Sub Rosa

Relentless storms are due to a far more southerly jet stream, so we are told. We have yet another bout of horrendous weather, mostly comprised of hail, thunder, torrential rain like you have never seen and fierce gales. We have been reassured by the Met Office that things should die down next week - I do not share their conviction. We have one day of calm, followed by 36 hours of apocalyptic chaos.  The Brits as usual, are stoic in the clearing up process, but understandably they are angry that they are governed by a failing succession of bureaucratic bullshit.

The thing is, the UK Government has not coped well. They spend more times in meetings discussing the way forward, rather than action.Tied up by red tape, hamstrung by quango bumph - in the middle of it is David Cameron, who has only sprung into action when the Home Counties flooded. Suddenly, money appears to be no object. No one can be blamed for the glut of storms we have faced, but the inability of our government getting it's finger out, is frankly quite shocking.

Many people from the UK would have seen this on the news last night.  Most of the attention (quite rightly) has been given to the ongoing plight in the Somerset levels - however Devon and Cornwall's battering over the last couple of days has seen events have a dramatic twist.  It has been well documented about the sea rolling into the shops of St Ives and tearing sizable chunks out of Newlyn Green - now this is serious.

Above is part of the mainline route to Cornwall - Dawlish in Devon.  I have taken the route many times and the outstanding feature of this beach is the dramatic brick-red sand.  Now it is the devastation of the whole track, which is now partly suspended in mid air.  Many trains are cancelled, some rerouted and other lines are closed because the aggregate has washed the ground underneath the track.  There aren't enough emergency coaches put on to cover this, so Cornwall is stuck at the moment.  It is estimated that this storm alone will cost Cornwall £10 million pound ( just over $16 million USD), with more weather to hit us at the weekend.

Under the cut, there are more photos of my area (18 miles from Lands End).

( More Storm Photos )

I know talking about the weather is a very 'Brit thing' to do - I myself have moaned about the weather a LOT this winter, as well documented over the past few entries. Even so - I am a bit worried now.  I live more or less under that black spot in the middle of the map and am used to gales, but the ones coming up are likely to be like the ferocious ones from my childhood.  You don't worry merely about the bin going walkies; you worry about the entire roof taking off. We have had some of the ceiling collapse in the past and one year, one of our chimney pots came crashing through the kitchen roof.