27th December 2016: "Urd II" Aftermath.

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Tuesday 27th  42F, 6C, variable cloud, occasionally fierce N-westerly gusts. The forecast was about right in that Fyn escaped the worst of the storm. We heard very little in the night and only a few roars this morning.  My wireless anemometer is showing a fairly steady 10 kph average which is hardly anything at all. Probably all thanks to the westerly to north-westerly wind direction which is from behind the shelter belt of  trees. It is supposed to continue gusting to over 20m/s 45mph until later.

Just beginning to get light now at 8am. Which fooled me into thinking it was heavily overcast until I realised it was still dark with only a few, low visibility clouds. I really ought to take my little, handheld anemometer to check wind speeds when I am out walking or riding. It weighs practically nothing at all.

I walked out onto the track up to the woods to measure the wind speed. The high, roadside hedges had offered plenty of protection until I almost reached my exit. Being completely exposed to the NW I hoped for a more accurate reading out on the prairie.

My "Wind Wizard" mechanical anemometer repeatedly showed a steady 20mph or 10m/s. With occasional gusts to 25mph or 12m/s. I had imagined it was far higher than this because I was being buffeted along with the wind on my back. When I turned around at the entrance to the woods, for the walk back, I was able to almost lean on the headwind at times. My wife spotted me holding up my wind meter and suggested I looked like someone taking a 'selfie.'

My wind speed readings are rather unexpected because this average velocity lies in serious cycling territory. I can't honestly say that I regularly feel that wind pressure nor the roaring in my ears at such cycling speeds. I regularly manage 30mph on one descent and this feels much more like today's steady wind speed. The "Smart Sensor" anemometer's CR2032 battery was dead and I had no spares. My wireless anemometer, associated with my Ventus weather station is mounted in the open on its own, ~15' tall mast. It is still showing a steady 9-10 kph average.  That's only about 3 m/s and clearly shows the advantage of a shelter belt of trees even when they are bare in winter.  

I wore my £3 [equiv] workshop safety glasses on my walk to stop my eyes watering. They work incredibly well in this role. Far more efficiently than any sunglasses sold for cycling. Or sold in cycling shops for, presumably, that precise purpose. The downside is needing to push down the rubber eye caps on my binoculars to be able to see the whole field of view. I saw several buzzards, a large heron and some Fieldfares today. Some of the gulls were behaving oddly. Repeatedly alighting between low altitude soaring but not using their beaks to capture anything. Perhaps they were practicing their landing skills? Or just enjoying the gales? Rest day.

  

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