Tuesday 30 March 2010

Midlothian Storm

About a mile and a half into my morning run to work I passed a large puddle at the same time as a car coming the opposite direction. As surely as if I had been standing on a breakwater, I was drenched head to foot by an impressive wave. In work, people complained of the wet and windy weather, which I had secretly enjoyed.

However I decided to walk to the bus rather than run home. A tree had fallen and crushed a car at a road junction. The police were at the scene. It wasn't clear if anyone was inside - I hoped not but feared the worst - the area was taped off, frenzied flapping police tape threatening to break loose.

Further up the road, wet masonry littered the pavement, the street taped off again. It looked like a cornice had collapsed, exploding like a bomb on the street, littering it with lumps and shards. I looked nervously upward and stepped well away from the side of the buildings. A bin full of discarded umbrellas. The bus stop vibrating like a tight sail. It was good to get home and close the door on what had become snow squalls. This wind is a chimney-pot toppler.

There's a hillwalking saying "there's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong type of clothing." There certainly is such a thing as bad weather: or do we have the wrong cars and houses too?

3 comments:

PurestGreen said...

What a day. And here I thought our half-hour walk home from the theatre in the blizzard last night was bad (we were caked with snow when we got in).

The worst of it is over! Enjoy the glorious indoor warmth.

blueskyscotland said...

Didn`t realise it was so bad over on your side until I seen North Berwick harbour on the news.
Bob would have loved it..!
Alex.

Robert Craig said...

That same night our roof leaked! Not a lot could be done about it then but will probably have to plug it this weekend.