Gales Continue

After a day indoors yesterday - as predicted, a gale blew all day, bringing 14mm of rain with it - we drove out towards the lighthouse and parked our car near Grigadale farm. The weather hadn't changed; if anything, todays' tempest is more furious than yesterday's, though not as destructive as the storm of 8th December. Walking along the road towards the lighthouse we weren't too badly knocked around until we approached the entrance to the Visitor's Centre, when all hell seemed to be let loose.

The bay on the left was a maelstrom, with huge waves breaking on Dubh Rubha Mor, the aptly named 'great black headland', and yellowy balls of spume rocketing across the road. The wind stood in the southwest, so the heaviest waves were concentrated on the far side of the bay.

The western front of the point was also taking a severe beating, spray from the breaking waves passing right across the visitors' car park some 30m above.

The lighthouse itself was relatively protected, particularly as the tide was low by the time we reached it, but walking round it was eerie: the wind howled as it passed around the tower and through its various aerials and antennae.

The bay to the north lay in the lee of the gale so the waves weren't as spectacular, but the blue-green sea seemed beaten flat by the force of the wind. By this time the gale was building again, and we had to fight to prevent ourselves being blown off our feet as we made our way back towards the Cafe.

Winds are predicted to veer into the northwest and drop tonight, with the temperature falling from its current balmy 10C to 5 or 6C. A fair day is forecast for tomorrow, but Wednesday looks as if it'll be bringing yet more stormy weather.