Monday 16 October 2017

Michael Fish

I can't help feeling that I have done a bit of a "Michael Fish" yesterday.   (for US readers he was a weather forecaster thirty years ago when the great storm broke here and he predicted it wouldn't arrive).
Storm Ophelia is predicted to hit Northern Ireland later today and all schools are closed throughout both the North and the South of the Country.   As far as we are concerned here, the winds are predicted to be storm force - particularly in the  West of the country but even here in the East they may reach seventy miles an hour.  So we shall all be battening down the hatches.

The good news is that it should pass through quite quickly - but the last big storm (in 1987) did a huge amount of damage - the town of Sevenoaks 
in a very short time became 'Oneoak' as all but one of the famous oaks was uprooted by the strength of the wind. 

So - if I have done a Michael Fish then it is history repeating itself.   Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope that this storm is not as severe as it might be.

22 comments:

Living Alone in Your 60's said...

I remember house tiles flying off houses and our local cemetery losing all its poplar trees. It's never looked the same since.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I cycled to work that morning and as it was backwind most of the way I got there early!

Rachel Phillips said...

My mother rang me and said I had to go to work, a hurricane was no excuse for a day off. I drove round trees, across fields, dodged falling debris, found Norwich like a war zone and devastated and the trees on the Castle Mound all gone, got to my office and found the Stock Exchange was shut due to the hurricane (unheard of for the SE to shut) and nobody else in. Rang HO and they said no staff in, go home. Went home again.

Gwil W said...

I seem to remember looking for the famous Michael Fish "there are no hurricanes" weather forecast and finding it on YouTube. Maybe it's still there.

Tom Stephenson said...

I made quite a lot of money at Longleat thanks to the storm of 87...

The Weaver of Grass said...

Rachel more or less sums up the day nicely. Let's not hope for a repeat.

Derek Faulkner said...

We weren't as lucky as Rachel, at Sheerness Docks we were expected in at work, despite the fact that several dockside cranes had blown into the sea. We were put to work clearing up debris scattered all round the dock.

P. said...

Thanks God Ophelia came to Portugal (Azores) and went away without causing major damage. Now let's hope it will not cause in Ireland either.

Heather said...

I can't help thinking that something is on it's way - the sky is a funny colour.
Back in 1987 I remember watching our neighbour's front lawn undulating as the roots of his conifers were being rocked out of the ground. My husband had to help him cut the trees down as they were threatening our roof.

A Heron's View said...

9I KNOTS or 104mph is today's highest wind speed in Ireland and as I write there are some very strong gusts passing overhead. All garden furniture and flower pots have been removed lest they become missiles
that end up hurting a person or doing other damage.
On orders from our government we have been told to remain indoors until end of hurricane.
Cork and Kerry have numerous power outages, there will be more throughout the land that I am sure of.
Basically the country is in lockdown apart from emergency personnel.

Elizabeth said...

The name Michael Fish brings back so many memories! My American husband always laughed when he said there would be 'sunny intervals'.
Sunny intervals between what? he would ask!
We are rather used to wild storms here - but alarming nonetheless.

Yarrow said...

I feel like theres a storm brewing here in France, but it shouldn't hit us! Famous last words! Stay safe.x

Jules said...

Lets just hope it passes by without too much damage. Stay safe Pat. X

Gail, northern California said...

Be safe, Pat.

jinxxxygirl said...

Be safe Pat! Just think this might be the last storm that your old house protects you from... Hugs! deb

donna baker said...

Oh Pat. I will have to try and find stories about the storm. Haven't even heard of Ophelia. Sounds like it will be bad. Stay inside.

Joanne Noragon said...

I hope so Weave, but as of this morning it's had its way in Cork. My love to all of you.

Librarian said...

There will hopefully no damage to either your current house or your future one - it could delay your move again...
No storm predicted for this part of the planet, as far as I know. We've had the most glorious sunshine since Friday, and it is supposed to last until mid-week.

Derek Faulkner said...

Weird weather here in Kent today. The morning was humid and sunny with an almost tropical breeze. By mid-afternoon the sky had become hazy and orange as the sun was filtered through a screen of smoke from Portugal and Saharan sand and then by 4.00pm it got spookily dark as heavy grey cloud sped across the sky and cars needed their headlights on and it became quite eerie.

gz said...

Its unfortunate that people remember Michael Fish saying there wouldn't be a hurricane...and conveniently forget that he said that it would be a storm. Weather technicalities!
I remember the slates on the roof of my home then (1750 built, smallholding) rippling like waves in the wind..and because the slates and timbers moved and flexed, although sounding ominous, we lost not one.

angryparsnip said...

Hope you and Tess will be fine and the storm passes you by.

cheers, parsnip

Hildred said...

We have had a great windy storm here in the Okanagan during the last twenty-four hours, - lots of damage, trees down and lost electricity. Luckily, here in the Similkameen, the wind was fierce for a little while but soon abated.