186km/h winds in Corsica at the moment!

Have just seen this. Who forecast the 210 kph? Were the reports mean wind or gusts? By its very nature `Cap Corse will (like Start Point and Berry Head measure some extremely strong winds. No model will predict those strengths. Where is the anemometer sited? Whatever the answers, it was strong!
 
Have just seen this. Who forecast the 210 kph? Were the reports mean wind or gusts? By its very nature `Cap Corse will (like Start Point and Berry Head measure some extremely strong winds. No model will predict those strengths. Where is the anemometer sited? Whatever the answers, it was strong!

The 186km/h was quoted as being the measured strength of gusts on the French TV (TF1 if I remember right) at lunch time on the day of the post.
 
The 186km/h was quoted as being the measured strength of gusts on the French TV (TF1 if I remember right) at lunch time on the day of the post.

Did they say whether it was a gust or a mean? Did they say where the anemometer is sited?

I am not doubting the number. We entered Torbay on one occasion when Brixham CG was quoting F9 but that was on Berry Head. At sea level, we had F7. You probably have sailed around that area and know Cap Corse. My recollection is of an extremely steep, well pronounced headland. A friend once described it as the windiest place in the Med. We certainly treated it with great respect. Journalists quote values for their news effect rather than querying the accuracy and representivity.
 
Did they say whether it was a gust or a mean? Did they say where the anemometer is sited?

I am not doubting the number. We entered Torbay on one occasion when Brixham CG was quoting F9 but that was on Berry Head. At sea level, we had F7. You probably have sailed around that area and know Cap Corse. My recollection is of an extremely steep, well pronounced headland. A friend once described it as the windiest place in the Med. We certainly treated it with great respect. Journalists quote values for their news effect rather than querying the accuracy and representivity.

The location was described as Cap Corse, and it was gusts of up to 186 km/h (rafales). So presumably the biggest reading/gust they had had that day.
 
The location was described as Cap Corse, and it was gusts of up to 186 km/h (rafales). So presumably the biggest reading/gust they had had that day.

Thank you for the clarification. As I thought, it was a gust of about 100 knots. That is csertainly strong but near Cap Corse, probably not too exceptional, even at sea level. And, if it were, as I guess, from an anemometer somewhere on the headland it might be not at all unusual bearing in mind the effect of a headland on the wind around it. The quote in km/hr of 186 is almost exactly 100 knots which mskes me wonder whether the original report was in knots which the journalist did not understand or just thought that a bigger number would make a better story.
 
HelloFrank, here it is, wind reports from MF weather station; it is sited at 104m above sea level

View attachment 74838

Thanks, Roberto. Rather as I guessed. An anemometer very high up. The mean winds are not unduly strong and would not have been so, even at sea level.


The hourly drop and subsequent rise in pressure was significant too.
 
Last edited:
Top