General Storm Discussion Thread

[gpspete]

on one of these threads someone asked recently how accurate are lightning detectors.

the Boltek Lightning Detectors are not so good at calculating distance as the software averages the signals out with varying degrees of acuracy sometimes good sometimes not so good,

as long as the antenna is correctly oriented the direction is good

but when combined with several other Bolteks uploading to a website time stamped by gps or a special timer they become quite accurate and the position of lightning is good probably very good

see lightning positions below compared to chart is good

Wasp2 is private but the public link is http://www.strikesta.../sslt/sslt.html or

Boltek users may upload a regional view on there personal website of Wasp2 (ie southern britain)

added regional view of my desktop

out of interest can anyone on south coast perhaps Brighton or Dover see lightning in the distance over the channel

Edited July 23, 2010 by gpspete

[Coast]

My punt is for further inland from there though Coast. Roughly draw a line from Lewes to Ashford

OK, I'll see how it pans out and I'll text/pm you if it's looking good.

There is the beginning of convection here in Benny Hill at the moment.

[snow raven]

So do we Liam, so do we.........

[Nick F]

I'll wait for the GFS update and then watch the radar. I'll pop home at lunch, grab the satnav and camera and see whats what. My punt is for further inland from there though Coast. Roughly draw a line from Lewes to Ashford but lets wait and see. Sometimes these setups produce a suprise and I missed that funnel in Ashord 2 years ago as I was on the wrong side of the storm!

Yes I reckon further inland too. Won't be able to leave work 'till 3pm at the earliest. But will keep tabs on the radar to see where most likely area to head will be, probably need to head SE/E from here towards Rye or Tenterden where it's a bit more open. Too many trees and hills around here!

[Tom Montalbano]

If anything does develop today in the South-East, the favoured spot could be around the Kent/Sussex border.

Taking a look at the GFS wind-stream charts for this afternoon, some convergence likely in that area, along with a few showers, possibly thundery.

But the main action, as has been the case for much of this summer, reserved for N.E.France/Belgium.

In fact I'm pushed to remember a less thundery spell of weather for my area for the period April/July, as Paul S. states.

As was mentioned the other day, the proximity of a ridge extending from the Azores high has suppressed any notable thundery activity in southern parts and any thundery plume moving out of Spain/France has been forced NE towards NE France and the Low countries. We need pressure to fall more widely over Northern France, the further west the better, to give us more of a chance of thundery weather being advected northwards across southern parts.

Dont give up hope yet, all you thunder lovers, still quite a few weeks of potential left yet!

Regards,

Tom.

[Azores Hi]

Yes I reckon further inland too. Won't be able to leave work 'till 3pm at the earliest. But will keep tabs on the radar to see where most likely area to head will be, probably need to head SE/E from here towards Rye or Tenterden where it's a bit more open. Too many trees and hills around here!

I think the most likely outcome is that convection will be past it's peak by the time we hit the road :lol:

GFS pdate now in still with that suggestion of convergence over east sussex and it's border with Kent.

Cranbrook, Tenterden, who knows?

[Nick F]

I think the most likely outcome is that convection will be past it's peak by the time we hit the road :lol:

GFS pdate now in still with that suggestion of convergence over east sussex and it's border with Kent.

Cranbrook, Tenterden, who knows?

That was my fear, heavy showers sprouting up over S Downs near Eastbourne and further E towards Hastings. I suspect showers will build further inland as sea breeze front moves inland.

[Guest Quantumsnow]

So guys, be honest, have I got more chance of doing a #2 in the queens handbag than seeing a storm or thundery shower here in West Sussex today?

Sorry to have to ask but new house neans to proper internet as of yet.

[TonyH]

Can't see the 2 fingers any ore but 1 big dangleing lump in the sky...

It's rotating verry slowly and thinning fast...

Something is going to drop soon, I've got my spare camera as my other is in jessops and my trusty gorrila pod :lol: its all set

Its really close to dropping something now,

Uploading photo

Something is close to dropping

Wow! Nice capture there Liam, nice layer of stratus.

[vortex_liam]

Wow! Nice capture there Liam, nice layer of stratus.

Thanks :lol:

Looks like no storms today :'(

[Coast]

That was my fear, heavy showers sprouting up over S Downs near Eastbourne and further E towards Hastings.

