[Worryingly Wet & Worryingly Sunless]

As a football secretary for a Cornish team - the sheer inflexibility of the FA has taken a wet winter and tripled the stress. We have to finish by 1st may come what - and some clubs by 27th April.

Factor in I've lost 9 games and had no Saturday games for 2 months this means we have to play 8 games in 2 and half weeks. 

 

Some clubs are worse. There's a team in Lancashire playing 10 games in 11 days. 

[Winter 2023/24 - A Post Mortem]

What's even more surprising- is it stuck around!!! It was white this morning even here in normally mild Plymouth  

[South West and Central Southern England Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

I can't believe it but I woke up and snow still on car and on roofs here.

Mind you it was snowing in the showers here yesterday so I shouldn't be surprised. 

Edit here comes the next weather front. Will it snow again??? 

[South West and Central Southern England Discussion - Dec 2023 onwards]

Well for once....being on the coast could be ideal

[South West and Central Southern England Regional Weather Discussion]

Team meeting-  currently road's below freezing at Rundlestone North of Princetown and Yelverton. 

Now snowing in Haldon area which could impact A38/A380 

[South West and Central Southern England Regional Weather Discussion]

Schools closed included

Ivybridge college (part)

Holbeton primary 

 

[South West and Central Southern England Regional Weather Discussion]

Proper mix here, some rain, sleet, snow.

But snow is the main aspect currently. Car windscreen going white. 

[South West and Central Southern England Regional Weather Discussion]

Well the temp is about right but it ain't snowing here!!

[Storm Ciarán]

Seems to be calming down in Plymouth.

But now the reports of issues is rising as people start to venture out. 

[Storm Ciarán]

Well it's slightly chaotic down here.

Plymouth flooding everywhere.

A379 shut at Modbury landslip

Issues on A38 /A30/A383 , concerns on A386 between Bideford and Torrington.

Now issues in Lympstone,  Moretonhampstead.

No trains past Plymouth and most branch lines closed.

[Storm Ciarán]

Here we go. Rain started. Its going to be a rough few hours. 

[Storm Ciarán]

I'm guessing NW as it's hitting spare bedroom window

 

[Storm Ciarán]

After some relatively calm, I can start.to hear the wind whisling again.

A few trees down in mid and East Devon looking at work phone and flooding at Ide on A30. 

 

[Storm Ciarán]

Morning. Relatively calm here. But it's not going to be in few hours. 

 

Barometer is interesting

[Storm Ciarán]

Road schemes in progress being made safe. Planned works for next two days falling like 9 pins. 

All staff told to work from home where possible tomorrow. 

[Storm Ciarán]

3 minutes ago, Man With Beard said:

Every time a major storm threatens, 1987 gets mentioned doesn't it ... but with good justification! You've summed it up well. I'll never forget being woken at 2am to this unbelievable sound, looking out of the window and thinking the world was going to end - it felt like being inside a massive tornado. And I was 40 miles inland! My nearest station recorded 97mph gusts which is just outrageous so far from the coast.

I suspect what the Channel Islands are going to experience might be comparable.

Think 1987 is something we'll never forget - being woken at 2am by a screaming gale. The only comparable one was the Burns storm of 1990 which did massive damage down here. 105mph gust at Dartmoor that one. 

Just home from a site visit in Holsworthy- blowy but it's starting to wind up slightly here - a bit of calmer before the storm I guess.

[Storm Ciarán]

Shipping forecast is interesting this morning... I can't recall a possible Hurricane Force 12 for sea area Plymouth for many a long year.

 

[Storm Ciarán]

What's going to make this worse, has just started. More rain. 

Thinking back the December of 1989 was similar, very wet, flooding in Looe etc then we had the burns night storm after in January. That took out a lot of trees in Plymouth. 

Just now, Wivenswold said:

Ah yes, this is it, I stand corrected. However, I wouldn't say these are a yearly event, more every 4-5 years and rarely when trees are in full leaf. This chart below does make me a little reassured that our tree stock has been tested recently though.

One big difference which could come into play- Ash Dieback. Plenty of dead Ash trees still standing and at risk around the country. 

[Storm Ciarán]

2 minutes ago, daniel barber said:

60mph gusts in Essex are almost a yearly occurance. Look at last year storm eunice had winds gust at over 70mph  across the county. 

No disrespect but Eunice was February. October/November storms are different beasts. 

[Storm Ciarán]

4 minutes ago, TallPaul said:

Absolutely - quite rare for Plymouth to get an amber alert for wind, but I'm really now taking this seriously as the highest impact is during commute time... and when I will be finishing my shift at 06:30!

Agree. Given its gales before increasing then expect issues with Tamar Bridge , railway lines etc.  Factor in high tide times and it's got potential to be nasty right across Devon and Cornwall. 

[Storm Ciarán]

Email from met office (Penny Tranter) to us in work.

Current yellow warnings - so it is highly likely that these weather warnings are going to escalate to Amber, possibly even red. 

[Storm Ciarán]

3 minutes ago, Jo Farrow said:

No.

The heads up early warning is there, the storm name is aiding comms on this event. They usually wait until 10/11am to update their warnings.

There is a steady rhythm to this kind of thing and repercussions when amber or red warnings appear, it kicks of lots of logistical processes.

Decision making - Severe weather warnings and The Matrix

WWW.NETWEATHER.TV

---

Yellow, Amber and Red warnings - all warn of severe weather but not all yellow warnings are equal. The UK uses an impact-based system. Extra understanding is needed for good decision making.

 

Indeed- Amber weather warnings for storms trigger a different way of working in local authorities Highways and if you need to sort stuff out you claim against a 'storm" payment code rather than the day to day budget. Something I had no idea of until last Winter but it's clever stuff and saves money long term

[Storm Ciarán]

Well last evening I had the pleasure of driving to a meeting in Okehampton and back. And whilst the rain was heavy as expected across the Moor from Tavistock northwards, driving home the main issue was flooding. Not serious but enough to show the ground is saturated with run off.

High tide on Thursday is a worrying 0748 at Bovisand so the tide is incoming right at the wrong time here. Barbican in Plymouth will flood on that,  as will other southern coast towns and villages.

I have a feeling we're going to hit Amber later then possibly a red later? They've avoided red for us even with Arwen which was brutal a few years back.

Schemes starting to wind down workwise. 

 

 

[Storm Ciarán]

Planning ahead already, Thursday is looking utterly brutal for us. If that move North is right, then we get hours of Gales. 

There will be trees down here in South Devon and Plymouth of that I'm certain. 

BIG work meeting tomorrow on pplanned highway works. Most will get shelved I guess. 

[Storm Ciarán]

It's the windup and SE gales which do the damage down here. Then the veer which will focus on north coast of Cornwall and Devon but we have to get there.