Wednesday 10 December

Gale- to severe gale force winds today, with frequent hail, thunder, snow and rainshowers. These were accompanied by strong squalls, with the winds peaking at 75 mph in places. The media made much of this 'weatherbomb', but it is just a strong winter depression, carrying the usual mix of problems. Near the shore, there was a danger of flooding due to overtopping sea defences, and there were phenomenal seas battering the shoreline. There were three powercuts, two lasting an hour from 3.15 am and 7.00 am, and another lasting less than a minute around 2pm. Much was made of the 18,000 people being off supply in the Western Isles due to this powercut. The wind abated slightly as the afternoon wore on. Ventured out to Tesco, which had some very empty shelves due to no ferry for two days. Tomorrow, there won't be a ferry until late, meaning that the shelves will remain empty. Anyone for baked beans?