Winds of almost 84mph were recorded at the airport, however senior meteorological officer Adam Heaume said this was probably not the true picture.
‘As Storm Goretti moved through the English Channel, the Channel Islands were in the direct path of the windiest conditions,’ he said.
‘The highest gust we recorded at Guernsey Airport, 84mph from a west-south-west direction, was recorded at 8.24pm. Undoubtedly there were parts of the island that experienced higher wind speeds, due to local factors, hence the apparent random nature of the damage caused.’
He added that the wind and weather conditions experienced during the storm were in line with those forecast by colleagues at Jersey Met.
‘Mean wind speeds in Guernsey increased to gale force 8 around 5pm on Thursday, strengthening to strong gale force 9 soon after 7pm and they further intensified to storm force 10 shortly before 8pm,’ he said.
‘A peak mean –10-minute – wind speed of 61mph was recorded at Guernsey Airport with storm force 10 conditions sustained for approximately two hours, before dropping back to a strong gale force 9 shortly before 10pm.’
The wind strength fell steadily after midnight but had veered west-north-west.
The other Channel Islands endured similarly strong winds, with initial analysis of data from Alderney Airport showing a maximum gust of 92mph, and 95mph recorded in Jersey.
However the islands did not see the worst of the weather.
When the storm reached the north-western Manche region of France, a gust was recorded at 132mph.
But despite widespread damage, just like in Guernsey and Jersey, no casualties were reported, although the storm did cut power to an estimated 380,000 homes across France.
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