My first night on the Rocks coincided with some pretty impressive weather – while a storm front was moving in from the Pacific, the island enjoyed an hour of complete calm and sunshine.

The calm before the storm

Notice something different? When windspeed is set to exceed 25kts, the Flag is lowered to protect it – but as soon as things calm down, it is hoisted again.

Hoisting the flag

The system moved through fairly quickly, giving rise to some beautiful colours throughout the day. It’s always interesting to note what a difference tides make to waves around Race Rocks when the wind is up – a westerly wind with the flood, for example, can create an illusion of calm; whereas similar winds create impressive standing waves when the waters are ebbing.

Sun and the storm

Facility work

• Determine fuel levels across the island, transfer fuel to generator building, top up generator
• Desalination while generator is running
• Top up drinking water in science building
• Seawater sampling (with student assistance)

Weather

• Wind: 25-35 SW and W overnight, calming to 15 SW by evening
• Overcast, occasional rain showers
• Air temp: 7C