Pictures

Here is a selection of pictures I took in Stornoway since my return last Tuesday.

Friday


Thursday


Wednesday

Hurricane update - 8 January

The Southern Hemisphere is in the middle of its tropical cyclone season, although it is pretty quiet. Except for tropical cyclone Edzani (formal designation 07S), which is a category V system in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean. Nearest land is Diego Garcia, 590 miles to its north, and the islands of Mauritius and La Reunion are 1300 miles to its west southwest. None of these places have anything to fear from Edzani. Although it is heading for a point to the southeast of the Mascaregnes, the storm will have weakened considerably by that time and will also be at too high a latitude to be able to regain strength.

Just a gentle reminder that winter will not last forever, and before you know where you are you'll be complaining about that stifling heat.

Friday 8 January

A sunny but very cold start to the day here in the Western Isles, after the mercury dipped to -6C overnight. That is not as cold as Altnaharra, over on the Scottish mainland, which reached -22.3C earlier this morning. Problems with snow and ice continue unabated, and there are no signs of improvement in the offing.

The birds have been fed outside, taking care to make it difficult for the seagulls to reach the seeds and bread crumbs. Anything close to treetrunks or under bushes is not easy to get for those scavengers. The starlings, thrushes, sparrows and finches are having a hard time at the moment. By 2pm, they can be spotted puffed up in any ray of sunshine that happens about, soaking up the sun and saving energy.