Dom W

Looks like the sun is coming out now

Interesting cloud formations near to Shotton, like an undulated pattern in places. Had a moderate shower.

Did it produce any lightning? That would have been amazing.

http://www.weatherscapes.com/techniques.php?cat=lightning&page=thunder This site is an interesting read Thunder is such an amazing sound and can either be frightening when it is very close or a very relaxing sound especially when heavy rain is falling too. I just read on the site about that click you hear during a lightning flash, which is internal electrical wiring.

Looks like the pressure is starting to rise as I have a cumulonimbus to the south of me but looks like it is slowly dying.

Had a few rumbles and some heavy rain between 3 and 4pm in Shotton.

Seems the lightning is dying out now. I can see the storms that are over east Yorkshire but the clouds are not lighting up

Had a distant flash and a big rumble of thunder between 5.30 and 6.00 as a heavy shower passed. Did not hear any more thunder after that despite a very thundery sky.

Had some good storms here near Shotton / Peterlee - had some good lightning and fantastic thunder

I agree the skies looked very threatening, saw some very heavy rain heading for Seaham earlier; between 8.30 and 9.00

Had some heavy showers pass by Shotton in the last few hours, I thought I was going to hear thunder at some point.

I am wondering if anyone has witnessed this first hand? I have seen some videos of it on YouTube and it looks amazing.

I like your theory of this. I did watch a program about lightning years ago and there was a section of it about lightning from space. Where lightning would start and storms nearby would react by sparking off too; so a similar line of thinking to what you are saying.

Fairly heavy convective showers passing over Shotton. A shower is causing a really brilliant yellow / orange sunset at the moment. No thunder heard though. Feels a lot cooler than of late too.

As a fellow northeaster, I hope so too

I think hail was reported in Peterlee / Horden during that earlier bout of storms this afternoon.

That will be the second storm Sunderland got today

Yeah Thornaby is not far from the Boro

Any chance of that storm west of Harrogate could approach me?

Longest I remember one Friday there was a thunderstorm that lasted over 12 overs more or less, it started around 3pm and lasted all through the afternoon, all through the night and into the early hours. It happened from what was not a particularly threatening sky either, it was a pale white overcast sky. Shortest I Greece on a very warm evening. Had a few flashes of lightning, a brief shower that lasted a few minutes and then went. The people eating outside did not even budge.

Oh I see what you mean by that shower over York

Gone dark but very silent, no thunder yet! Seen a flock of gulls heading inland as they usually flock to sea at this time.

Did hear thunder, getting dark over Hartlepool. Any reports from down there?

Hear thunder here in Shotton

I was in Sunderland and I had a meeting from around 3.15 onwards and heard some deep booms of thunder. I managed to get a glimpse and saw some great CG lightning. As got to the city centre it was overcast and as I got on the bus home the rain started; massive drops but no more thunder and then the bus travelled towards Ryhope a big crash of thunder. It then stopped as I approached Seaham and the roads were all misty, you could literally see the steam rising into low clouds. I got to Shotton and it was bone dry.