Hi Steve - welcome to the 'real' weather!

Much the same here - mean speed 41-46kt last 6 hours, from 060deg slowly
backing 030deg. Max gst 64kt. Vis generally 1000-2000m in rain and spray.
I've recorded only 27.3mm from 21z/25-15z/26. Pressure here just bottomed
out at 977.0hPa. Temperature a miserable 7 to 8C.

Though I'd describe this as a 'normal' autumn gale, the direction is not
that common. In this part of the world, when we have a low moving east
across northern Scotland you always find lots of rain as the wrap-around
occlusion stalls somewhere over the Northern Isles before being dragged
clear as the low tracks away east. Similar situation in winter, with the
right conditions, and a huge amount of snow can result!

Dave,
Fair Isle

"Steve Loft" wrote in message
m...
Current 10-minute average wind speed 51.4 mph ENE, Severe Gale F9, gusting
to 65 mph. The AWS has recorded 47mm rain since midnight, but I suspect a
good deal more than that has blown straight over the top of the gauge.

Pressure 974mb, now steady.

No flooding in the immediate vicinity, but Kirkwall on Orkney Mainland has
a few problems:

http://www.orcadian.co.uk/archive/2006/floodgallery.htm

The ferries are cancelled but the morning flight came in only 30 minutes
late with the post. It was quite impressive, watching him land in an F8
crosswind.
--
Steve Loft
Sanday, Orkney. 5m ASL
http://sanday.org.uk/weather