for take-off - to say my heart was in my mouth would be putting it mildly. I've seen it in high winds before, but this one hour spell was something else.
One annoying thing, the rain pretty much stayed away until tonight - the gritters are out, ice is forecast and it's snowing outside

[JennieAtkinson]

Snowing here too Rat. Just got in from a drama rehearsal (we open next Wednesday, so absolutely CRITICAL I got in!) and the snow was lying quite thickly on the higher ground. Snow and strong winds together meant crazy driving conditions, so I just slowed down - the usual 15 minute journey into Lerwick took me 25 mins!

Absolutely bitterly cold

Glad your polytunnel survived SR. I managed to check mine with a torch tonight at 5.30pm and it looks reasonably ok (bit of a larger tear in the end wall) and the greenhouse looks sound (oh thank goodness). But the winds did get up again tonight and I know the door on the air raid shelter (yes we have an above ground air raid shelter!) has blown in and the lovely new sit on lawnmower is exposed to the elements. I managed to cover it with a old sail from the boat.

No sailings of any ferries tonight to the mainland - apparently an 8 metre swell (doesn't bear thinking about) and the local island ferries have not sailed since 11 this morning.

Quite a storm .............

[sewer rat]

Snow was lying here from about 100m above sea level, though it's now lying about 200m above sea level. Not as windy today but bitterly cold and wet.