Holding steady as storm Eunice then storm Franklin passed over
Since living by the sea in Whitstable, I am much more in tune with the changing weather patterns than I ever was. Windy days mean choppy seas, wild swims and bracing walks. So I wasn't especially concerned about Storm Eunice on Friday until I woke up to hear that we now had a rare "red" weather warning. Even then, it didn't seem any windier than normal as I headed out for a long walk in the early morning. It felt invigorating and noticeably quiet (where are all the dog walkers I wondered?). By the time we'd dashed out to the shops and got home, something was starting to shift. Tucked inside our solid, warm house we could hear the roof creaking and wind whistling through gaps in the windows. Then we heard the first breaking sound outside over the loud thrum of wind. Even opening the front door felt hazardous as I crept out to see the debris of a large slate roof tile on the floor. I went to clear it up thinking it would blow around the cul-de-sac but quickly