Spikecollie

Looks like a very difficult prediction. Storms could occur anywhere from tonight to next week! Meteo France progging storms for Pas de Calais on Friday morning/afternoon, but it changes so fast..who knows. If you want to be more certain, spend your money on a flight to SE France (Provence, Rhones Alpes)...

Over 33,000 strikes in Western Europe today so far. What's the rest of the week going to bring? I've re-done the lawn mowing and packed the "tondeuse" away for a few days, cleared the gutter drains and secured anything that might blow - guaranteed to invoke the storm shield!

You're just as bad! Read my post to Surrey. You are not forgetting the rare but unfortunate things you have seen/heard/read, you are remembering them. Stop it! Think of them as bumped posts by the media - really insignificant, but given far too much attention. You too - relax and enjoy the privilege of flying...

I know, I know - I'm an anxiety bunny, but not about flying (read my "Relaxation" post from last night and you'll get the idea). It's not your body that goes into "panic mode" it's your mind, and that gives you the physical symptoms. I would say that there are very many mindsets about flying from total technical understanding calm to panic the moment you get to the airport or before. I'm on the left hand side but bad turbulence makes me motion sick and that spoils it a bit for me! BTW - you never answered my question - you were too busy writing all your worrying about the flight! Where are you going? Maybe do a bit of research on the switches and buttons - they're pretty hardy and well backed up - people make the mistakes, but nowhere infinitesimally near as often as in cars (so don't bother dwelling on those). Your aircraft is perfectly designed for it's job, and your pilot is superbly trained and qualified. AcCas or even an MCS or two are not going to cause a problem - so be a weather person and watch the view unfold and enjoy your privilege of flight. Back on topic, but also for you - it does look like there will be a lot of storm activity on Thursday around Europe, your privilege is just better...

Where are you going? I'm sure they'll give you a nice routing around any activity, and all you'll get is a nice view of it...you might get a few lumps and bumps, but remember that you are completely safe!

Some fabulous TCU developing here in Limousin this afternoon. I think we'll all be sharing the storms this week.

Norovirus is still on the go and can strike very suddenly, but maybe not something I should talk about or recommend!!! The quality of your personal noises on the phone to your boss can increase with the intensity of the thunderstorm risk - you do know that!

I'd so like to see the AB and I really hope you do if you are in a favourable zone.

We are certainly progged flashy bangy weather over here in France, so instability could be the talk of the end of the week.

Certainly big storms being progged here in France from Wednesday onward. All may change, but imports for the SE of the UK maybe a possibility. Pretty colours over a lot of Europe on Blitzortung again this evening!

There are definite developments here in Limousin. A rising wind and some convective looking clouds coming in from the SE which is an odd direction for our valley. 29c but Meteociel offers no high CAPE or low LI values. Let's see...meanwhile I'm having a relaxing afternoon reading in the garden before coming in and doing my prep. for tomorrow, A long day so an early night. Edit: Well blow me down if we haven't got rumblings in the hills - the storms won't come overhead to the valley though. Just gentle sound effects!

Just look at Blitzortung. Chambery and the likes must be having supercells...

BTW just look at Blitzortung. Chambery and the likes must be having supercells,

Yes, saw Lothar mentioned! It's been a beautiful day here in Limousin we have a known storm shield, but when we get the storms we get the full show. A slow start with a misty overcast morning. The sun appeared just as I was doing my déchetterie run at 1400 and on the way back after a supermarket visit I had to park in the shade to have a stroll in Bessines sur Gartempe. Sat in my neighbour's garden for an hour or two for a couple of beers after I got back. Blissful and a lot less humid and hot than last night. I love my home here...

Yep 50,000 impacts de foudre and none near Limousin. My time will come! Seriously, we do get amazing storms here. We're in a valley surrounded by les monts d'Ambazac. Almost always our storms proceed (sorry I've been speaking French all day and my English brain has shut down a bit - maybe too many sips of beer in the evening sun with my neighbours) from the south, although east is good too. We rarely get elevated storms, real cracking +CG deliverers which make you run for cover. We've had whole nights when the bedroom is like a stroboscope...great when on holiday but not when you're working as I can't sleep through storms!

Swathes of western Europe lighting up again this evening - while we in Limousin just bake and have blue skies very conducive to sipping beer under! 50,000 lightning strikes in France yesterday - not in my bit - go onto Meteociel to see the video and photos - meteorological French is pretty easy (orages, impacts de foudre etc.)

This is weird - according to Blitzortung their are lightning strikes very close to my area here in Limousin, but a less likely day I couldn't imagine. It's completely mistily overcast, admittedly very humid, and 21c.

A flash already!

Utterly still here in Limousin with just the chirping of "cigales" to break the warm silence. A perfect t-storm evening...if only!

Like kids, it's how you approach the issue! Spike returned one evening (some folks don't like this, but no healthy bunnies get wasted and it's always been one on one with a very weighted chance in favour of the bunny) with 7 rabbits. I was waiting for the other half in Grassington car park for two hours (2006 I think it was) during a massive t-storm. No mobile signal and the two of them were hours late. Simon was sheltering behind stone walls, petrified of being struck, and Spike was just...chasing and catching rabbits. We had Ligurian rabbit stew for three days in a row - three were mixxy and four were healthy and good for the pot (I'm the skinner and gutter of mammals and fish)!

Never a damn flash here and still 23c. I'm way too sunkissed (not burned) and it's too hot for anything other than a sheet for bed cover! I love this weather, but would love a storm even more...

Aww Moki - mutt is stunning. My man used to be like that up to about a year and a half ago. Spike is a Yorkshire Dales bred Border Collie (from Settle). We got him in 2001 as a foot and mouth rescue - his owner's sheep had been killed and he and his siblings had no role in life. He has pounded the Dales all his life - being famed for scaling a 5 metre wall in Grassington in one leap and one poise on top! Sadly his living life at the edge has caught up with him, and last year he was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and has heart failure - his heart was a phenomenon throughout his healthy life, a resting heart rate of 48 used to scare vets who didn't know him, that of a true athlete - the way of some of them in retirement he has has gone himself! He has done the three peaks (not in one day) and still been begging for games at the end. Thanks for sharing your pup...Spike is a thunder dog by the way...he's always wanted to chase the lightning (and fireworks) and has no fear of storms as we have brought him up with our fascination and love of them!

I know my clouds, but what is it when cirrus have little turrets at the leading edge? Not Ac cas...because that's what I've got almost out of nowhere...

You get used to them...but I could never tire of them or take them for granted. Madame Nature is so wonderful...