[Saturday 19th July General Weather Chat]

We have a TS right now here in Gloucester..continuous thunder too.

 

On another thread I mentioned about the  brilliant blue CG I saw in the early hours,very close (it seemed) and an  immediate crack of thunder. I wondered what it had hit. Here's the likely result. Hardwick is about 3 miles from my  home.

 

http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Ferocious-thunder-storms-reported-Gloucestershire/story-21661216-detail/story.html

[36,000 Lightning Strikes In 24 Hours And More To Come]

I couldn't find the thread with all the reports coming in last night, which I posted on  when I wanted to return to it….still can't but I posted that we had  in the early hours,about 2.00am…we had a  CG..very bright blue  seemingly overhead and a tremendous crack of thunder. I heard, this morning that it had struck a house about 3 miles away in Hardwick,Gloucester and  has taken half of it down. Fortunately, the family were away on holiday. The lad's bedroom was completely destroyed.

[Spanish plume anyone? Storm and convective discussion 17th July Onwards]

Very Active here. Very bright CG right overhead. 

[Spanish plume anyone? Storm and convective discussion 17th July Onwards]

I've been looking at a webcam at Newhaven,near Brighton  for several months, both east and west views are  on same page and there's a lot of lightning on the east facing one and some west lighting up the breakwater wall.

 

http://www.newhavenwebcams.co.uk

[Spanish plume anyone? Storm and convective discussion 17th July Onwards]

Linxus...Yes..Indeed..Looking better. I was geared up for photos but not in this rain, which as you see, is very heavy now. Back to the window Lol

[Spanish plume anyone? Storm and convective discussion 17th July Onwards]

Lynxus. .I don't think we'll get much until the cell,presently over Wester-super Mare, reaches us. As you see/hear it's gone a bit quiet. The rest is slipping by just to our  east..I'm in Abbeydale.

 

Here's Staverton Airport cam-Live. http://www.camsecure.co.uk/GloucesterAirportWebcam.html

 

Problem about getting out to a higher location for photos is, will be,the rain.

[Riat 2010]

Lens used was Sigma 50-500mm

Thanks . Really good quality photos.I showed them to my neighbour who has the 150-500 but we didn't know what you had. He hasn't had it long so these will give him cheer.

[Riat 2010]

Excellent quality. Could you tell me what lens you were using please?

[Fairford Air Tattoo]

Those videos are top class - I really enjoyed viewing them.

[Fairford Air Tattoo]

Interesting Video.To think that most of those pilots were just 21-24 years of age. I think what I was doing at 21.Ugh. . I saw a film on TV a few days ago about the mistakes he Germans made when launching the Luftwaffe onslaught at England especially re. our radar installations and we laid black ash in lines across airfields to make it look like as though they were fields with hedges so they weren't bombed so deception also played a large part in defeating the,the onslaught orchestrated by Goering.it saved us as much, if not more than the skills and bravery of these pilots-In reality we almost didn't make it.

[Fairford Air Tattoo]

Hope it's ok to add these few here.. I went on Friday and managed to see a few out and about rehearsing. My first photo post so I hope they attache ok.

Mmm. Not quite what I wanted. Any advice please ?

[Today's Weather]

Torrential rain here with more moving up from the SW,

[Gloucester Docks Basin-Frozen]

Thanks both. Three made it into the local paper.

[Pied Wagtail In Snow]

Thanks for comments. You're right,Steve. A few times in the last couple of months I've seen them walking around on a local road,it's not well used so they don't get disturbed too often but I've never seen them anywhere else and I had it in mind to go to them one day to get a photo. We often have a yellow wagtail on the pond lilies but,as you say, never the pied in the garden until now and it spends a fair amount of time here,I suppose when this cold period goes so will this bird - back to it's road and car parks. I've not seen it chase other birds though but it has a lot of food to choose from and I place it in two locations on the lawn. I put out, chopped apples , just the Basics range from Sainsbury's, they're cheap and fine for the birds but not very tasty for us though and we have Mr. and Mrs. Fieldfare visiting-the female is a lovely colour.I'll try and get a photo of her.- I grate the fat balls which I have for the hanging feeders and put that on the ground too,I also grind nuts in the food blender and soak Californian seedless raisins(very tasty they are too Lol) mealworm and seeds mixed and wholemeal bread softened ,so a bird restaurant really. I try to keep the bird bath full too, that won't be a problem now with the thaw. The birds that do chase each other are the blackbirds-they only chase the other blackbirds (we have 6 resident) away from what they perceive to be 'their' food source.

I assume coming up as thumbnails is the norm. on here rather than a 6 x 4 (approx).

[Pied Wagtail In Snow]

I took these two photos today from the dining room through the patio door glass.

[Gloucester Docks Basin-Frozen]

This is my first post- I'm unable to find what the maximum KB and pixel size is so I've gone for 800 x800 and less than 150KB, if anyone can put me right I'd appreciate that. Thanks.

I took these on Friday.These docks are part of the Sharpness Canal and it's fresh water as opposed to sea water. It looks like some people have walked on the ice, not something I'd risk.