Harry

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

I cannot promise this is an accurate answer but just an idea I have; wouldn't volcanic eruptions have shown this?

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.

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!)

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?

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

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!

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 :-)

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 :'(

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!

Meant to say gust front, not squall line!

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!!!