Friday 31 January

Not a very nice day in terms of weather, with a red sunrise heralding much wind and rain. The main problem for the next day or so looks to be the springtides. Tomorrow morning's tide will peak at 5.5 metres (18' 4''), and strong winds from the south could cause flooding problems in the centre of Stornoway. The harbour here faces south. The wind also made the 5C / 41F feel even colder than it already was. I went out at 8pm to have a look at the high tide, which was lapping just a foot under the quays at North Beach. Sandbags have been issued, with only the Chinese takeaway not yet having put them in place.