4 degrees above

Christmas Day was a pissy rain day when I observed the weather in the lamp light, which is where I like to do my wondering. The forecast today was for four degrees above and it was less pissy thankfully. I was curious to note that the weather forecast was identical today in Tofino, right down to the high and the low and the action. I don’t know why I assumed it might be different, but I practice the cutting edge science of weather wondering  rather than the science of meteorology.

I love Christmas because it’s an excellent time to work! I manage pots of things during these two days and I don’t mean the cooking variety. I mean the reading and writing variety. And this year the theme was exercise. The gym was open yesterday and I took myself to it. It was packed. I continue my physiology studies. Now I conduct them while on the strange up and down, elastic band, mountain machine — the name of which I have never figure out. The problem is I am short and the reading material sits above my head so I have to perform an acrobatic reading feat. I have to balance the book and my hands on two poles that are not intended for that purpose.

When I rang the Motherland today they reported a storm underway. A storm that had been blowing for days. The wind speeds were up to 150KM per hr. We collectively diagnosed it as a Tropical Storm type wind event, except of course rural Ireland is far from Tropical. Met Eireann issued a red alert or Status Red (here are the details just to share a bit of variety on the weather watching).

Wind Warning for Wexford, Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford

Update
Becoming very stormy this evening with gale force southeast winds veering southwest early tonight and further veering westerly tomorrow. Severe and damaging gusts of 120 to 140km/hr expected and 150km/hr gusts in exposed coastal areas.
Very high seas also with significant danger of coastal flooding also.
Winds moderating Friday afternoon and evening.

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At the risk of pointing out the obvious, we can see again where penguins are streaks ahead of us. Power cuts do not piss off penguins.

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I hope you all had a lovely Christmas or two days off with your family or friends. I hope you had the benefit of good health, warm Brussel sprouts and some comedy to wash it down. At this time of the year and because I pass the hospital often, I think of everyone in there and those working hard to give them pain relief, resolution and comfort. The ones who’ll come out and those who may not. The families and friends who climb the stairs in to visit them regardless. I salute you all. As Mr Strummer says “Without people you are nothing.” VGH also has my favourite Christmas lights in the world.