View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Thursday 30 August 2012

Thursday 30 August

A bright and sunny day, but getting a bit cooler than recently - we reached 15C / 59F. A complete turn-around from yesterday. In most places in the UK, the summer has been a complete wash-out. We have had one of our driest summers on record. Tonight will see a pronounced dip in temperatures, with a possible grass frost in some of the mainland glens.

The search is continuing, both above and under water, for the body of the man who went missing on Sunday in Loch Gairloch, 45 miles to the southeast on the Scottish mainland. I have doubts whether he will actually be found, but for the sake of the families involved, I do hope that will be the case.

It remains busy on the tropical cyclones front, but the worst of the effects of Isaac appears to be over. The storm is weakening over the southern USA, which continues to receive huge amounts of rainfall. Of longer term concern is hurricane Kirk, which will merge with a frontal system by next Tuesday to haunt the British Isles. It is yet too far off to determine what newly formed tropical storm Leslie will do. This system is currently expected to veer north to the east of Bermuda.