pretty windy on the Hoe yesterday

My hand held windy gizmo thingy recorded 64.7 mph at just before midday; that would have been the gusts that nearly sprawled me backwards. It was sad to see the damage done to a Plymouth icon, 'The Wet Wok' Restaurant....its outer conservatory overlooking the sea wrecked and ripped away. I hope the owners will be able to repair and re-open soon. Similarly, the Waterfront restaurant with all its windows boarded up after monster waves on Wednesday poured through the windows ripping everything in side apart.

Steve

Soooooo cold!

the gusts started to creep upwards around midday

The highest recorded was 64.7 mph

people were having to lean into the wind to make any progress

 

the Hoe took a pounding just below the beach huts

many of the railings were left twisted or GONE this morning!

 

Meanwhile down at western hoe pier...it was not looking good. the pier on the left and its little inner harbour were under threat; the cream coloured wall - that's the 'Wet Wok' restaurant or what is left of it. the wall where the wave is pounding is the retaining wall to the hoe road.....council workers were down there in force ready to take action!

 

can you spot the mile long Plymouth breakwater in the distance?

Nope, neither could we at one point - says it all really.

Plymouth Mountbatten breakwater takes a pummelling and those waves just keep rolling in and getting bigger

 

meanwhile, on the hoe - at tinside pool - things were beginning to get interesting!

 

oops - there go the railings.......

and one of the buoy marks......

...and part of the outer wall

 

could have happily spent all day wave watching but it was soooo cold.........or I'm just getting older and feeling it more.........

poor tinside lido - normally emptied for winter - the waves filled it; filled the store rooms, the changing rooms, the café area.......terrific battering to a much loved landmark

oops - facing the wrong way?

 

below me, the little beach area and the steps leading down to it, where so many of us go on lovely summer Sunday's....was taking its own pelting

much of the seating, fencing and the steps will have gone under this pounding

what you have to remember is none of us can ever remember seeing the hoe taking such a beating. We have a mile long MASSIVE breakwater two miles offshore guarding the entrance to this fourth largest natural harbour in the world. these waves are just.......unprecedented

 

I leave you with Plymothians turning out to witness the awesome fury of nature, and our local police, turning up to keep us safe; all of us hoping our beloved Plymouth Hoe withstands the might of the sea