Here in South West Devon we are on the outer perimeter of Storm Ophelia. Ireland is taking the brunt of the storm, with winds hitting land at over 100+ miles an hour.
This morning the atmosphere here was very strange, not unlike the feeling we experienced just before the total eclipse of 1999.
The wind wasn't noticeably strong but was warm, at this time of the year the wind usually blows from the north and so cold but today it was coming from the South West.
The sky was heavy and went from very dark to having an unusual pink/orange hue to it. Although the wind was blowing there was a calmness.
When the clouds parted the sun shone through, a huge red ball in the sky. ( I did try to take photos but was unable to capture the size , colour or atmosphere) As the clouds cleared and the sun returned to it's usual colour the winds picked up, strong but not exceptionally so.
(photos taken at 10.30 am )
Now it is a lovely sunny, but windy, warm Autumn day.
My thoughts are with those in Ireland, Wales and later on today Scotland who are feeling the full impact of Storm Ophelia.
Stay safe.
Sadly as I type this the news is reporting the first death of the storm as a result of a tree falling on a car in Ireland.