The first storm of the winter season hit Galway this morning. Storm Ali has brought very strong winds to the city – in the half hour between driving to and from Salthill early this morning, two trees had come down on the road and footpaths – one on St. Mary’s road and another on Newcastle Road. My car also got clattered from a flying piece of wood from a house roof (no damage done, but if it had hit a person, it might have been worse). Below is the scene at the diving board in Salthill this morning, just after high tide. Nobody was swimming this morning (it was hard enough to stand, in the wind).