WEATHER DETAILS - The Lighthouse - page 136

Appendix III
W EATHER D ETAILS
Basic summary of weather (excluding barometer and temperature readings) in Flannan
Isles/Lewis area from 12 December 1900 to arrival of Hesperus at Eilean Mor on 26
December 1900:
Wednesday 12 December
Rainfall in the afternoon and early evening. Strong westerly winds at 8 a.m., which had
shifted to south-westerly by 6 p.m.
Thursday 13 December
Rainfall in the morning. Strong south-westerly gale force winds in the morning, veering
to westwards bythe afternoon. Charts showing a disturbed sea state around the Flannans
and whole north-west sea area in general.
Friday 14 December
Rainfall in the morning and throughout the day. Strong south-westerly gale-force winds,
with charts showing a very disturbed sea state around the Flannans and Hebrides
Saturday 15 December (date of disappearance)
The weather for the date of the disappearance was west-south-west force 7 at 8 a.m.,
(note:at9a.m.theFlannansslateshowedwesterlywinds,occasionallyblusteryshowers
- from Joseph Moore's report), south-west force 8 1 at 2 p.m. and north-west force 9 2 at
6 p.m. As the wind and waves grew in strength and moved around from the south-west
after 2 p.m., they would have been directed, more or less, straight onto the west landing.