Sunday, October 20, 2024

Red Sky Dawn

"Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning...." the adage goes, so this fiery sunrise, seen at seven this morning, may rightly predict a stormy day, with the weather forecasters suggesting we might see gusts of 67mph and more.

How much damage will occur along local coastal defences weakened after last winters's storms will depend on several factors: the wind speed, its direction - easterly, almost straight in onto the Golspie shore - and tide height, forecast at 4m at 2.30pm today following the recent full moon. Fortunately, the highest wind speeds don't coincide with high tide.

In the picture surf can be seen breaking offshore, probably on an extensive sand bank running parallel to the beach to the south of Golspie. We've seen how the sea here moves sand on and off the beach: at present, the local beaches are rather short of sand, as they have been through most of the summer. This is important, as beaches help protect the coastline during storms.

In the distance to the right can be seen the light of the Tarbat Ness lighthouse. This was completed in 1830 by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of the author Robert Louis Stevenson. The light flashes four times with a repeat every 30 seconds.

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