View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Saturday 25 August 2012

Hurricane update - 25 August

Tropical storm ISAAC is currently traversing eastern Cuba, with maximum sustained windspeeds of 50 knots (60 mph). The storm will continue to track westnorthwest over the next 24 hours or so, before veering sharply north into the Florida Keys and southern Florida, reaching those parts as a category I hurricane. The system will intensify further, and make final landfall somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and southeastern Louisiana by Tuesday or Wednesday at 85 knots, 100 mph. The National Hurricane Center is issuing 3-hourly advisories, which will increase in frequency as the storm starts to directly impact US territory.

Typhoon TEMBIN is located southwest of Taiwan and is currently looping around to the northeast whilst strengthening. The latest warning quotes its strength at 75 knots or 85 mph. Tembin will skirt the eastern seaboard of Taiwan, which it has already blasted on Thursday and Friday.

Some 750 miles to the north, typhoon BOLAVEN is making directly for Okinawa, which it will impact at 120 knots or 140 mph. Beyond that, the storm will weaken as it heads up the Yellow Sea to impact North Korea. The storm will cause huge problems in Korea, northeastern China and southeastern Russia with vast amounts of rainfall.

Saturday 25 August

I just logged onto a rather buggy Twitter this evening when the news caught my eye that Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, has died at the age of 82. I do not remember the moon landings in July 1969 (I was just short of my 5th birthday), but have always recognised it as one of the biggest achievements of mankind. To quote Neil Armstrong: he took a small step for man, but a big step for mankind. To quote one Twitter user: he has now taken the hardest step of all.