On February 18th, one of the roughest storms in recent years hit the Uk, seeing record winds of up to 122mph in the isle of wight. It affected each region: north and south, east and west as red alerts were issued across the country. Kingston Upon Thames itself saw a red warning issued in the depths of the night, and the storm dismantled many of its surroundings
In the local scope of Surrey, fallen trees blocking access formed common sights, the aftermath of the storm could be seen just walking down your road. One such was a tree felled in Radnor Gardens, casually blocked off and out of sight - seemingly just another figment of a person’s Friday. Even directly outside of my house, large branches had fallen down and my room’s door swung back and forth - alarming at first but becoming a dull thud in the background. Like most, the storm did not feel as exaggerated as the news had made it feel
For most, the storm was just a noise outside of their window but those who dared to go out into the thick of it faced winds that could draw them backwards from their path. Some felt comedy within the destruction, as often do, many took to social media to tell jokes about the storm. The general idea of the storm was just of a minor inconvenience in London and Greater London. After all, it seems to be the nature of the British to make humour of a bad situation, especially when not extremely affected by it. Around me, all that was heard was chaste jokes of the storm, a welcome distraction from the berating noises at my walls.
