View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Sunday 26 August 2012

Sunday 26 August

A bright and sunny day, until evening. Cloud has started to stream in from the southwest, ahead of the first autumnal gale of the season tomorrow. We haven't really had strong winds for a long time, but our unusually long quiet spell is coming to a close, as summer comes to a close.

Summer is definitely not coming to a close in the tropics. Whilst everybody is panicking in Florida over tropical storm Isaac, the folk on the Japanese island of Okinawa have sat through their worst typhoon in 50 years. Bolaven came blasting through at midday GMT, with winds of more than 110 mph near the centre of the storm. The island's airport reported 60 mph. Meanwhile, Isaac is headed west northwest past Key West and looks set to intensify in the Gulf of Mexico. The NHC carries 3-hourly updates on this system.