Storms and Convective discussion - May 2024

[tomp456]

Predictably after the MCS last night, today has been a day of cloud and clag.

 

Such storms are usually experienced at the very end of summer, the air freshens up and temperatures drop.

 

I hope that isn't a sign of what's to come this year...becuaee I suppose we are overdue a cool or cold summer, as since 2018 we've been treated to some glorious heatwaves!

[minus10]

Heavier rain now but lightning died off...still activity coming in from the East though ...

[Eagle Eye]

A bit off my camera. From last night still.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Frosty hollows]

 Jamie M absolutely stunning

[Flash bang flash bang etc]

Funny how May has traditionally been the start of the season and last night’s storms literally waited until May 2nd to arrive

[Frosty hollows]

 Purplepixii As the elevated action moved away, we had a lull of about 30 mins or so before a mahoosive strike woke up the entire neighbourhood (radius about 5 miles?) hitting a local house.  It's a possibility 

[TJS1998Tom]

Is this the stuff for Lincolnshire later? Or will new cells fire up? Forecast suggesting storms around 4/5am. Though not looking like much atm

[Flash bang flash bang etc]

 TJS1998Tom

I’ve heard some mention of rather large areas of MUCAPE which is basically ‘night energy’ for storms. Looking at all the other synoptics it would seem that you can’t rule out some active albeit discrete cells anywhere around the midlands as the night progresses, and well into tomo.

That said I wouldn’t lose important sleep watching the horizon. It will *hopefully* wake you up if it happens

[TJS1998Tom]

 Flash bang flash bang etc I'm usually up late anyway, I see that cells still electrified around London. We have thick cloud now so I imagine anything will be elevated 

[Josh Rubio]

 TJS1998Tom Looking at the rain radar, it looks to be moving in a WSW direction unfortunately. 

[TJS1998Tom]

 Josh Rubio Yeah, I can only think new cells will begin to form later this morning but even then its likely that it might just be thundery showers with the odd rumble

[Rufus Butterfield]

 TJS1998Tom I need to be up for 8 but I’ll set an alarm earlier to check radar. I’ve slept through a storm while at Lincoln last September and don’t the disappointment of that again. The main stuff looks to arrive after 10am, but there could be a rouge storm here or there before that.

 

[Josh Rubio]

Interesting, both BBC and Met Office text forecast have recently updated to state that there could be some thundery showers ending in from the east towards dawn, for the East Midlands. 

[Hammer]

Very interesting for me. Almost a bit winter like streamer action.

The persistence of the heavy rain and occasionally stormy shows for 2 nights running from the east. 

[Mark]

Well that woke me up! Several loud bangs, couple of brilliant flashes and biblical rain for 20 minutes.

Wasn't expected after the warning was removed. Now hoping for some quiet... though might stay up for a bit... 

[TJS1998Tom]

 Rufus Butterfield I saw the local forecast and it suggests heavy showers moving from the East, could just be heavy showers but hoping for a little something but yeah looks like most could be later towards mid day, I'm not in work till 2pm thankfully

[Mitch the motorbike storm]

Storms developing next to Belgium ??? Seems to be getting lively and rapid development of the cells 

[biddie]

 Josh Rubio yet they took thev warning off last night

[TJS1998Tom]

One to watch for late morning maybe though suspect it might result to just heavy rain

[weatherobsuk]

Thundery rain now is beginning to make it's way inland off the Norfolk coast this early morning although an average of only 4 strikes per minute are being picked up on the real-time lightning map. With persistent cloud-cover set to limit visibility all day it doesn't look to be anything noteworthy except for anyone on the East Coast that will be directly underneath the heavier cores.

[Sprites]

 

 weatherobsuk 

Hello 

Did you see much lightning on your chase south? 

Or pickup any Aurora last night? 

Edited May 3 by Sprites

[weatherobsuk]

 Sprites  No direct lightning bolts from where I was although there was a belter of a positive strike that had a well-defined Sprite jump out ahead of it in the clearer skies overhead. I did re-position down to Didcot for a closer view but the low cloud-base and early twilight made things difficult to see before 'calling it' a night at 4:30am. 

The Aurora was earlier than predicted yesterday evening, peaking at around 8am and it's that time of year when astronomy spotting/photography gets increasingly more difficult until mid-September, although we do have the NLC season about to begin which i'm hoping is still amplified due to the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption of 2022.

[Sprites]

 weatherobsuk At least you saw something, but those north east winds that setup when low pressure is to the south, usually drag in the fractus from the cool sea to hide the lightning.  Sometimes the view behind the storms as they clear north is better because the surface flow changes to south or south west, and the visibility improves. 

The NLC are fascinating, but I never really saw any before 2015, seem to be more common lately. 

Edited May 3 by Sprites

[weatherobsuk]

 Sprites  I was kind of expecting it reading the Brize Norton, LGW, Southampton METARs, but the further down south I was driving the further back north i'd had to get afterwards  if things had been just 20 miles a bit north then i'd have been in the early model-run forecast before things went more westwards on the 18Z. At least there was something to see and I got good miles on the i10 clocking just under half a tank for a 330'ish mile round trip  compared to the Ford KA it was less-stressing not having to worry about fuelling up.

[Sprites]

 weatherobsuk Yeah that's quite a lot of hours driving quieter roads at that time too.  

A few more storms for northern areas today. 

good luck if you out today.