26th December 2016 Storm "Urd!" Prequel.

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Monday 26th 44F, 7C. Showers and high winds forecast. Our Christmas Day ended on a quite ridiculous 50F, 10C at ~11pm. At least it saves on heating.

I walked down to the village and back with steady wind blowing from the south west. An untidy gaggle of geese were struggling upwind. Followed by a female kestrel with a similar objective. The hedgerows were full of blackbirds and Goldfinches at one point. Just as the low, blinding sun began to struggle upwind I spotted a cloud with its very own double vortex. Sadly it was already beginning to break up and to lose its sharp definition by the time I tried to snap it with my camera.

A storm called "Urd" will cross Denmark this afternoon and tonight. With rain and wind speeds gusting to 25m/s or 50mph over Fyn. It is forecast to already be blowing up to 20m/s by 3pm today. Only dropping to 15m/s, 30mph at mid day tomorrow, Tuesday. As usual, west and Northjylland [Eng: Jutland] will bear the brunt of the storm with gusts to orkanstyrke [hurricane force.] Possibly up to 36m/s or over 75mph. Not a great day for cycling then. Though I do plan to do a ten mile ride before it gets too silly. The wind should help me up the long drag before I meet the beech forest. Only the last leg of the triangle will be straight into a headwind. The sky has now cleared to blue with bright sunshine.

Not my best idea ever. Within a mile I was doing 28mph on the flat as I was lashed with smoking hail! The climb went faster than usual as rain took over from hail. Strong side gusts and steady rain as I rode through the forest. Bought some organic milk and then home straight into a fiercely gusty gale with heavy rain driving across the open fields.

While pedaling hard in my 36x36 bottom gear [at 7mph] one gust stopped me dead in my tracks! I actually came to a complete stop for about one second. As I cowered behind the handlebar extension and prayed the roaring roadside trees overhead would not fall on me. The roads were already littered with fallen twigs and wet leaves blown out of hedges with heavy spray coming up from my tyres. I arrived home thoroughly wet in time for the sky to clear to bright sunshine again. Even the wind seems to have dropped for the moment. 10 miles.

Click on any image for an enlargement. 

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