Ophelia is coming

[busybeephilip]

Just in the last half hour the winds are starting to pick up with branches down on the country roads, barometer dropping like a stone. Hives all weighted down but already some strong gusts along the irish sea coming into Co Down

[gavin]

The sky has gone yellow-black but we're still in the backdraft with an easterly pootling up the Tay estuary. Looking forward to scouring the landscape tomorrow for relocated Irish Apideas on my rounds while checking that the hives are still upright with the roofs on. Binoculars at the ready. Stay safe.

[Poly Hive]

Barometer is actually rising here. Bizarre. Just brightened up this last half hour. I had the desk lamp on at 11am to see the keyboard. And yes I did remember to open the curtains....;)

PH

[Greengage]

Storm passing over its a biggy, winds gusting to 150mph, unfortunately two people dead, structural damage. if you don't need to be out then give it a miss. It can wait until it passes over. Most of the country shut down just to be safe.

[greengumbo]

Storm passing over its a biggy, winds gusting to 150mph, unfortunately two people dead, structural damage. if you don't need to be out then give it a miss. It can wait until it passes over. Most of the country shut down just to be safe.

Stay safe.

It was very dark in Aberdeenshire about an hour ago (1500) but its brightened up a lot in the past half hour.

Wishing I'd used more straps on hives.

[fatshark]

I'll ask my Scandinavian friends to look out for some yellow and blue Abelo hives GG. I seem to remember they're strapped to the floor, not to the pallet :(

[greengumbo]

I'll ask my Scandinavian friends to look out for some yellow and blue Abelo hives GG. I seem to remember they're strapped to the floor, not to the pallet :(

Its okay - they are so weighty with bees it'll be fine :/

[madasafish]

Local road to Moor blocked due to fallen tree.
All hives OK..

[fatshark]

Its okay - they are so weighty with bees it'll be fine :/

2870

[Greengage]

How did the storm go did it blow itself out over the north sea. Not a word on the Irish news about it after it moved north. Nothing about the fires in California or Portugal either. There is another depression off the south coast of Ireland all news media are calling it storm Brian, Although met office says it HAS not ben named and so far it is only a depression, it will probably bring heavy rain tomorrow Thursday but we wait and see. In Dublin it has been very dry for the past month odd shower but cleaning our herbaceous borders and digging the soil is very dry.

[busybeephilip]

Storm gone now, very calm up here today with fog this morning at 4 degrees so cold. Hives - One empty 5 frame nuc got blown across the garden and lost one roof made of election poster correx with a red brick on top but bees still happy, there is no substitute for a good strong timber heavy deep roof. I normally make my roofs out of treated 6" fencing boards (cheap to buy - Murdock's builder supply is just 5 min down the road from me) with half inch ply top. Having been trying for ages to find a cheap local source of 0.3mm aluminium (local printers stuff is just a bit too small) but at present use use builders heavy duty damp proof plastic membrane (does not react well to the smoker)