Cornish Storm Watcher

As Cornwall basks in some summery sunshine and clean lines of swell arrive over a brushed blue sea, the ravages of the recent storms and the wettest winter in recorded history start to fade into distant memory.  Hope is high that the winter has ended, and a constant stream of perfect swell over a warm hazy spring will precede a barbeque summer. Sunshine and Clean Swell Potentially then, this blog may have nothing more to report this winter, no more storms to watch, no more giant waves to record -perhaps the blog doors should be closed until next winter?  But first, I thought I'd do a recap from the stormiest season I can remember, one where 20 unique hurricane force wind storms hit the Atlantic during the months of January and February, 2014.   Hurricane force winds create large waves These are some of the pictures that hit the local and national papers over the winter Porthleven taking a hit from Hercules Fourteen of those 'bombed', low centers that ...

People who live in Cornwall are a resilient bunch, used to a bit of heavy weather and the odd gale. We will doubtless have to foot the repair bill, currently estimated at £21 million, via council tax rises, so it was encouraging to see an international windsurfing competition, the Red Bull Storm Chase decide to run their grand final of this year's event slap bang in the middle of the biggest storms for decades, Winter Storm Charlie. Bringing with them hundreds of spectators and tourists and TV crews during the off season, broadcasting the beauty of a Cornish Storm to the rest of the world.   Jumping for joy Checking the beach at Godrevy about 8am, there were some heavy head-plus size waves coming in. By nine am, the storm had fully arrived with waves hitting twenty to thirty feet. I saw the first two sailors to go out try and ride over the mountainous broken waves that were headed shoreward, but they were just crumpled under the weight of whitewater. Rumbling rivers of ...

What are the chances that as soon as you start a Storm Watching blog , within a couple of weeks the biggest storm in recent history will decide to hurl itself upon the Cornish coast?  Yes, Winter Storm 'Hercules' debuted not only as a massively media-covered weather event, but, like the hurricanes that continually bother the American coast, as one of the first storms to carry a personal name. Porthleven during the Hercules storm Having started at St Ives, which had zero wind and only a medium sized swell running, arriving at Porthleven was like entering the apocalypse. Horizontal rain with sea driven spray and foam filled the ai r, drenching the crowds of photographers lining the harbour, while massive foamy waves pounded the cliff and burst over the sea wall in front of the clock tower, flooding the road and forcing unwary watchers to beat a panicked retreat. Wet photographers This storm was made large by an exceptionally active jetstream (and by active I mean fa...

Hello, and welcome to the new Storm Watching blog which aims to showcase some of the brilliant storms we get down here in the far south west of Cornwall, in the UK.  To get the blog started I've put up a few pics and video from previous storms, and will post more content as more storms hit the coast throughout the winter.  Feel free to email me your storm pics from wherever you are too.   Porthleven Penzance promenade wave dodgers Wave dodgers getting the shot Storm watchers at Portreath Sennen breakwater Storm aftermath at Hayle Portreath Longships Lighthouse, off Land's End Sennen takes a battering There's a storm raging outside as I write this, so I'd better get out and get some shots!