Spanish Plume

[Keraunic]

I have been reading a lot about "Spanish Plumes" and how important they are in the development of thunder storms. Now, I have searched the Met site for the meaning but, how would I identify one on a weather map, radar etc.

I am new to the site (about 3weeks in) and I'm utterly baffled by some of the terms used and how to identify conditions on maps, and I want to learn as much as my non- mathematical brain can take.

So, if any one can show me a plume so I know in future, I'd be really grateful.

Thanks,

Jess.

[wimblettben]

As far as I know there are no definitive ways to detect thundery plumes on radar or satelite unless there is lightning detected on a lightning detector.

This is a satellite image of a plume in the past:

[Backtrack]

As far as I know there are no definitive ways to detect thundery plumes on radar or satelite unless there is lightning detected on a lightning detector.

This is a satellite image of a plume in the past:

A Spanish Plume just describes where the origin of the air is coming from, it won't show up on the satellite until storm development takes place, in which case you will see clouds growing, in some cases like a nuclear bomb, the cloud will expand and rise in height.

I have been reading a lot about "Spanish Plumes" and how important they are in the development of thunder storms. Now, I have searched the Met site for the meaning but, how would I identify one on a weather map, radar etc.

I am new to the site (about 3weeks in) and I'm utterly baffled by some of the terms used and how to identify conditions on maps, and I want to learn as much as my non- mathematical brain can take.

So, if any one can show me a plume so I know in future, I'd be really grateful.

Thanks,

Jess.

http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/what-is-a-spanish-plume/

There you go.

[Keraunic]

Thanks guys. That's just what I wanted. I think I can grasp that much. Now I know what to look for if we ever see one again.

[Eskimo]

A Spanish plume is a conveyor belt of air channeled towards the UK. You need low pressure to the west and high pressure to the east with the UK smack bang in the middle of these two weather patterns. If you picture it in your head, it's kind of like a set of gears, one going anti-clockwise and the other clockwise. If you stick a piece of paper between the two gears, the force of the two gears will push the paper upwards so that is your direction...from South to North. You also have moisture from the low pressure out in the Atlantic which will aid the development of storms, as the moisture drifts into the hot humidity generated by the Spanish plume mostly originating from Northern Africa then the storms will begin to form and travel from South to North with the generated wind pattern.

And that is put as easily as I can lol.