Facing Storm Floris on North Uist

 Create a summer school plan that balances island resilience with real safety.

As islanders, we’re no strangers to wild weather. But when Storm Floris barrels in with gusts over 80mph on Monday, even we stop and take a breath — especially when we’re hosting students who aren't yet used to Atlantic gales slamming the Hebridean coast.

With a severe weather warning in place for Monday, and teaching due to take place in exposed Hosta, it’s time for a plan that balances island resilience with real safety. Here's how we're handling it — and why this is part of what it means to live and learn on the edge of the world.

What’s Coming: A Breakdown of Storm Floris

Sunday Evening

• Wind builds: 35–45mph

• Light to moderate rain

• Perfect time to secure bins, boards, bikes and any loose garden chairs.

Monday Morning (6am–9am)

• Gusts ramp up to 55–65mph

• Rain turns heavy, with poor visibility

• No travel advised

Midday Peak (10am–2pm)

• Gusts reach 70–85mph, especially in places like Hosta

• Driving rain, coastal surge, risk of flying debris

• Roads may close, ferries disrupted, power could go

Late Afternoon (3pm–6pm)

• Wind eases slightly to 60–70mph

• Rain on and off

• Still too dangerous to venture outside

Evening (7pm onwards)

• Wind drops to 40–50mph

• Showers continue, but improvement starts

• Outdoor activity still not advised until Tuesday

What We’re Doing

We’ve made the decision to cancel Monday’s in-person teaching. The safety of our students comes first. While we might be used to walking sideways to the car, flying through the air or shouting over the wind to a neighbour, many of our visitors are experiencing this kind of weather for the first time.

Instead, we’re creating a storm-safe indoor alternative:

Storm Day Plan:

• Online or in-accommodation learning

  • Gaelic storytelling

  • Cultural history films

  • Grammar games, singing sessions (no power? we go old school!)

• “Storm Buddy” system for students to check in on each other

• Printed materials in case the WiFi goes out

• Hot food, blankets, torches and good company
  

We’ve also asked all students to prepare:

• Charged devices and backup batteries

• Easy meals and snacks

• Warm clothes and layered pyjamas (just in case the power cuts)

• A good book or a local podcast
  

What We’re Learning

There’s more to language immersion than grammar drills and pronunciation. Learning to live in a new culture means navigating its seasons, storms, and silences. Monday will be a shared experience we’ll all remember — not in spite of the weather, but because of it.

We’ll be listening to the wind, watching the sky, and telling stories in candlelight if we have to. That too, is part of the Hebridean way.

If you’re currently in Uist or planning to come here in future, don’t worry — we take care of each other here. You’ll be blown about (literally), but never left out in the cold.

Stay safe. Stay indoors. Storm Floris, we’re ready for you.