I'm really scared.

[ClownLurch]

Apparently Storm Eunice is thought to be the worst in 3 decades. By my reckoning that's probably since the "hurricane" in 1987. For those too young to remember it, that hit the south of England as well, but the weather forecasters said don't worry, it's not a hurricane. They were correct as a hurricane has to meet certain conditions to qualify as a hurricane and that storm didn't but that didn't stop half the population criticising the Met Office and Michael Fish never lived it down.

In Teesside, it's been a bit windy for the last hour or so (gusts in the mid 40s mph), but Storm Duncan was worse here, as was Storm Arwen at the end of last year. And we haven't had any snow although parts of North Yorkshire and County Durham have (we're sandwiched between those two).

But the south of England has really been hit.

I was in a mates pub in Central London the night of the hurricane. We left at about 1AM and it was red hot and the air very still. Very unusual for the U.K . Slept like a baby through it but next morning I realised “the calm before the storm” was real.
Today hasn’t been as bad around here as then by the looks of it.

 

[Sgooosh]

Wish the best to you all!!!

 

[itiwhetu]

Take care everyone. Hang tight and look after your Neighbours. Thinking of you all.

 

[Herpin Man]

Horrible blizzard in Wisconsin. After being away from home all week, I’m stuck in one of the last rooms in the worst fleabag in Wausau.
I’m happy to be here though. Its much better than spending the night in a cold ditch. Visibility is terrible due to high winds and blowing snow.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Apparently Storm Eunice is thought to be the worst in 3 decades. By my reckoning that's probably since the "hurricane" in 1987. For those too young to remember it, that hit the south of England as well, but the weather forecasters said don't worry, it's not a hurricane. They were correct as a hurricane has to meet certain conditions to qualify as a hurricane and that storm didn't but that didn't stop half the population criticising the Met Office and Michael Fish never lived it down.

In Teesside, it's been a bit windy for the last hour or so (gusts in the mid 40s mph), but Storm Duncan was worse here, as was Storm Arwen at the end of last year. And we haven't had any snow although parts of North Yorkshire and County Durham have (we're sandwiched between those two).

But the south of England has really been hit.

I remember the October 15th 1987 storm all too well cos at the time I was driving the truck and thanks to the rough weather I had been delayed at the bulk trailer pick up point. This meant a night out sleeping in the cab. I had heard old Fishy say it was impossible for a hurricane and my boss told me to try and get to a motorway service station as they would likely be safer in the unlikely event of the storm being as bad as everyone apart from Fishy said it would be.

Unfortunately my driving/duty hours ran out on the A303 just west of Yeovil in Somerset so I had to find a layby.

Thankfully due to being absolutely cream crackered from the day before, I slept like....well....a log.

Next morning, bright and early I sort of woke up, peered around the cab curtain to find that the nice quiet layby now resembled a disaster zone. Every single tree that had been vertical when I parked up was now horizontal all around and over the trailer...none had hit the cab or sleeper pod.

From that point onwards I have never stayed in a layby for any reason in windy weather. I know that in the area many people lost their homes, some lost their lives. I rang my boss to let him know that I was OK then sat in the cab and waited for forestry people to come cut up the trees that had landed on the trailer so that I could get to the trailer drop point and then home.

It was one of three close shaves that I had in my driving career where something was obviously looking out for me, the other two occassions were January 8th 1989 when a Boeing 737 came down on the M1 motorway about 400m infront of me and December 12th 1979 when I was running late and missed the ferry at Zeebrugge, the Herald of Free Enterprise that capsized in the outer harbour.

 

[Essjay]

Some statistics from yesterday.
3 people killed in the UK, 1 in Ireland, 3 in the Netherlands and 1 in Belgium.
300,000 homes in the UK without power this morning
A provisional highest wind speed ever recorded in the UK - 122 mph in the Isle of Wight

 

[ClownLurch]

I remember the October 15th 1987 storm all too well cos at the time I was driving the truck and thanks to the rough weather I had been delayed at the bulk trailer pick up point. This meant a night out sleeping in the cab. I had heard old Fishy say it was impossible for a hurricane and my boss told me to try and get to a motorway service station as they would likely be safer in the unlikely event of the storm being as bad as everyone apart from Fishy said it would be.

Unfortunately my driving/duty hours ran out on the A303 just west of Yeovil in Somerset so I had to find a layby.

Thankfully due to being absolutely cream crackered from the day before, I slept like....well....a log.

Next morning, bright and early I sort of woke up, peered around the cab curtain to find that the nice quiet layby now resembled a disaster zone. Every single tree that had been vertical when I parked up was now horizontal all around and over the trailer...none had hit the cab or sleeper pod.

From that point onwards I have never stayed in a layby for any reason in windy weather. I know that in the area many people lost their homes, some lost their lives. I rang my boss to let him know that I was OK then sat in the cab and waited for forestry people to come cut up the trees that had landed on the trailer so that I could get to the trailer drop point and then home.

It was one of three close shaves that I had in my driving career where something was obviously looking out for me, the other two occassions were January 8th 1989 when a Boeing 737 came down on the M1 motorway about 400m infront of me and December 12th 1979 when I was running late and missed the ferry at Zeebrugge, the Herald of Free Enterprise that capsized in the outer harbour.

Awwwh maaan. When I win the lottery I’ll pay you to be on the same flights and ferrys as me!
That east midland plane came down about 20 mins after I’d passed the crash point heading south. I know this cos my mate was due to drive down to London in convoy with me but set off 30 mins later and got stuck there for hours.