Major UK Winter Storm 8th/9th December 2011 - NOW WITH FORECAST IMAGES

Low level official UKMO reading for Tulloch Bridge in Scotland maxed out at 105mph

Source

The OP reference was to the netweather.tv. report. It is interesting that one of their contributors is the one and only Michael Fish - he of the "what hurricane" fame.


"The legendary ex BBC weather forecaster Michael Fish presents his weekly video forecast every Thursday, make sure you tune in every week for his latest outlook. Click Here to visit Michael's dedicated video channel on Netweather TV. "
www.netweather.tv...
I wonder if there is bias in their reporting of hurricanes because of his past failure?

The British generally do not trust their own weather reporters. The met office predicted a barbecue summer this year which was rubbish. They also failed to predict the coldest winter for 100 years last December. They also predicted rainstorms for the royal wedding, leaving thousands of spectators baking in anoraks in warm sunshine.
This led to a parliamentary enquiry this year.
www.publications.parliament.uk...

So dismal were their predictions leading to lack of faith by the public that this has led to the UK government releasing met office raw data to the public this year so that they could have a go themselves.
www.telegraph.co.uk...

Fortunately individual weathermen have not been targeted as was in the case below:


I wonder what the economic cost of this huge over-reaction has been?

Seems those lovely 945 mbars escape Russia once more. From the models all I could see is 1010-1000 and that's pushing it as well. As mentioned in another weather topic my current record of low air pressure is 707 mmHg and it was in spring. Been keeping hourly pressure and temperature data, would be lovely if those two storm systems pushed down the monthly air pressure averages in Moscow to below 737-740 mmHg.

And do imagine those storm systems in the summer. With the ocean water being warmer then usual, we might just get a teeeny chance of a true hurricane forming off the coast of Great Britain. Or at least a huge extratropical cyclone. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

It's now -4 outside, it's overcast and the moon is shining a ring though high clouds. The clouds themselves are flying very fast to NW to feed your cyclone with fresh moist air I assume. But it's rather still and quiet on the ground, no wind, no birds. Just a few car sounds from the closest motorway. Maybe it's the calm before the storm?

reply to post by dr treg


Netweather.tv doesn't have a bias towards hurricanes. What we are experiencing is not a hurricane, its a Low Pressure system. Hurricanes initialy form off of the West Coast of Africa.

Any forecaster, including organisations like the UKMO who choose to try and forecast a barbeque summer or freezing winter are simply foolish. Accuracy in weather reporting is difficult to obtain even at a range of 1 week.

Precisely the reason why i havent created a thread for the potential storm of 13th December that could very well pt this one to shame...and thats saying something.

The enquiry took place because the general public demand a forecast for summer andwinter, so the UKMO are forced into it, but they cannot even say with 50% accuracy. The best thing to do in that case is simply NOT say anything until far nearer the time.

Originally posted by RumET
Seems those lovely 945 mbars escape Russia once more. From the models all I could see is 1010-1000 and that's pushing it as well. As mentioned in another weather topic my current record of low air pressure is 707 mmHg and it was in spring. Been keeping hourly pressure and temperature data, would be lovely if those two storm systems pushed down the monthly air pressure averages in Moscow to below 737-740 mmHg.

And do imagine those storm systems in the summer. With the ocean water being warmer then usual, we might just get a teeeny chance of a true hurricane forming off the coast of Great Britain. Or at least a huge extratropical cyclone. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

It's now -4 outside, it's overcast and the moon is shining a ring though high clouds. The clouds themselves are flying very fast to NW to feed your cyclone with fresh moist air I assume. But it's rather still and quiet on the ground, no wind, no birds. Just a few car sounds from the closest motorway. Maybe it's the calm before the storm?

edit on 8/12/2011 by RumET because: Added the current weather situation.

That high pressure sitting over Russia, by all means send it our way, maybe then we can get some deep cold like last year and block the Atlantic influence!

The problem you face is the majority of any energy left in a LP from the UK would dissipate by the time it reached Moscow...

reply to post by jrmcleod


I believe it's more then just a Low Pressure system you're struggling through. I think such a thing is called an Extratropical Cyclone. Basically a swirling mass of clouds formed outside the equator in the north. Polar Lows and such are also counted in. Sounds niftier as well ^^ But I might be mistaken, Russia doesn't offer amateur meteorologist course, so I have to do with what I find online and in old Norwegian weather forecasting books from 1930ies.

Well we have pics now, AND film!!!
now we just have a little wind.
waiting for more.

reply to post by Acidtastic


Hey Acidtastic

THE GOOD THING ABOUT THESE "DIAMOND GRIPS" IS THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED TO BE LEFT ON!

DON'T NEED TO BE TAKEN ON AND OFF AND CAN GENERALLY BE LEFT ON WHEN GOING INTO VARIOUS STORES WITH CARPET & VINYL TILED FLOORS AS LONG AS YOU ARE CAREFUL.

ALSO, THEY CAN BE WORN ON PATHS AND ROADS WITHOUT HARM TO THE "DIAMOND GRIPS". THEY CAN ALSO BE WORN FOR FELL RUNNING/FELL WALKING FOR GRIP ON GRAVEL/ROCKS/BOULDERS IN THE MUD AND WET.

THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY IDEAL FOR WALKING THE DOG!

