Reefseeker

A silly question, but may I ask how the spider chuckers get rid of the spiders? Do you pick them up with your hands, or in a glass? I am very much afraid of spiders, which is not something I'm happy about as an animal lover, so have to ask others to get rid of them; and out of all of us in the household, it's usually me that has one on a shoe or my arm, in a bag, in the wardrobe on my clothes, on the wall next to me... it's like they know!

Awww, so sorry to hear they are poorly, sounds like you have done all the right stuff to get them on the mend; we've had Frenchies for a decade and heat is definitely not their thing. Here in Bournemouth the rain is persistent and getting heavier, but, as others have noted, the sky looks as if it's attempting to clear.

In Bournemouth for the weekend. Yesterday was glorious with packed beaches well into the evening. This morning the rain has arrived from France. I wonder if we'll witness any storms on our drive home tonight.

Busy, busy Bournemouth.

Second thunderstorm of the day in Bournemouth.

A lovely thunderstorm, the second of the day, came from this cell over Bournemouth.

The skies had that oppressive look to them for this evening's very humid walk. Car headlights were on early doors too. I hope storms spring eternal if it's going to be this uncomfortable 🌩

One of them was proper crackling around, but the first one could easily blend in with the sound of torrential rain 🌧

Here in Midsomer Norton, we've had torrential downpours and a few rolls of thunder. Looks to be headed from Wales.

There was heavy rain in Bournemouth early doors before we headed off via Shaftesbury towards the Bath area under grey skies and light rain. We have had increasingly torrential downpours at my mother's from the intensifying cells across Wales, plus several rolls of thunder. Reading, where we are headed next, looks to be under some very heavy stuff judging by the radar. It's a bit windy but nothing requiring @TN9 sails!

Thank you @Blessed Weather, very much appreciated

Hmmm, so I'm driving from Bournemouth to Midsomer Norton (just outside of Bath) tomorrow morning, to have lunch with my mother and then drive her to Reading in the afternoon to stay at my sister's. Looking at the Met Office warnings, I'm wondering if we'll be better off leaving early to get ahead of the strongest winds. The way it looks with the timing of the event, we'll be driving along WITH the winds!

Just arrived in Midsomer Norton and didn't do too badly. A very heavy squall around Guildford at 10.15, then a handful more as we progressed past Alton and from there across Salisbury Plain. Many roads were completely dry and out of nowhere sheets of rain would arrive covering the windscreen. Elsewhere huge puddles were under clear blue skies.

Not looking forward to driving to my mother's in the west country tomorrow. It looks as if we'll have some strong gusts to contend with all the way from Surbiton, across Salisbury Plain and out the other side towards Frome. I just hope it calms down while we're there so we can take my mother somewhere; as anyone with elderly parents at a distance know, they rely on visits to get out and about. The rain arrived by 10am this morning, not too heavy under light grey skies but the radar suggests heavier stuff on the way.

I woke up to the sound of rain at 3am and thought I heard a distant rumble of thunder, but wasn't sure if it was just a plane overhead. The rain cleared through by about 9am and it feels so lovely and fresh now.

Just back from around Covent Garden, where we twice had to go indoors while enjoying a relaxing beverage due to the light drizzle becoming heavy. It's feeling very wam and humid out there now with the sun sometimes peeking through mostly cloudy skies.

Hmmm, career choices eh? Weather forecasting combined with weather photography?

As others have said, it was so lovely to wake up to the sound of heavy rain on the roof with distant rumbles of thunder; put the alarm on snooze 4 times drifting off listening to it all. The system moved through relatively quickly, arriving in Surbiton just before 5.30am and departing by just after 7.30am.

Absolutely torrential rain in Surbiton with rumbles every minute or two.

A big rumble of thunder and a few convective drops from this, but we are right on the edge.

The skies have looked primed for most of the day in Surbiton, but so far the storms have stayed resolutely to the ENE. Very hot sunshine this afternoon and very humid. Convective in one direction, sunny and clear in the other!

Same here in Surbiton, rumbles keeping going for an hour now.

The cell over Crawley spread North around us at high speed, bringing very heavy rainfall and ever growing rumbles of thunder, the last two accompanied by lightning, to Surbiton after a hot morning with high cloud. Next door's garden party attendees are sheltering in much excitement under the marquee. That storm grew fast and continues to deliver some crackling rolls of thunder across the sky.

Mixed skies around Surbiton this afternoon after a very hot morning with a thin layer of cloud aloft. Looks like the cell just north of Crawley is thinking about heading this way, but much clearer elsewhere. Edit: heavy rain now. Another edit: huge heavy raindrops, smell of petrichor and two rumbles of thunder, then a big flash of lightning and a cracking rumble across the sky

Such a terrible and tragic event, heartbreaking. I took this pic from Alum Chine 30 minutes before those events unfolded. I was thinking how busy the beach was and how nice for everyone to be enjoying half term...