Harry
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Posts posted by Harry
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I am going to defend our 'wet fart' storms here... :lol:
I know our storms aren't a whisker on those seen in the US and Down Under - however, when we do get those high elevated MCS's from France, or when we do get severe storms, where lightning is still frequent accompanied by some beautiful cloud structures, I am more than happy!
One thing which I value about our storms - is the fact I can enjoy them, without having to worry about my house and car being smashed to splinters by 100+mph winds, golf ball/baseball hail, or an F3+ tornado.
The Birmingham and London tornadoes are testament that our 'little' storms are still capable of producing exceptionally powerful and damaging winds! I for one have been fortunate (depends which side of the fence you sit on really) to have seen a large rope funnel cloud descend from a severe storm (in Kent), come down to within a few hundred yards of the ground and then travel directly over my head and then out to sea. Had it touched down....well, I cant speculate on what would have happened - but lets just say, that even only dangling from the cloud base, it created enough wind to scare any red blooded human being.
Bring on the big guns next year in the US - but I will happily keep our little storms in the mean time, knowing that if I am lucky enough to catch a large tornado next year, it wont be my house and family in its path
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Hi dogs
Yeah I saw this video only the other day in fact - absolutely incredible!!
Just noted the comment regarding postive strikes, I have seen quite a few from storms here, including one last Wednesday night! The cloud lit up and this huge bolt shot from within and struck only about 4-5 miles away. It was a decaying MCS so I am pretty sure it was from a relatively high altitude - note the term relatively lol.
The most incredible positive strike I saw, without question, was about 5 years ago. There'd been a fairly active storm, which moved on through quite quickly. The sun had already come out and the rain stopped. Then this huge bolt(s) hit in direct view of my lounge window, one of the few times I'd seen lightning, in the sunshine backed by light blue skies. I actually thought I was seeing things - until the incredible bang and boom that followed seconds later - it honestly felt like a concorde or tornado fighter plane was firing up in my back garden - cabinets, plates and glasses rattled like crazy!!
I also remember seeing a documentary (a couple of times in fact) stating there was evidence to suggest there was a higher percentage of lightning bolts in NW Europe that were positive, compared to those around the rest of the world! I thought it was bizarre, but then I saw it again at a later date - sadly I cannot remember the documentary.
Has anyone else heard this?
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Off the top of my head, we had at least 7 or 8 good thunderstorm events in NW Kent/London during the course of last year, with other days of passing storms (flashing skies, distant rumbles).
The two dates I can recall of particular note was 25th May, when that great MCS came up overnight from France - plenty of thunder and lightning from that baby, and it lasted a fair while too (1 of 6 videos from YouTube below, not taking by me)
The other storm of note of course was 6th August, that great long line of thunderstorms which erupted between N France and SE England, and went on for hours - for more than an hour it produced the most frequent lightning I have ever seen in this country (for one 60 second spell I counted, I saw 26 individual flashes of lightning) (photos below)
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...l%3Den%26um%3D1
Compared to other parts of the country, I cannot complain when I live in the UK's 'lightning alley' - though although we get hit relatively quite often, the number which sail past by about 20 miles - soooo frustrating!!
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There are things regarding thunder which I have detected time and time again but have never really understood why.
Has anyone ever noticed these before, and if so is there any explanations for why?
1. I've noticed thunder at night tends to be louder than during the day. Is this because there is less background noise (planes, road traffic, building work, children's noise, birds etc) or does lightning tend to be more powerful at night, or bear different characteristics?
2. Sometimes, when you get close CG lightning bolts - one will cause a crackle and loud BANG/BOOM - the other one will just crackle and nothing more. Is the type of thunder caused purely determined by the strength of the bolt, number of 'strokes' etc, or are there other factors?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions
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It is truly awe-inspiring!
There is a similar video on Youtube, called 'Very Loud Very Flashy Storm' or words to that effect. The lightning intensity is incredible, yet so too the thunder!! Out of this world!!
I remember storms like this when I was growing up - similar heavy rain, similar intense lightning, similar LOUD bangs each time - the only difference was the frequency of the lightning - if I remember rightly, probably strobe flash and bang every 10-15 seconds or so. I havent seen a storm like it for some time though sadly.
