Fair Isle
1605z. 10-minute mean speed now 49kt from 030deg, gusting 63kt. Temp 6.8C
2000m in heavy rain.
Digital speed dial (MO equip) just switched to 150kt range!

Dave

"Dave on Fair Isle" wrote in message
. net...
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