On 12/09/2011 23:32, wrote:
I'm gauging that most people think today hasn't been anywhere near as
the good old Met'O had us expecting - thankfully.
Today looks like only been the 7-8th windiest day that I have recorded
over the last 4yrs. I even had a windier day in May of this year.

You don't say where you are, but in North Yorkshire it was a full gale
for about 6 hours with localised short powercuts and a major high level
bridge taken out of service because HGV drivers were too stupid or
stubborn to follow the road closed to high sided vehicles warning signs.

But if you went by the Met'o weather warnings it should have been No.
1.

But I don't recall the rash of weather warnings on the majority of
those days that were windier than today and most of them were also
wetter than today as well.

Is it a case of:
a.) it was an EX hurricane so better put a warning out - makes for a
good news story
b.) bad luck on part of the Met'O
c.) Over sensitivity on part of the Met'O
d.) poor forecsating
e.) it beats a weather warning for 2mm of snowfall

It was pretty wild and with leaves still on the trees it would not have
needed to be very much stronger to do a lot of damage. Only very badly
built buildings seem to have been affected according to news reports:

http://www.itv.com/tynetees/roof-col...-in-wind80764/

The worst part of the gale was snapping 3" diameter dead branches off
trees and dropping onto the roads. Mostly it was smaller stuff around 1"
in size and good for kindling. I think the Met Office are still a bit
paranoid at this time of year about the infamous "not a hurricane"
forecast of 1987 that reduced Sevenoaks to Three.

Regards,
Martin Brown