A bit brisk

The "event" is happening as I write this - and it's been happening for a couple of days now.  High gale force winds, hundreds and hundreds of trees down, accidents galore, and small hail.  And 50,000 homes without power.

We are escaping completely unscathed.  It's a bit breezy out there, but nothing we can't cope with - but I do feel sorry for those without power, because it's stone motherless cold.

Very sadly, a life was lost when a tree fell, and many cars and homes have been damaged.

I have it on good authority that it's snowing a few kilometres up the hill, but I am resisting the temptation to drive up and have a look.  I'm not that desperate.  Also - and very very unusually, there is black ice on  the roads, so it seems to me that home in front of a nice warm heater is the place to be.

This is the corner under my office window earlier today, the white stuff is hail.