To our Friends in Australia...

[The Peepmaster]

Have you batoned down your hatches? The wind's getting up even here, on Bute.

[Roger Kettle]

Malc, I would batten your hatches rather than "baton"* them but good luck, mate---the forecast looks horrendous.
* Unless Nige meant you to conduct the storms away. 

[The Peepmaster]

Well done, Roger. You spotted the deliberate error before Mince.

[Roger Kettle]

I'm proud!

[Malc]

No hatch-battening around here, the storm hit far north of us and all we got was the weird cyclone periphery weather (searing heat and humidity).

I really don't like the heat.

[Bilthehut]

But you live in Australia!

[Malc]

Yes, but this isn't just heat. 0rdinary seasonal Australian heat (which I still don't like) I'm acclimatised to. This is a different kind of searing heat that is dangerous and I believe it's a residual effect of the cyclone further north.

[Joan]

We're getting a bit of that down here, too, Malc.  Air conditioning working overtime.  Had strong winds on Thursday too, which would have been the very tail end of TC Yasi.

We have friends in Townsville who had a full house, presumably with friends from more threatened areas. This was Gary's post on FB on Thursday: "Passed test OK with minimal damage. Few trees down. pool full of leaves. minor water in house. no phone or power since 2200 last night but we're ok."

The weather people are expecting another 3 cyclones before the season is finished.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

It's a bit breezy here in Darkest Shropshire. We had a plant pot blow over during the night. Thankfully it was empty, and no-one was hurt. So I completely empathise with our Ozzie friends.

[Bilthehut]

Yes, but this isn't just heat. 0rdinary seasonal Australian heat (which I still don't like) I'm acclimatised to. This is a different kind of searing heat that is dangerous and I believe it's a residual effect of the cyclone further north.

Accepted.  But I thought that dry heat was better than muggy heat.