Confirmed Tornado E Sussex 15.07.07

[Neilsouth]

Seeing some amazing cloud structure , vivid lightning but this is what im wondering was it a tornado or was it a severe gust front?

When it hit , the tree's swayed rain made it visibly difficult to see and it blew my deck chair across the garden and into the fence. I could see in the distance what looked like a large wall cloud or possible lowering of the cloud and when it arrived all hell broke loose.

Did anybody else see this?

Oh and my old man said " in my 40years i've never seen anything like that "

[Dave Clarke]

There was a possible tornado reported in Rye, E Sussex earlier on this evening, see http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk/forum/foru...w.asp?tid=14933

[Azores Hi]

As this storm passed over me I got the whole thing on film. Huge anvil, constant lightning, wall cloud and gust front and many lowerings of scud and one sus moment where the scud span into what looked like a tube, right at the back of the storm. The whole storm was tilted over to one side and is the closes thing to a super cell I've seen. I've yet to check the footage and upload it to my pc as the batteries went flat(doh)but if anything comes of it I will try to post it here.

We are relly being spoilt this year in the SE. Makes up for last year when everyone else had the action.

[Neilsouth]

Tamara G ive posted footage in the photography section , please check it out

Got a really good video being uploaded right now from reculver !

[Bobby]

Hi azores hi

Really would like to see what footage you have - if possible, and when you can!!

I have said this about many storms but yesterday evenings one that exploded seemingly out of nothing was the type you shouldn't ever miss for posterity or camera film. Never seen a storm before anything like it - and yes it was one of the types to witness that you read and hear about over in the US or Australia. But I am really kicking myself this morning now that I have 'come down off the ceiling' lol! that I don't have any film or even pictures of it. All I have of it is the memory etched in my mind of its awesome development - the high fibrous anvils throwing mass after mass westwards from an original thunder cell that looked like it was going to rumble past the other side of bexhill and especially Eastbourne, and up to the spell-binding exploding build up directly in front of me and then its approaching, like 'on a real mission' with high based continuous strobe lightning and thunder rolls pealing non-stop into each other coming out of the mushrooming thunderhead and THEN to the actually scary and suddenly really frightening sudden lowering of the cloud (like a low pitch black wall approaching) and impacting enormous slap of the force of the downburst (or whatever it was!)

On my road the gardens run nicely parallel with one other and everyone was originally sitting outside watching what was happening, up to the sudden explosion of the storm - the guy next door had his kids with him and they were sitting on their balcony pointing out to sea in awe as the storm was developing (they all screamed when the black shelf like cloud finally and suddenly raced in at such speed) It was one of those really scary moments when you think OMG ! something really unprecedented is going to happen. And then as everything was plunged into darkness I saw my patio arch snap in two with the blast of wind and rain/hail. For a few minutes it was like sudden night (like a switch had been pulled) and we all stood in the middle of the house cowering well away from the window ! Seems funny now lol - we must have looked funny :lol: but at the time I really thought 'this is it' this is when a tornado is happening and the windows are about to break or something!

Then almost as quickly as it had come the sky appeared less dark to the south and the rain/hail which had been sand/blasting the house started to ease and it felt ok-ish to go to the window. Stuff was all over the garden and the path and flower beds were flooded with water and marble sized hail. The fence to the side had bowed in and of course there was wood beams of the support arch across the patio!

I opened the conservatory door and peeped and stepped outside - the rapidly clearing storm sky scape was another ethereal moment - the back edge of the boiling cumulonimbus and lots of ragged black scud cloud racing away further inland towards Ashford way. Continuous but retreating thunder was still eerily booming and vivid lighning was strobing away to the north and east. Everyone came out into the garden and gawped at the sky. Case of :huh: 'was that real??' There was the sound of fre engines and woop-woop sirens. An alarm was pealing away somewhere up the street.

And then back indoors - the signal power quickly returned and I logged on here to gabble (on and on like now) about what had happened!

A storm I'll never forget that is for sure!

Tamara

Ah, that'll be the day, that'll be the day. Wooly hats and gloves will be selling like hotcakes in hell on that day.

Sounds fantastic though.

[Bobby]

Not quite sure what to make of that response - just as well perhaps.

Ignore me, just jealous of the thunderstorms. Glad you enjoyed yours though.

[Azores Hi]

Hi Tamara.

I will do my best to get some of the footage on here. Trouble is I don't have broadband. Or any connection at home at the moment. I filmed it on a little Kodak digital camera with a video function. It was V.dark but I will see what comes out when I get home tonight. The big storm on 19th June came out well so we shall see.....

[VillagePlank]

Ignore me, just jealous of the thunderstorms. Glad you enjoyed yours though.

Yeah, of all the times possible I was in Trawsfynydd for the weekend. Bah!

[PersianPaladin]

Ignore me, just jealous of the thunderstorms. Glad you enjoyed yours though.

Patience, my young padawan.

[xxsnowflakexx]

An article about the Hastings storm http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/newshast...ticleid=3032640

Look forward to seeing the footage from you guys.

[Sharkbait]

Pretty accurate description that - some journalistic write-ups can be OTT but this storm truly did have an apocalyptical feel to it. I have a premises down in the town to go and have a look at today (if I dare!)

Tamara

Sound like a really good storm to have witnessed, mind you, the report there does say "Daylight turned to night in a matter of minutes", I think any cloud blocking the sun would do that at sunset.

[Paul Sherman]

:huh:

I need to take that Journo to the US Plains, he/she would give some great write ups, not even I used the term "The 4 Horsemen of the Apocolypse" even on the Greensburg EF5 Tornado

Paul S

[Coast]

An article about the Hastings storm http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/newshast...ticleid=3032640

Look forward to seeing the footage from you guys.

