Foul weather

It's awful in Derby. At least none of my family are travelling anywhere today. Couldn't get any money from the Post Office today because they kept losing connections due to the wind. I'm glad I can't see the tree next to my house, but I'm going to sleep downstairs tonight just in case.

Thanks for the warning Soutra, hope it`s not needed, but it IS blowing a gale here. Hope it dies down a bit by morning, have to go into town for a few bits, can`t miss out on my mince pies from Curtis`s, they`re better than home made. Hope everyone is safe tonight.

It has all stopped - very quiet now after the batterings yesterday!

What a night in NW London. Roof and fences intact and as I can use this machine I obviously have electricity. I also live on the top of a slope so any water gushes past me. No rivers or lakes thank goodness, but my front "lawn" resembles a mud bath.

I do not think that I will move from the comfort of my home today. I am on my own so if I have forgotten anything I doubt if I will starve.

I am in Wiltshire. Fences down, felt ripped off my shed, leaks in the passage, but the lights are on, the house is warm and hopefully the washing machine repair man will turn up.

Very windy here not in Eastern France- but sunny and warm. Lots of snow forecast for tomorrow, but I can't see it happening really?
Stay safe all.

Picking up daughter coming from Luton airport tonight, hope flights won't be affected too much (: Geneva airport at Christmas is pandemonium enough, with all the ski tourists arriving.

After virtually non-stop rain yesterday, it is very windy but with bright sun here in Northumberland. Apparently going to get worse later!

It took us over six hours yesterday to do a three hour journey to lincs. The tesco we stopped at was flooded and six cars with tailbacks behind each got gridlocked at a junction all trying to go the wrong way because no-one could see anything in the driving rain. It was delightful. Then arrived at in-laws to be grumped at because we were late the storm caught us up half an hour later and blew their front door open, they believed us then!

Sil has just sent us pictures of floods near them in Surrey, by the river Wey.

Just been looking at the photos in the MailonLine, of the airports, and the devastating flooding down south.
So many people stuck, unable to go anywhere, it looks absolutely horrendous!

Just got a break in a thunder storm with hail, so I'm off to brave it to give the dogs a run, I know I must be mad, but the dogs are jumping about running to the door wanting to go. Fortunately the wind has dropped a bit, and at least the house is still in one piece, greenhouse gone I'm afraid but that can be replaced. My heart goes out to the families of the people that have died because of the storms and those that are trapped because of travel chaos. Some poor souls have had to leave their homes and some are flooded out. Mother Nature is sure telling us something.

Well, the storm arrived and the wind howled. Our neighbours' very tall conifer was bending quite severely and I admit to being scared in case it joined us in the bedroom but fortunately it didn't. However water appeared on the windowsill in the downstairs loo and DH seemed to think the rain had been driven into any gaps between the sill outside and the wall! DD had a roof leak in her conservatory which ruined a chair she'd painted but compared to what other people are going through we came through it very lightly indeed. There were no big trees down either when I walked to the town in the sunshine this morning.
I do wonder if there is so much water around because trees are being cut down to make space for housing developments. With the loss of hedgerows etc there is nothing to absorb at least some of the water.

Daughter just phoned from Luton to say she got there safely on the train and was about to take off. Will be a bumpy ride as it is blowing a gale here near Geneva.

Just seen that 145,000 households in France are still without electricity after last night's Tempête Dirk (Bogarde?). We have been lucky here.

She's landed safely, let's hope they don't take off again as they come over the mountain.

So sorry to hear this Mamie- what a horrible Christmas for them (:

Enjoy your daughter, Granjura. Have to wait for the weekend to see ours! Bonnes fêtes de fin d'année.

Friends in Canterbury just sent pictures of their garden, devastated last night (:

Tonbridge in Kent has some flooded areas and the Leigh barrier is under pressure due to level of water. The barrier is being opened to let water through but that causes Yalding to flood. There are also about 9k homes still without electricity in South East (Sussex and Kent) so some poor people are having a terrible Christmas so the rest of us must count all and any blessing.

We lost a tree last night. Completely uprooted. Poor OH spent at least 8 hours in the garden trying to tidy up as much as possible. Our kind neighbour helped too. Thoughts to all who have had much worse.

It looks like being a dreadful Christmas for some of the poor souls in the south east with no hope of any power till Boxing Day. And for those who've been flooded as well it's just horrible. I'm just pleased we've got heat and light, food to eat and presents to hand over!

It sounds awful, and I am so sorry for those having to deal with no electricity or hetating over the festivities (:

Here it is dark and dingy, and pouring with rain and miserable, but wind has dropped. Snow is all but gone.

Just started to snow heavily..

Had about 2ft+ overnight, and several power cuts as cables are breaking because it is such heavy, wet snow. Still snowing heavily.

It is a beautiful winter wonderland day here today- what is it like over there? A friend from the Isle of Wight said it was pretty bad there this morning, as she was taking the ferry...