The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Roxy on November 27, 2011, 07:38:40 am

Title: High Winds
Post by: Roxy on November 27, 2011, 07:38:40 am
I know Scotland has been affected, but the high winds seemed to have blown across the border and arrived here overnight.  Our caravan is perched on one of the highest hillsides in Derbyshire - in fact its the highest.  Very scenic in normal circumstances, but I have been up most of the night with my bad cough, and feeling the caravan sway rather alarmingly ......if it moves across the hardstanding, there is just a fence and then an almighty drop down a field into a wood :)

I don't know whether its just me, but in recent times the high winds seem to be more regular here - a lot stronger and destructive than they used to be. I do worry about stable roofs, hen huts, goat sheds, etc. when its like this.

Stay safe everyone, and hope the storms have not affected you or your property.
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: Skirza on November 27, 2011, 08:09:48 am
Reported 82mph at Wick airport...both doors have blown off the polytunnel and ripped the surrounding plastic but all livestock is tucked up warm and cosy. Not sure if poor 'Mrs Fluffy' our pekin bantam will cope with the winds tho  :D
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: jaykay on November 27, 2011, 08:35:58 am
Been awake a lot of the night, just with the noise. This morning, gates blown open, anything not nailed down all over the yard but the beck's dropped and everything seems ok, no roofs off.

Thank goodness the landlady for next door, knowing the Environmental Health officer is coming round on Tues, finally got some men to sort out the broken tree in their front garden, cos the two branches that were hanging by barely more than the bark from the last storm would have come down for sure  :o
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: sabrina on November 27, 2011, 10:20:53 am
Windy with us this morning but suppose to die down so far no damage.
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: YorkshireLass on November 27, 2011, 11:36:44 am
Howling round here all night, blown a few things over in the garden, but probably not that strong.
Just not used to the noises made by this particular house!

Mind you, I'll be passing lots of nice old trees later today  :-\
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on November 27, 2011, 11:53:57 am
I think given our general weather anything that could blow away here did so a long time ago....even the goosie ark is staked down by 4 angle irons.....Im glad Im not the only one who doesnt get much sleep in this weather, thought I was the only one as OH snores right through it!
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: doganjo on November 27, 2011, 12:18:48 pm
Sorry folks, but I didn't hear a thing last night. :-[  It was VERY blowy yesterday at Bo'ness when we were on the Santa steam train for my son-in-law's 40th birthday bash.  The train was swaying a little, but being below embankments it was protected, and you could see the treetops really blowing about. ::)  What great fun that trip was though, Santa and his helpers leading us in Christmas songs, :carols: presents for all the kids, :hohoho: :santariding: and mince pies back at the station.  Christmas is coming woohoo!!! :merryxmas: :wave:
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: robert waddell on November 27, 2011, 12:31:05 pm
bah humbug :farmer:
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: princesspiggy on November 27, 2011, 02:04:50 pm
bah humbug :farmer:

u make me chuckle  ;D ;D :wave:
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: doganjo on November 27, 2011, 11:20:14 pm
bah humbug :farmer:

u make me chuckle  ;D ;D :wave:
Robert makes everyone chuckle - provided you understand his type of humour.  Actually now I think about it we are auditioning for a Santa for the CSSA Christmas Party - see new thread.  He'd be an ideal candidate! ;) ;D  Yay, Robert  :wave:
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: robert waddell on November 27, 2011, 11:41:51 pm
no Annie no Santa for me         that is the type of humor you get when you go to the university         the university of life :farmer:
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: doganjo on November 28, 2011, 12:13:07 am
no Annie no Santa for me         that is the type of humor you get when you go to the university         the university of life :farmer:
Somehow, I knew you'd say that!  ;) ;D :wave:
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: bazzais on November 28, 2011, 11:05:55 pm
We get some pretty high winds here too - I've literally been picked up and blown off my feet at the top of the cliffs a few times now - quite frightening.

When the Landy is parked up it looks like one of those cars with hydraulic risers bobbing about :)

We are very exposed though living on the end of a headland.

When I first moved here I made the mistake of taking a few asbestos sheets off and fitting plastic ones to let in a bit of light - the next winter they all just got shattered by the winds.

You can tell if its been windy here overnight as everything off the yard normally ends up stuck against the fence in the bottom field by the edge of the sea - I never knew I owned so many buckets, its like a bucket festival down there some days. :)

Its easy to forget how destructive nature can be.  Its particularly bad if its not the prevailing wind.

A shame really as I would like to have my yurts up all years round for winter breaks - but there is no chance with the winds we get - we are about as exposed as you can get.

Stay safe :)

Baz
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: Hermit on November 28, 2011, 11:18:48 pm
We had them bad  up here but Shetland was warned to get things secured as there was going to be damage. The polytunnel survived as it was boarded up but a small boat turned over in the marina. A friend of mine on Fair Isle rang up today and said his chook house blew down the hill full of chickens! Luckily they stopped before the sea and they all were alright physically. It is still blowing but could be worse, at least the forcast snow did not arrive, it must have blown straight over!!!!
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: humphreymctush on November 29, 2011, 08:22:00 am
feeling the caravan sway rather alarmingly


Here's a picture of my caravan.
The top wind speed recorded in Orkney on Sunday morning was 130mph which is a bit alarming because my windturbine is only rated up to 135mph
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: jaykay on November 29, 2011, 09:24:53 am
Oh no  :o
We've got high winds again this morning but not that bad, you can walk, if a bit unsteadily.
Can't check exact speeds as the goats have eaten the cable to ex-DH's weather station  :)
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on November 29, 2011, 09:37:52 am
We knew we had to secure everything here when we bought the place back in 2002. Our farmer neighbour said he could measure the wind speed by seeing which of his fields the previous owners wee caravan had reached.......We too had a wee caravan initially but we put it inside the barn! Dark but a bit less scary! But the first year I lived up here was in a static caravan, and I wouldnt want to repeat that...scary in the wind. I used to go and sleep on the house even tho there were no doors, electricity, heating, water, anything, just so I had 4 solid walls. I snuggled up with the dogs on the huge Tuffie dog bed!

Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: Mel Rice on November 29, 2011, 10:46:49 am
Our bit of Germany tends to have steady winds rather than gusty...and not very strong, well not compared to our last house on the edge of the penines UK. BUT this week has been windy here, I am worried about our broken barn roof...the plastic has not survived (Needs redoing) and the hole (understatement) faces the prevaling winds!Oh hum!
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: Fowgill Farm on November 29, 2011, 10:57:02 am
Wild and windy in North Yorkshire yesterday and today, no rain yet but reliably informed on its way, all hatches battened down, pigs buried in feet of straw so i know somethng nasty is on its way!
mandy  :pig:
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: chriso on November 29, 2011, 11:51:16 am
It's wet and wild in West Cumbria today too. I thought I would leave the hens in the ark today but the wind thought better of that and opened the door, god only knows where they have blown away to.
Title: Survival
Post by: RUSTYME on November 29, 2011, 12:58:57 pm
Very blustery here in wales , but it is the rain that will cause problems if it doesn't ease up soon .the ground is already saturated , the river is full and it is still p*ssing down !, glad i live on a hill ! Oooooh spooky ! As i type the rain just stopped .
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: Penninehillbilly on November 29, 2011, 12:59:50 pm
It's been very windy here, but the goats have been out, (trees planted for shelter), skies are darkening so goats are now in, haven't seen the hens, obviously sheltering under the shrubs somewhere, (I hope!), ducks are very noisy and excitable, lucky they are low to the ground (call ducks), but if they flap their wings who knows where they'll end up :o.
Just been starting to rain.
(Yorks/Lancs border)
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: Roxy on November 29, 2011, 01:14:03 pm
ooh, that pic of the caravan made me shudder.  At least mine is still upright - or was when I left it this morning. People in neighbouring caravan have a big awning, with all their kitchen stuff in......it took off in the high winds and a man in the next caravan along was chasing plastic tables, and trying to hold on to the awning.  He succeeded, but to drivers on the road probably looked like someone trying to handglide ;D

High winds have returned in the night - can not stand up outside.  Little pigs are determined to play out, and little Lucky who is smaller than some of our Tom cats, may well blow away, and the young bantams are out somewhere, too.  Will have to go and check they have not been blown over the wall into the lane.

Village had tree lighting last night, so all the little trees above the shop doors will be taking a battering, if they are still there, that is.

Have a lot to be doing outside, but hard work pushing barrows, and things like uncovering the large straw bale to get some off, is a no no, as  I will lose most of it to this wind.

Penninehillbillys rain will be along shortly ......the speed the wind is blowing I reckon very shortly ;D
Title: Survival
Post by: RUSTYME on November 29, 2011, 03:12:05 pm
Wind and rain gone completely , seems too quiet now !
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: Plantoid on November 29, 2011, 10:22:10 pm
Our 40 kg chimnea was blown 12 feet across the patio.. that's not unusual ?

 Yes it is , the wind was like an express train thrashing it between Peterborough and Doncaster  .

We are on the sheltered west lee of the hill , with evergreens and wood land to the east and north
 we ended up with about five inches of water in the barrow from last night and a further four inches this afternoon .. Now it's all stars and a smiling quarter moon but it is getting cold enough for a light ground frost in the early hours .
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: jaykay on November 29, 2011, 10:24:50 pm
We just had graupel but no doubt it'll melt and add to the swamp..... perhaps not just yet as it's also clear and starry here now :)
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: SallyintNorth on November 29, 2011, 11:14:58 pm
We just had graupel but no doubt it'll melt and add to the swamp..... perhaps not just yet as it's also clear and starry here now :)

Oh-oh.  Still strong winds here, but not now so strong we can't open and safely close the big doors on the sheds.  Incredibly some of the ground is almost dried out, there's been so much wind.  But we have a lot of rain forecast for Weds night, so it'll all be sodden again by Thursday.

Piglets are living in the cattle shed at the moment, they haven't grumbled about not being outside once. :D
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: princesspiggy on December 01, 2011, 09:49:28 am
well we lost our shed last night,lovingly built last week to sell our eggs -  totally flattened and the very heavy cubby house took off too.
last time the trampoline was on the roof but suprisingly it didnt move.
beautiful day now tho
 :wave:
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: shetlandpaul on December 01, 2011, 09:58:14 am
rather gusty up here this morning. we are ment to have 80mph winds can well believe it. did you hear about the drought. have they not looked out of their windows.
Title: Re: High Winds
Post by: Roxy on December 01, 2011, 10:04:16 am
Oh princesspiggy, its awful when the winds are destructive and spoil our things.

Had another sleepless night, with high winds and torrential rain.  It so worries me that the roof will take off from the stable and go across the lane onto my stuffy neighbours garage roof again.

This morning my field is full of cardboard as the bags for recycling the neighbours put out for collection have blown away - and I cannot see either the neighours or the council coming to move them somehow.

Nice calm day now .....but bitterly cold  (and muddy after all that rain)