Hurricanes in Switzerland? Who would have thought it?

We get very strong winds quite regularly, but not often hurricanes. The last strong one was about 10 years ago (Lotha) which flattened large areas of forest. As most of Switzerland is above cloud level the winds come in from the Atlantic and the Sahara with nothing to stop them. The weather changes are sudden and quite violent. There are hail storms with ice bits the size of golf balls suddenly wapping down out of a summer sky. When there is a thunder storm the lighting is whipping around at street level, which is quite worrying. The present high winds are nothing compared to Lotha. That one sounded like a Jumbo jet strapped down at roof top level for 4 days. The weird things here are water spouts rising out of the lakes, caused by the high winds twisting around the mountains. We also have regular earth tremors, sometimes several a week. These are caused by the plates of the Alps that are in a constant state of slippage, deep down under Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). The tremors are not violent and do not make the headlines, but are annoying just the same, sometimes ornaments fall out of wall cabinets when they are bouncing against the walls. Being up high we get the worst of the weather and also the best of the weather. When Europe is stuck under a blanket of rain clouds, we are up sunbathing and improving our tans.

"The weather changes are sudden and quite violent. There are hail storms with ice bits the size of golf balls suddenly wapping down out of a summer sky. When there is a thunder storm the lighting is whipping around at street level, which is quite worrying"


So .... you've been to Wensleydale in August?

A few years ago while we were in italy in the Lake Garda area and walking through a village we noticed a car that looked like it had been vandalised by a ball pane hammer. The indentations covered most of its bodywork.
The we noticed another and another before it dawned on us that it must have beeen due to a very heavy hailstorm. Getting caught out in those conditions in the open, one can only imagine the consequences.
Dave.

Earlier this year a band of weather with hail the size of large marbles caused a great amount of damage across our Canton Vaud region. It flattened crops in the field, smashed fields of glass houses, broke roof skylights and pockmarked 1000's of cars. A special bureau was set up to deal with 1000's insurance claims. My walking mates car was considered a write-off and he received sufficient money to buy a new one. This band of hail was about 3 miles wide and cut across the country like a motorway.

While I am watching the snow falling I am reading about a new type of DNA that is only transferred down the female line of a family and is used to trace dynasties and migrations.

Were you aware that in Yorkshire, people with unusual names normally have African DNA, thought to have been brought in by the Roman slaves used to build Hadrians Wall. In Wales strong Balkan DNA traces have been found and that the vast majority of people in Britain have DNA that can be traced back to the Middle East of about 7300 BC. There are certainly the Swedish, Dutch and Germanic traces. But these races also came from the Middle East at the same period of time.

I shall read on...............

"Were you aware that in Yorkshire, people with unusual names normally have African DNA, thought to have been brought in by the Roman slaves used to build Hadrians Wall."

So is that how Auld Featherstonehaugh came to be here?

Well it's been snowing since Saturday, I am now living in a different countryside and my bird tables in the garden are doing a roaring trade. Trying to decide whether snow shoes will be a necessity or pleasure....or whether to sit indoors and be a lazy b...!.

Tuesday morning and still snowing. Looking out the window I was thinking of that film "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" when they got snowed in for the winter.

Will have to put my money where my mouth is today and get out to do something. Not the day to be off alone trekking though..............

Hi Oldun,
if you go out just take care,
and all the best for Christmas and New Year
That goes to everyone else who post on here,
cheers