French Imports...

[Joey.G]

... where to watch them from?

With talk of albeit slight risk of imports tonight I wanted to get some advice on where the best spots for storm watching are along the south coast.

Im not working the start of this week and if theres still some potential this evening I will take a drive down, at the very least as a dry run (no pun intended!) to learn the route etc ready for when more promising setups occur.

For now Im curious about spots between Brighton and Bournemouth, they must be easy to get to from main roads and have great views. Eg im sure Ive heard Portsdown Hill mentioned before on this forum??

Feel free to add your local viewpoints to this thread, wherever you are. I find it one of the more frustrating things about UK chasing is getting to a storm and driving around trying to find somewhere to watch it from!

I will make a google map to share as a tool to aid chasers.

Many thanks and best of luck to all for tonight and the rest of the season

[Coast]

Running West to East:

Portdsown Hill, overlooking Portsmouth

Hayling seafront

Selsey Point

Rottingdean through to Telscombe Cliffs, nr Brighton

Beachy Head

Fairlight nr Hastings

Dungeness

Capel Le Ferne

[Bluebreezer54]

All good suggestions from Coast there. As someone who has friends I occasionally stay with in Fairlight its a particular favourite of mine. The French Coast is visible from there on a clear day/night, and last year I watched several French beasts exploding just across the channel but naturally failing to reach our shores.

The exact location is The Firehills, Hastings Country Park. Just before the village of Fairlight.

[sunnijim]

All good suggestions from Coast there. As someone who has friends I occasionally stay with in Fairlight its a particular favourite of mine. The French Coast is visible from there on a clear day/night, and last year I watched several French beasts exploding just across the channel but naturally failing to reach our shores.

The exact location is The Firehills, Hastings Country Park. Just before the village of Fairlight.

Perfect spot. I grew up in Fairlight and mum still lives in the village. Just be careful of that country park when taking a camera.....lets just say other types of "enthusiast" use that car park at night. Flashing lights arnt always from the sky.!

[Joey.G]

Fantastic, thanks all, great spots. Coast you've already got your own map in your head of that stretch of the South coast then

Im a Westcountry boy and I've not got sat nav nor a smart phone nor mobile internet any more so I really need to learn my way around if Im to have any chance of chasing.

Keep them coming, I am making a map. Any others from around the country can be added too

[Coast]

Fantastic, thanks all, great spots. Coast you've already got your own map in your head of that stretch of the South coast then

TBH I just go for Beachy Head if it looks likely as it is nearest to me and 530 ft above The English Channel, you can see anything coming towards us for quite a long way out.

[Stormyking]

See this is why i love being on the Isle of Wight, because i got views all around me and im practically in the english channel xD

[Joey.G]

TBH I just go for Beachy Head if it looks likely as it is nearest to me and 530 ft above The English Channel, you can see anything coming towards us for quite a long way out.

Yeah that looks like a nice spot, nearly 100 miles away for me though. Portsdown is 64 miles so ill go there if I go tonight. Im sure I can make it the 100 miles some day though.

See this is why i love being on the Isle of Wight, because i got views all around me and im practically in the english channel xD

Quiet you! xD Dont rub it in

[Dorsetbred]

You could go to:

Ballard Down, Swanage

Old Harry, Swanage (Slightly off the beaten...)

Then

There's East & West Cliff in Bournemouth (Right at the end of the A338 & M27)

From there on to Hengistbury Head

Zip over to the Isle of Widget, for a good clear view of everything south of the mainland...

Or as I do, stand watching through my bedroom window, out over the channel.

Of course we can go the other way, westwards

Langton Matravers

Creech Hill

Golden Cap

But then again they are quite far removed from motorway access, even these days Darzet fails to have even 50yds of motorway.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Dorsetbred

[Dorsetbred]

... where to watch them from?

With talk of albeit slight risk of imports tonight I wanted to get some advice on where the best spots for storm watching are along the south coast.

Many thanks and best of luck to all for tonight and the rest of the season

I have strong doubts that tonight is really an "active" plume.

Yes it's raining down here, lightly, and even though the radar out over Northern France does show a few active areas, I'm not convinced this is going to be active.

Of course always prepared to be wrong

[Dorsetbred]

Well this "Channel Bow" has been enough to kick off some lightning in the area around here:

I stand corrected

[Dorsetbred]

This one is proving a little more interesting.

Check the two curls at the rear of the original bow(click to enlarge)

[Lyn-M]

You could always head to Portland Bill......further out into the Channel than the IOW!

[lottiekent]

Running West to East:

Portdsown Hill, overlooking Portsmouth

Hayling seafront

Selsey Point

Rottingdean through to Telscombe Cliffs, nr Brighton

Beachy Head

Fairlight nr Hastings

Dungeness

Capel Le Ferne

Capel is good, good views up and down the Channel, nice and close to France so great for spotting coastal storms on the Continent too

[Dorsetbred]

You could always head to Portland Bill......further out into the Channel than the IOW!

Oops yes I forgot that one

[Dorsetbred]

Seems as though you probably got your wish for storms on your doorstep, without actually heading for the channel, as the incoming event over SE England was a real lightning generator, whilst down here it was a rain maker.

[Robbie Garrett]

Might be a good thread to show the last plumes we had and the conditions that existed as well as any radar grabs if anyone can find them.

Would be rather educational.

[Joey.G]

Seems as though you probably got your wish for storms on your doorstep, without actually heading for the channel, as the incoming event over SE England was a real lightning generator, whilst down here it was a rain maker.

Yeah except I did go to Portsdown, Doh! Got back in time to see plenty of flashes in the distance, the storm that formed a little later over Surrey zipped by with flashes to the north and south but nothing overhead. Pretty disappointing overall, shoulda stayed in Reading