Tree surgeons still playing catch-up after Storm Ciaran

The island lost an estimated 350 trees as winds reaching almost 80mph tore across the island in the early hours of 1 November, with hundreds more damaged.

Treecare director Marcus Barnes said his team was still clearing up storm damage caused almost three months ago.

‘We have actually just managed to clear a tree from the Fort Road area because the road is shut for drainage works and we were able to take advantage of that,’ he said.

‘A lot of the things we are working on now are trees with one or two limbs damaged that we now have time to clear up. We have a number of sites where we will be working for several days.’

The seventh named storm since Storm Ciaran, Jocelyn, brushed past the island this week, with the north and west of Scotland expected to suffer the strongest of the winds, peaking at around 80mph.

Mr Barnes added these high winds had caused minor damage and were nothing in comparison to Storm Ciaran.

Fellow tree surgeon Charles Vaudin agreed.

‘Ciaran took out the weaker trees, the trees that were left are mostly able to withstand the winds,’ he said.

‘When the storm hit a lot of the trees were still in leaf, and it came after persistent heavy rain. That wet weather can get under the roots and disable the trees.’

About 121mm of rain fell in the month prior to the storm, compared to an average of 97.9mm.

Another 15.7mm of rain fell on the last Thursday of October, just before before Ciaran hit.

Mr Vaudin said they still had ‘bits and pieces’ of storm damage to clear up, but were now at least not totally focused on it.

‘We are through the bulk of it,’ he said.

‘But to be honest there will still be things to catch up from Ciaran throughout the year.’