This is currently the view of that zone:

[staplehurst]

I think the most likely outcome is that convection will be past it's peak by the time we hit the road :lol:

GFS pdate now in still with that suggestion of convergence over east sussex and it's border with Kent.

Cranbrook, Tenterden, who knows?

I start work in Cranbrook at 3pm, shall be leaving Staplehurst at 2.30ish so shall keep my eyes peeled :o

[Neilsouth]

Cell going up over eastbourne , looks intense

[Snow Cat]

I don't think it's a real funnel but I thought it looked interesting anyway:

[Tom Montalbano]

Yes, latest radar showing some cells beginning to form near E.Sussex/S.Kent coast.

Regards,

Tom.

[loopydreamer]

Cell going up over eastbourne , looks intense

yep! just sprung up out of nowhere!! i be keeping an eye on the radar today and hope we see more cells springing up as day continues

[Azores Hi]

I don't think it's a real funnel but I thought it looked interesting anyway:

Nice one Snowcat, you are fast becoming our top photographer of evil looking clouds :lol:

So, begining to look interesting now, keep an eye out for a second line of convection which should hopefully pop up inland, plenty of sunny skies out there at the moment so scope for ground level warming.

[staplehurst]

NMM expects showers to develop inland one hour after the Eastbourne cell develops, so we should have a good idea by 12pm. Generally overcast here with dark bases, though gaps in the clouds reveals these have some pretty decent height to them.

[Coast]

NMM expects showers to develop inland one hour after the Eastbourne cell develops

Seems to be a few sferics out to sea behind the current setup. I'm looking out as some impressive towering Cb's forming over the downs between Newhaven and Eastbourne. It has the rght kind of feel to it, but I won't be surprised at any result this year.

Most activity currently in southern Benelux:

*** NexStorm TRAC Report generated 23/07/2010 11:49:08

Tracking 1 thunderstorms from IOW

-------------------------------------------------------

Thunderstorm ID D-2759 detected 11:25

Storm location bearing 108.4 dgr distance 288 mi

Last recorded activity 11:48

Intensity class Weak

Intensity trend No change

Current strikerate 1/minute

Peak strikerate 3/minute

Total recorded strikes 22

Cloud-Ground strikes 12 - 54.55%

Intracloud strikes 10 - 45.45%

-- Strike type distribution --

Positive Cloud-Ground [+CG] 5 - 22.73%

Negative Cloud-Ground [-CG] 7 - 31.82%

Positive Intracloud [+IC] 6 - 27.27%

Negative Intracloud [-IC] 4 - 18.18%

-------------------------------------------------------

*** TRAC Report end - NexStorm V1.7.0.2612:PCI

[staplehurst]

Just had a look outside, and it looks like it could go bang any second. There's quite a breeze now, loads of dark, low bases with plenty of scud, but sadly the whole lot seems to be drifting southwards as it develops. I think Hawkhurst would be a prime location for some action in the next few hours.

[Coast]

Yesterdays thunderstorm activity in perspective:

[Nick F]

Line of heavy showers along and just offshore along Sussex coast right now. Be great to see a funnel form into a waterspout! Knowing my luck, by time I get out a work it will have all fizzled out.

[Andy Bown]

Yesterday's downpours gave 20mm of rain making it the wettest 24 hours since 19 March!

Some excellent forecasting yesterday on the local BBC Points West showing showers drifting South overnight

to be affecting Wiltshire first thing then decaying by late morning. I got caught in 2 downpours between

07.00 - 08.30 and the rain in the first one was just as heavy as the heaviest yesterday!

Over cast here still

Liam, just wondering, how old are you?

[Azores Hi]

Line of heavy showers along and just offshore along Sussex coast right now. Be great to see a funnel form into a waterspout! Knowing my luck, by time I get out a work it will have all fizzled out.

Just been up to Wye Downs and had a look over Romney marsh, fantastic line of rapidly forming scud which looked very dramatic! As you say, it all mainly offshore at the moment, do you still think we will see more inland convection? I'm having doubts now!

[Backtrack]

Over cast here still

You can't get a storm just because it's overcast mate. The conditions have to be right. At the moment there's no storms around the UK. Only along the far south coast.