The British Isles caught the late throes of Hurricane Ophelia today. Ireland got the full force. London, tucked away in England’s south east corner, escaped the worst, but still had a very windy day and some strange skies. They’ve been widely reported – the unusually red glow of the sun to the fore. This, apparently, was due to dust from the Sahara, thrown in our direction by the storm.
There was a weird feeling in the atmosphere this afternoon. It was grey and strangely dark for the time of day, but the grey felt heavy, with a hint of pink and yellow. It was that Macbeth feeling – all feels unnatural. It was the talk of the office. I walked out of the office; it was the talk in the lift as I came back in. An American colleague said it was like when they were waiting for a tornado. That didn’t happen; but for us, with our rather moderate weather, this was a strange day.
I took a few photos outside with my iPhone 5S. They all looked a bit standard grey, which was not what the eye was transmitting. I’ve slightly enhanced them to bring them closer to what I was seeing.
Thoughtsfromwestfive 
Nice work, John. And you’re right – your eye caught what the iPhone couldn’t see. Those enhancements look just about right.
I was at a meeting in the City, and walked for a couple of miles afterwards to take it all in. Strangers were stopping to comment upon it – most unLondonlike. The really odd thing was that it felt like something more than purely visual – an atmosphere, somehow, that seemed to embrace you. Strange, but not sinister: I actually thought rather thrilling.
There’s no doubt that it made us all feel different. I wonder what did that.
I wonder too. On Threadneedle Street, one guy said to another “Look! Now the birds are all flying upwards”, which sounds a bit random now – but at that moment it seemed slightly mystical and exciting.
All very odd, but pleasurable rather than troubling. The power of suggestion, somehow?