And the Argus on that story.

Tamara, you should submit your story!

[xxsnowflakexx]

:huh:

I need to take that Journo to the US Plains, he/she would give some great write ups, not even I used the term "The 4 Horsemen of the Apocolypse" even on the Greensburg EF5 Tornado

LOL!

I enjoyed your report last night too Tamara, could hear distant loud booms but nothing reached me.

[MR CB]

Seeing as this was an 'extreme' event I'll be posting my description and other photos later this evening so that they don't get lost in the other thread...

Edited July 16, 2007 by MR CB

[Sharkbait]

Er, not quite in the way that storm did half an hour before dusk! I described the storm myself on here the same way. It always sounds OTT I know, when you are reading about something that has happened away from you...until it happens in your own 'back yard'.

The stories I am hearing from folk around here today back that report up..and more!

Tamara

Sure, I know what you're saying. It certainly looked like a severe storm judging by the lightning symbol on N-W radar image from that time.

[Paul Sherman]

I was'nt knocking it Tamara, it certainly looked Supercellular (Briefly) from the radar grabs and Golf Ball sized Hail certainly backed this up, just the journo is sensationalist with his report thats all.

Paul S

[willinkent]

Does anyone know the page on torro which archives reports of european severe weather from last few days? It might be the european severe weather website but i dont exactly know the web address..... help anyone? Please.....

[Coast]

Does anyone know the page on torro which archives reports of european severe weather from last few days? It might be the european severe weather website but i dont exactly know the web address..... help anyone? Please.....

here?

[willinkent]

Cheers thanks alot......exactly what i was looking for. Much appreciated Coast

[MR CB]

As mentioned earlier I've decided to post my photos and descriptions here of this potent thunderstorm that Tamara G and what later on many others along the Kent coast experienced...all photos and video have been captured using my SE W850 mobile phone. Sorry if its over dramatic or too long but it seems I'm the only one so far to have some sort of evidence of the event - albeit not as extreme as it would be further along the coast!

The first signs for me that something was on its way was around 1800 when the anvil's outflow (which stretched for miles inland) obscured the sun with its cirrus feil...at about 1830 I went out for a quick look, I could see some very large well defined anvils towards The Channel (off Brighton Coast) - one in particular stood out. At about 1845 I ventured out onto the seafront and walked quickly towards Eastbourne Bandstand...I took this photo below on the way there

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00157.jpg

I finally found a good spot to watch it all come in, about 200 yards from the Wish Tower (which was behind me) and took these overhead shots at 1910 of the anvil and its outflow. The second photo here is not the storm passing through but just the outflow overhead of the anvil looking NE!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00158.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00159.jpg (NEW PHOTO)

It certainly was impressive and as more medium level cloud moved out of the way I could see its main structure out into the Channel...by now I could hear distinct rumbles of thunder and see some faint distant lightning flashes. Some people decided to best leave the beach - I stayed!

1915 things started shaping up - the sky grew much darker and the base was getting nearer. These photos show the storms gradual descent onto the Eastbourne area. This is looking SW-W towards the Holywell and Meads area. A few CG bolts on the Downs and some CC Lightning would occasionally zip across to my right near the lighter / yellow area - possible anvil creepers as it did seem high up.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00160.jpg (NEW PHOTO)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00161.jpg (NEW PHOTO)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00162.jpg (NEW PHOTO)

1920 its started to rain so I made a mad dash for shelter (under Wish Tower) - rain drops where quite large. This is a poor photo (sorry) of the squall or gust front over the sea...a dark grey divide was clearly visible - behind this a huge light grey sheet of heavy rain. This could well've been the cloud or squall that Tamara G was talking about...the second photo was taken after the low dark grey cloud had moved through and became a light grey haze with very heavy rain

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00164.jpg (NEW PHOTO)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00165.jpg

1940 the rain had stopped and the storm has cleared to the east...this was looking south. On the second photo you will see a weird low cloud that just appeared out of nowhere and rolled into the hills from off the sea

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00167.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00169.jpg

1945 and looking towards Eastbourne Pier and east at Hastings the anvil looks very menacing indeed

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00172.jpg

1950 - Anvil departing nicely but leaves behind strange cloud formations in its wake. These scud clouds looked intruiging...the second one may have a very weak funnel in the centre of the photo...I caught this too late as I wasn't sure at first - but it definetly looked like a piece of snaking rope

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00173.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/dave...er/DSC00174.jpg (NEW PHOTO)

A video of the weird misty cloud (that rolled in within mins of the storm clearing is attached). Drag Quicktime's scroll button and watch how it rolls off the sea in seconds...

Wind was strong - that's not thunder in the video btw!

Phew - hope you all find this worthwhile.... after this monster had ploughed through I wish I'd taken more photos now!

MOV00170.3GP

[Coast]

Thanks Mr CB, captured beautifully, I wish I'd have joined you know!

[Neilsouth]

Well i was well chuffed to get all that footage and pictures , we got clobbered here too.. Wasn't the core of the storm but REALLY close and even then i saw a wall cloud and possible tornado

Edited July 16, 2007 by neilsouth

[Paul Sherman]

Some things becoming clearer from this event from Last Night. Torro investigations ongoing but there is the possibility that this could have been a Long Track (For Uk Standards) possibly rain wrapped Tornado. Damage near to Winchelsea with trees uprooted and sightings just South of Canterbury before the Storm/Supercell weakened as it headed towards the North Kent Coast and out into the North Sea.

Anyone know the distance from Winchelsea to just South of Canterbury??

Paul Sherman

[Neilsouth]

Paul Sherman it wasn't just south of canterbury it went as far as herne !