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Enjoy
Sorry if I've put this in the wrong section
- as its a chase video thought it feel more at home here -
2006 for me was perhaps the most summery summer I can remember - my first year at work, in London of all places, saw are BITTERLY cold March/April. May iirc was one of sunshine and showers. In to June/July, the sun really came out, and I remember a 3 week spell where daily max ranged from a low of 28C, to a high of 36C, majority of the days iirc between 31C and 34C. It was hot and humid.
As londonsnow correctly pointed out, hot summers in London, particularly for workers can be unbearable - with tube temperatures ranging easily between 40 and 50C, overground trains immensely uncomfortable along with buses. The plus side though of working and living around London, is a relatively higher frequency and severity of UK thunderstorms!!
Lets just hope 2009 is like 2006, with more thunderstorms!! :lol:
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http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/satpics/latest_IR.html
Massive thunderstorms already well underway across what seems to be E Germany and into Poland (cant tell the borders from that image)
My mate has very good friends who are Polish, however I cannot remember where they live in Poland, somewhere near Krakau I think...how they are safe! :unsure:
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I would be very suprised if we ever had, but I imagine that we may have been under a level 2 in the past.
Weren't we here in the SE under a Level 2 only a month or two ago?
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Was it a decent storm? Any pics?
I notice it seems a very similar scenario to what we get during Spanish plumes, especially here in the SE, with land and an approaching cold front from the west, and a surge of warm humid air pushing from the south ahead of it.
Hoping for a similar set up Monday evening
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I cannot promise this is an accurate answer but just an idea I have; wouldn't volcanic eruptions have shown this?
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I recorded 30.0C here in Central London at around 2:30 this afternoon.
Humidity feels like its beginning to shoot up as well...getting a bit sticky!!
At least the conditions are starting to become more favourable for thunderstorms. Whether they materialise or not is obviously the critical point.
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I'm glad this thread has got a little less fiesty now
What is certain however is the fact that, certainly in my own experience as well as reading other peoples', is that you dont have to go abroad to get a good storm!
I have experienced several severe depressions packing 100mph gusts. Loads of severe thunderstorms producing amazing green skies, spider/forked/anvil crawler lightning, 2 tornadoes, host of wall clouds, amazing cumulonimbus structures ( I remember one of last years which was VERY reminscent of Independence Day, huge dark Cb hanging over London), as well as the more memorable ones mentioned in a post previous.
Just the agonising wait now for Spring '08 and our next round of thunderstorms (far prefer these to depressions!)
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Goatherd, that is the best footage of a UK storm I think I have ever seen!!! Truly amazing.
Weve had similar storms like that here in the SE but have never owned a video camera, GRRRR!!! One of the most potent ones I can remember, I was 11, was August 1998 and it had been very hot. They'd forecast storms, so I went to bed hopeful and nothing came....until about 1:30am when I was asleep and woken by one of the loudest explosions I have ever heard. All the windows were open as the temperature even then wouldve been in the 20s, so full blast of noise into my room! Needless to say, seconds later I had ended up in my parents room I was so petrified. I was shaking violently it scared me so much. The lightning was awesome and almost constant, and the biggest array of colours, I remember, orange, purple, pink, white, blue and even deep red. As for the rain, sounded like a never ending freight train!
Speaking of which, it seems a while since we have had those middle of the night crackers, where every clap of thunder is a deep, ferocious boom, the rain is like a constant pouring of water from a bucket and the lightning doesnt stop! Had those afternoon/evening ones, like the MCS which hit Kent this year, but some how I find them more awesome when its night!
Worst wind storm, none really spring to mind. I was 11 months old during the 87 storm. There have been plenty I can remember where the gusts have hit 90 - 100mph, but none overall stick out. I suppose one which was bad was when we got smacked with the remnants of Hurricane Lily, probably close to 12-15 years ago now. Anyone else have any recollection of that?
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YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY :o
Its absolutely pouring down here with thunder and lightning too! Sky went so dark and also a bit green; two people here have to go home because they got caught out and soaked to the skin, literally. Some flash flooding too! Thats my day complete :o
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As usual I seem to be slap bang in the middle of all the action - woke to heavy rain at 4am but hardly had any rain since!
Its exceptionally humid here, whether that'll trigger any showers/storms bit later is anyone's guess!
