Tuesday 13 August 2024

Aurora and Changeable Weather

James and I noticed that there was a lot of solar activity on the app Aurorawatch all day yesterday, and when it eventually got dark we kept an eye on it. At about 11.30 p.m. the activity ramped up again so we nipped round to West Terrace to get views to the north and west. At first I didn’t think that we were going to see anything but then we noticed what looked like stripes in the sky which glowed a faint purple. They became stronger and we realised that it was definitely the Aurora Borealis! When we took photos with our phones the exposure took longer (about three seconds) because it was dark, and as a result the colours were even brighter in the photos. It was not the strongest display of the Aurora, but we were very excited that we have at last properly seen it. 
The weather in the north-west of Scotland is notorious for being erratic, but today really has confirmed that reputation! Today in Ullapool we have had hot sunshine, during which I was sitting outside on the bench reading my book, to torrential rain, back to hot sunshine and then in the evening back to heavy rain and winds. Unbelievable. And when I say hot, it really was proper balmy summer weather. 
The cats are as confused as we are, and when it was raining I found Tom sitting on the window ledge staring out disconsolately. I have finished The Sheltering Sky (wow, I did not expect that ending!) and I have started reading La Beauté du Ciel by Sarah Biasini. She is the daughter of Romy Schneider.

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