3rd/4th July 2001: Severe Thunderstorms

[Weather-history]

I suspect many members who lived in Wales, western Scotland and England at the time will remember these thunderstorms very well. On the evening of the 3rd of July, severe thunderstorms exploded across many western areas because of a trough after a day of heat with temperatures reaching 32C in St Helier.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/2001/...cka20010704.gif

The storms caused extensive flooding and large rainfall totals in a number of places with Cardiff recording 67mm, Pembroke Dock 74mm, Aberporth 42.4mm. There were amazing and fierce lightning displays, lightning set fire to a church in Havant, Hants for instance, that many people will never forget

Here's some more info on John Mason's site

http://www.geologywales.co.uk/storms/storm01.htm

http://www.geologywales.co.uk/storms/storm02.htm

[Weather-history]

Wetterzentrale's archive lightning chart for that day

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/2001/...loc20010703.gif

[MP-R]

I remember the date very well.

The 3rd was a gorgeous day. I remember going on a school trip to Berkely Castle near Gloucester nad Tintern Abbey in south Wales and the temperature was 30.6C. We had dinner on the patio and everything.

Then hell broke loose.

I was woken at 4am on the 4th by the most almighty bang of thunder adn the biggest flash of ball lightning - yes - ball lightning. There was then constant torrential rain for four hours until it stopped at eight. That alone collected 29mm. Another storm arrived, probably even more powerful at 9am and lasted until midday with thunder and lightning every ten-fifteen seconds. There were gusty winds and hail at one point. After that storm 42mm of rain had fallen! There were floods everywhere. The afternoon was then milky sun and light cloud with a consistent spell of light drops of rain here and there.

I can also remember another good storm early on the 7th. There wasn't much rain but loads of thunder and lightning.

[Paul R]

I remember the storm very well. It lasted for about 7 hours (7pm-2am) the wetterzentrale archive shows that I was underneath the heaviest of the storms around late evening.

[Damone]

I think that may be the one I've been trying to remember for a long time. I was woken by it too, and have never heard anything like it since. I thought at one point it would being the house down.