Windy weather

I love weather. I love being in all sorts of weather from lying on beaches in intense heat, to kicking steps in snow on mountains. I even love spending whole days in driving rain.

I am currently sitting in my office watching the predicted storm build up in front of me and can hear the dull roar as the wind pushes its way past the many trees that surround us. The sunlight is flashing through the gaps in the dark clouds as they hurlte across the sky. It is thrilling and part of me wants to be out in it.

But the one thing I am very wary of is high winds.

I have often hunkered behind rocks on mountains enjoying the perfect stillness as the grass only feet from me is battered flat. I have worn ski goggles as I stared down into corries with snow being driven vertically towards me like something out of Star Wars. I have skittered around on ice, desparately leaning in at what felt like forty five degrees into the teeth of winds gusting to 50mph.

But I have also seen a schoolboy picked up and thrown like a ragdoll across a hillside by a gusting wind on The Cuillin on Skye.

There is nothing quite like these sort of strong winds to make you feel powerless and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. That is a frightening and salutory lesson.

Be careful out there today.