Storm Gerrit

The wind speed record for 2023 - as recorded in our back garden by my Davis Weather Station - was recently set at 56 km/h during Storm Pia (December 20th - 21st). A few days later that record was smashed by Storm Gerrit (December 28th) with a wind gust measured at 61 km/h!!! (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Daily Mean & Highest Wind Speeds (December 2023) in Hereford

Storm Gerrit (G) was more intensely felt in Hereford because it came with significant rainfall whereas Storm Pia (P) was accompanied by dry weather (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Daily Rainfall (December 2023) in Hereford

Conditions were much worse in other parts of the country ...

Video 1: Sky News Report on Storm Gerrit

Video 2: Planes in Trouble (The Telegraph)

Storm Pia affected more countries and there were twice as many fatalities. Here is a really nice video from The Whitby Photographer. If you watch the video, perhaps you can explain why members of the general public put themselves, and their kids, at risk just to take a photo they'll probably never look at again.

Video 3: Storm Pia at Whitby, Yorkshire