On a day like today reservoirs need checking so 1500 hrs I headed for Fly Flatts though conditions were grim but hopes of a dry period. Driving up Cold Edge Road was unbelievable with the wind blowing and lashing horizontal rain I was down to 5 mph at one point with very limited visibility.
I parked up in the boat compound with some shelter from the gale force W>8 and managed 20 minutes walk in between showers with just the wind to contend with.
A search round with the bins found several blogging Mipits on the shore along with around 12 Wheatear darting around and seeming oblivious to the conditions. Nothing on the water or in the sky and impossible to scope the east shore with the wind now increasing and more dark clouds piling over but no waders obvious through the bins.
I started to watch from the back of the car until all hell seemed to break loose with blasting horizontal rain and hailstones with the wind now touching 42 mph with deafening noise as it whistled through the boat masts. At this point it was getting slightly frightening making be decide I should,nt be here , especially when the wind started whipping up the water from the reservoir and blasting it across the compound.
At that point I headed out of there leaving the worst conditions I,m ever likely to see although it was an experience to see just how fierce Fly Flatts can be. A real soaking unlocking and unlocking the barriers and gates and even then the hardy Mipits and Wheatears were out in the open dodging around on the shoreline.
Already the water level is raising fast with water pouring in from the north and south inlets and if the water valves are closed water should be up to the floating jetty by after the weekend with the islands out in the middle already gone.
After all these severe conditions it could make an interesting weekend.
weather permitting.
A lady customer at work today who does a lot of serious walking remarked, when I mentioned the bad weather, " Theres no bad weather, just bad clothes" , an interesting thought.
BS