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My perception of the 'thundery terms' are:
Thundery Rain : An organised band/merged showers to form longer outbreaks of rain with accompanied, quite intermittent thunder and lightning.
Thundery Shower: Simply, a shower generally producing thunder and lightning.
Thunderstorm: Larger in size with more longevity than a shower. Produce quite regular thunder and lightning.
Severe Thunderstorm: Looking terms of hours rather than quarters of an hour. Torrential rain, 6-7 flashes per minute, large hail, would be looking for funnels!
In the last 5 years, Ive seen a few severe storms roll past and hit by one. I seem to remember being younger we used to import HUGE storms from France which would last hours, with very frequent lighting, incredible booms of thunder and the most immense rain you'll ever see! They dont seem to occur as regularly now :-( lets hope tomorrow night offers some of the old times :-)
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Im looking at the south side of the storm now, about 5-10 miles away, looks very menacing.
Might be wrong, but it does look like there's a well defined wall cloud developed. Shame I am at work and cant look at it much :'(
Something to look out for in London/Essex people!!! I want something to happen here though :'(
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Stormraider, I can totally sympathise with the fear of loud noises, 100%!
When I was younger, the main things I was scared of were fireworks, balloons and thunder, purely because of the bang they caused. I dont think having a phobia of noise is irrational at all...how can it be? Everybody jumps when there is a bang, and if it is loud and sudden enough, they'll shake and feel flushed and maybe even develop a sweat!
I think the day my fear changed was when there was a HUGE, probably supercell thunderstorm which came up from the South. It lasted for hours and the lightning was almost constant. The rain was incredible, the thunder deafening and the lightning...awesome! Problem is I missed most of the lightning because I was buried under my mum and dad's pillow! Since then I have been simply in AWE of thunderstorms. That roar of thunder makes me go all tingley...just in awe what nature can do.
I laid awake the other night, woke up by the intense rain, hoping it was the first storm of 2007. About a minute later, the room lit up and the crack that followed was great...where just after the flash, theres an instant crack, and then a loud raw getting louder and louder!!!! However it may be worth noting, if I'm woken up by thunderstorms, especially loud ones right over head, still makes me nervous, however much I love them...Im relieved its not only me :huh:
Best advice I can give stormraider, is to try and appreciate what nature can do! Its amazing to think that condensation and some collisions of ice and rain drops, can lead to 30,000 degree, million volt sparks, causing sonic booms (thunder)! Next time there is a storm, think whats actually happening, think about the processes going on! And just enjoy it!
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Meant to say gust front, not squall line!
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The thunderstorm went over my house at about 11:15 this morning. My dad rung me and said it was on the way. There was definite rotation towards the end of the storm and quite a defined squall line, furthermore some pretty decent mammatus clouds. The rain wasnt anything special, though there was thunder and lightning and apparently significant hail a couple of miles from my house!!!
' Early Warning ' Flood Forecasting Centre Officially Opened
in Spring Weather Discussion
Posted · Edited by Harry
Surely one qualified meteorologist, and someone with an A*-C in GCSE Geography/Geology could be just as viable with regards to forecasting flooding? Then hire a capable telephonist and administrator et voila?
I would be confident, from the geological/geographical side at least, to be able to compile data and therefore say where ground is likely to be saturated, with a high water table, and therefore to predict where flooding is likely. A knowledge of the water table, obtaining associated data, underlying rock across the country, river locations inc features such as meanders, contour changes and geographical profile, urban run off, evapo-transpirational processes (leaves and vegetation catching an absorbing rainfall in summer), where rivers have flooded before and whether the flood defences are adequate...common sense isnt it?
Seems another ridiculous over-spend to me, especially when quite a lot of the floods in recent times have been caused by sudden downpours/thunderstorms, which as we know all too well are virtually unpredictable with regards location and severity, and the warnings which are issued as a result aren't until the storm has already kicked off and started the flooding process....
It really is complete nonsense IMO! Next flood that occurs - "why wasn't I informed", "how could you not have foreseen this", or on the contrary, "I am sick of moving all of my furniture up and down stairs everytime someone thinks it might rain heavily"...
Another waste of valuable millions when common sense should have dictated a far less costly approach to this 'problem'.