Hurricane force winds and 1.6 inches of rain will hit England and Wales tonight warns the Met, which has told people in affected areas to be prepared. We asked C4News readers how they plan to prepare.
The Met have said Monday morning’s storm will be the worst to hit the south of the United Kingdom since 1987 when millions of trees blew over and buildings and power lines fell down – see picture above.
The official warning from the Met Office has put Wales, the south of England and the Midlands on an amber warning for wind and rain for Monday morning.
An amber warning for wind means there is a threat of injury from flying debris as slates may be dislodged from roofs and there is a danger from widespread tree damage. The Met warns people to be prepared for travel and power interruptions. See more here.
Supplementing the official advice, we asked our readers on Twitter and Facebook how they are preparing for the storm. There we got a rather more diverse and in some cases flippant range advice, here are ten of the best.
1. Storms affect us all, but bee owners – and bees – take it harder than most, as @ashpetherick told us on Twitter:
@Channel4News weighing down the beehive roof with bricks. Impt to keep the hive warm and dry – wind and rain could destroy the colony
— Ashley Petherick (@ashpetherick) October 26, 2013
2. Some people had other goods and property to protect. Pam Williams Kingston on Facebook explained how she was preparing:
“Just put garden ornaments away. Got plenty of food candles and DVDs in. Snuggling under duvet. Keep safe everyone”
@Channel4News I’ve moved the wheelie bins, does that count? :)
— Donna Chapman (@DonnaC08) October 26, 2013
@Channel4News I’m about to go out and panic-buy 4 batteries . . . oh, and some milk :-)
— Olwen Hill (@oj_olly) October 26, 2013
Gazza Prescott: “I’ve bought all the bread and milk in London and am holed up in my shed where I shall remain until further notice.”
6. Another facebook commenter wanted to share his general approach to storms – and life.
David Gray “I am going to find some sand and bury my head in it. I have survived much worse than a big wind thanks to this strategy.”
7. From north of the border we got a bit of perspective on hurricane force winds.
@Channel4News During the #Winter storms gust of 60-80 mph are common in #scotland
#softiesassenachs #hurricanebawbag— Dorothy Brown (@Brackens1) October 26, 2013
8. Another Scot gave southerners some tips on surviving, and even benefiting from, extreme wind.
@Channel4News Strap everything down! Cats dogs etc though some hang their washing out!! Keep us posted with your preparations & progress!!
— Strata Environmental (@StrataEnvUK) October 26, 2013
9. Kirsty Jane Lowe on Facebook was also looking forward to the arrival of St Jude:
Kirsty Jane Lowe “We are in a third floor apartment, no cat. So no preparation needed lol Actually we are looking forward to it, love extreme weather!”
10. And finally, one man seemingly inured to the weather shared his special storm equipment with us on Facebook.
Adie Raith 80mph winds and 1.6 inches of rain? I best dig out that special piece of kit for these situations – a LONG SLEEVED T-shirt.
Thank you all for your advice. Any more – and any pictures – please send to @channel4news on Twitter or do post them to our Facebook page.