LAST WINTER, MY AUNT TAKING HER DOG FOR A WALK STOOD ON AN INVISIBLE PATCH OF DRY ICE AND SMASHED HER ARM. COULDN'T DRIVE HER CAR HAD TO BE DRIVEN TOO AND FROM HOSPITAL COULDN'T DRESS/WASH/ FEED HERSELF PROPERLY AND WAS IN AGONY FOR WEEKS AND STILL HAS PAIN IN IT.

IF SHE HAD HEARD OF THESE THEN IT MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED!

Originally posted by RumET
reply to post by jrmcleod

 

I believe it's more then just a Low Pressure system you're struggling through. I think such a thing is called an Extratropical Cyclone. Basically a swirling mass of clouds formed outside the equator in the north. Polar Lows and such are also counted in. Sounds niftier as well ^^ But I might be mistaken, Russia doesn't offer amateur meteorologist course, so I have to do with what I find online and in old Norwegian weather forecasting books from 1930ies.

edit on 8/12/2011 by RumET because: Added some niftyness.

Yes it is an extratropical cyclone, it formed in the mid-latitudes. I think the best thing to do is join a forum filled with amatuer and professional meteorologists. This is what i have done and have done since 2005. I find that learning things on your own is better than being taught!

There is a lot of free e-book online than are more upto date that are quite easy to download in .pdf

reply to post by DrHammondStoat


Hey Dr Hammond Stoat,

Sorry to hear about your mum but at least now she is safe in her "yaktraks". These were 2nd on my list, but settled on the "diamond grips" which ticked ALL of my boxes!

Another low laying area in Scotland, Glen Ogle, recorded a max wind speed of 114mph at 3pm...

reply to post by neotech1neothink


And we have come full circle...back to the beginning!
Thank you Mr Mcleod I haven't had so much fun skiving from what I should have been doing for such a long time!
Thank you everyone else, feel I have made a few new aquaintances today.

Sunny Rainbows for the week end eh?

Rainbows
jane

This is what happens when wind turbines meet 165mph winds.

Awesome.

Originally posted by dr treg
The OP reference was to the netweather.tv. report. It is interesting that one of their contributors is the one and only Michael Fish - he of the "what hurricane" fame.

The guy how accurately reported heavy rain and severe gales.

I wonder if there is bias in their reporting of hurricanes because of his past failure?

I wonder why you would wonder that?

The British generally do not trust their own weather reporters.

Actualy we do. They are very, very good.

The met office predicted a barbecue summer this year which was rubbish.

No they didn't.

They also failed to predict the coldest winter for 100 years last December.

No they didn't. They predicted a cold December but unlike other 'independent' forecasters did not predict such cold conditions woud persist through the rest of the winter, They got it spot on.

They also predicted rainstorms for the royal wedding, leaving thousands of spectators baking in anoraks in warm sunshine.

No they didn't, their forecast for the day was spot on.

This led to a parliamentary enquiry this year.

No it didn't. What planet are you on?????

So dismal were their predictions leading to lack of faith by the public that this has led to the UK government releasing met office raw data to the public this year so that they could have a go themselves.

You really don't have a clue, do you? You don't even know what data is being referred to.

I wonder what the economic cost of this huge over-reaction has been?

Over reaction to the worst storm to hit mainland Britain in many years?

You really do need to stop reading comics,

Thank you all for your input into the thread over the past couple of days, it truely was a remarkable day in terms of weather, and spreading the information. Many of you i'm sure have been affected by it adversely, other not so much and some not at all but i'm sure if you have been following the thread from the beginning you will see just how well everyone participated in updating eachother on the severity and news reports nationally.

Personally speaking, today has been a very rough day here in the northern UK with huge wind speeds recorded - 165mph at height and 114mph at low level, hundreds of trees blown down, 1 sad and unfortunate death, several injuries and probably millions of pounds in lost/time or damages (sure the cost will come out soon).

The worst of the storm is now past and we have a whole winter ahead of us both here and across the pond, lets hope others threads can get the message across and maybe give some people advanced warnings for travel, home, family or personal preperations.

Until next week (probably round 2)...thank you all for keeping the thread on track and full of information!

I'll be posting a full round up of news stories on this major event on my newsblog tomorrow.

It does seem though that this will not be the last - the month is shaping up to be pretty stormy for northern Britain.

My friend in town has just been on the phone, his kitchen (one of them kitchens that extends out of the house with no floor above) roof has just blown off!!

He phoned Impact housing (his landlord) and the dozy bint said on the phone that they can't send anyone out this time of night unless it's an emergency! There has to be a joke there right? His kitchen roof has just blown off, but it's not an emergency, so he has to wait until the morning? (shakes head).

It's still nasty out, but if I get a chance I'll try and pop round to his and get pics or vid of the damage in the morning.

"Weather forecasters are being paid for what? Oh predicting the weather, easy money for habitual liars."

reply to post by woogleuk


Flippin eck! That's not on!..Where's his roof gone? What I am trying to say is has it caused damage to another property? Watch his landlady jump out of bed for that one!
Rainbows
Jane

reply to post by angelchemuel


Mike said something about it pulling a cable out of his next door neighbours, he isn't sure if it was TV or phone, he just threw it over the wall, lol. Most of the roof is in the yard, but to be on the safe side, don't go outside without a reinforced umbrella!

EDIT: Impact housing is a housing association, not a private landlord, so less chance of them getting away without doing something, still, having to wait until the morning is a bit out of order on their part.