Storm & Convective Discussion - 12th June 2015 onwards

[IanR]

I do believe there is a bit of selective memory going on here.

 

 

not sure about that , it may the case for some in certain areas, but here has seen a notable reduction in storms over the last few years,  I am in my forties , and I remember well the frequency of summer thunder even in this part of the nation,  and in the seventies and  eighties there were like fortnightly occurrences some years during the three main summer months,  ok not all were great storms,  with some just being a few rumbles or distant flashes,  but it was a great deal better than what we get now,  ie   zilch as in this year,   not even a faint distant flash so far for the whole of 2015 ,  which is stunningly remarkable,   and a first  

[joanna1971]

I can remember late 70s and 80s that yiu would be sitting in the garden in baking heat when you would hear the very distant rumbling of thunder and this went on for an hour or so slowly creeping closer and closer. The sky normally looking to the south towards the long mynd would be getting darker and darker and then after maybe a few hours of that the storm would arrive and would last for hours and then slowly would pass over. They were great storms. Not had one of those for at least 15 years and they were a regular occurrence. So something definitely has changed.

[IanR]

I can remember late 70s and 80s that yiu would be sitting in the garden in baking heat when you would hear the very distant rumbling of thunder and this went on for an hour or so slowly creeping closer and closer. The sky normally looking to the south towards the long mynd would be getting darker and darker and then after maybe a few hours of that the storm would arrive and would last for hours and then slowly would pass over. They were great storms. Not had one of those for at least 15 years and they were a regular occurrence. So something definitely has changed.

 oh you have just remined me of what we are missing!      we need answers to this, dont we?

[Mokidugway]

oh you have just remined me of what we are missing! we need answers to this, dont we?

2005 since the last one like that , sometimes think it must have been another country !!. Also the time you should go home sky's when I was a kid ... Edited June 13, 2015 by Mokidugway

[stainesbloke]

 oh you have just remined me of what we are missing!      we need answers to this, dont we?

Would be very interesting to see how, say, the 40's, 50's and 60's compared with say, the 70's, 80's and 90's (the decades I've been around since) if there have been any cyclical patterns or if it's just random? In any case, 'official figures' would be a little misleading as 'thunder recorded' won't differentiate between a brief thundery shower or an all night plumetastic megathon. Still, I'd like to know.

[Spikecollie]

Overhead gunshot thunder here in Haute Vienne - not scary at all really when it gets here...interestingly I was talking to our older neighbours here this morning and they say there are more thunderstorms here in early summer than they remember in the past. They've had to change what they grow because of pest damage from wet early summers.

[MP-R]

More so in the second half of the 2000s, the best plume events have been April-June here, with July-September bringing more the cyclonic southwesterly pulse type storms here. 

 

An example would be 2006:

 

May 10th / June 12th / July 04th/05th were all plume events

Aug 18th / Sept 24th / Oct 01st were all cyclonic rPm events

 

Another example would be 2009:

 

Apr 15th / June 25th / June 29th / Jul 02nd were all plume events

Jul 06th / Jul 24th / Aug 28th / Sept 01st were all cyclonic rPm events

 

That only really changed again more recently with the plumes of summer 2013 and 2014 (including September last year which produced a better storm than any other in 2013 and 2014).

[UKSupercell]

I do agree with the sentiments here on this thread. In the 90s and 2000s when I was growing up, I remember hotter summers and more often home-grown storms in late afternoon, evening time. In the mid 2000s when I took an interest in weather, I remember that French imports would more than often hit larger swathes of southern England than just Kent. The best three storms I've seen that I can remember were: 

July 18 2014 (best in ages) 
Late July 2008 Arizona, USA (watched lightning over the desert, fantastic displays) 
June 28, 2005 - one of the best storms I've ever seen. Just found a picture of the sky from that night with an old, poor-quality camera. Lightning was amazing that night too. Uploading below: 


 

 

[Methuselah]

I can remember late 70s and 80s that yiu would be sitting in the garden in baking heat when you would hear the very distant rumbling of thunder and this went on for an hour or so slowly creeping closer and closer. The sky normally looking to the south towards the long mynd would be getting darker and darker and then after maybe a few hours of that the storm would arrive and would last for hours and then slowly would pass over. They were great storms. Not had one of those for at least 15 years and they were a regular occurrence. So something definitely has changed.

I always used to have similar 'memories' about the 1960s; and then it hit me! I cannot remember any of the days on which nothing happened...Recalling yesteryear's not-snow and not-storms is difficult.

[cheese]

'chapmanslade' has a point though - the UK is one of the least thundery nations in the world - the most thunder-prone place in the country gets about 15 days of audible thunder a year - not many at all, and that's just thunder heard - could be 10 miles away - no guarantee to be overhead.

 

Likewise, sultry, hot, humid afternoons with towering cumulonimbus clouds are the exception to the rule.

 

Just a reminder that this isn't Florida or Texas, and although I don't doubt the frequency of thunder in recent years has decreased for some places, people remembering years gone by, sitting on their deck as an afternoon storm rolled on - that's just not typical UK weather. There is a reason why we all go crazy over storms, for the same reason we go crazy over snow - because they are novelty occurrences.

Edited June 13, 2015 by cheese

[UKSupercell]

Been a while since I've seen some proper home-grown storms though, and powerful summer convection. For example: 

May 10, 2006 - 

 

This storm went onto drop golf-ball sized hail over Oxfordshire and further west, I believe. It was a real biggen and developed right on our doorstep. From the metoffice: 

"10th to 12th: Pressure once again increased across much of the UK bringing plenty of dry, sunny and warm weather. However, the warm weather triggered some thunderstorms, most significant on the 10th when an organised cluster of storms developed across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire and drifted slowly west. Frequent lightning and hail were reported." I even saved the metoffice radar images! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone remembers this storm, please reply! 

[stainesbloke]

Been a while since I've seen some proper home-grown storms though, and powerful summer convection. For example:

May 10, 2006 -

This storm went onto drop golf-ball sized hail over Oxfordshire and further west, I believe. It was a real biggen and developed right on our doorstep. From the metoffice:

"10th to 12th: Pressure once again increased across much of the UK bringing plenty of dry, sunny and warm weather. However, the warm weather triggered some thunderstorms, most significant on the 10th when an organised cluster of storms developed across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire and drifted slowly west. Frequent lightning and hail were reported." I even saved the metoffice radar images!

Remember that period of weather well, was lovely and warm with sunny days. Tops of this storm were visible from my location in W London. Think it was a SE flow and storms developed on a few occasions, running SE-NW, this being the biggest?

Edited June 13, 2015 by stainesbloke

[Spikecollie]

Here are my southern skies, with constant rumbling thunder. Round 2 incoming!

 

 

 

[Supacell]

Been a while since I've seen some proper home-grown storms though, and powerful summer convection. For example: 

May 10, 2006 - 

 

This storm went onto drop golf-ball sized hail over Oxfordshire and further west, I believe. It was a real biggen and developed right on our doorstep. From the metoffice: 

"10th to 12th: Pressure once again increased across much of the UK bringing plenty of dry, sunny and warm weather. However, the warm weather triggered some thunderstorms, most significant on the 10th when an organised cluster of storms developed across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire and drifted slowly west. Frequent lightning and hail were reported." I even saved the metoffice radar images! 

 

If anyone remembers this storm, please reply! 

 

Yes I remember it well as I chased this storm, it was during my third year chasing storms in the UK. I intercepted the storm near to Cirencester and witnessed lightning strike a tree just outside my car. The storm started early evening and was still going after dark but by then my battery had run out on my old camcorder so I couldn't film anymore. There were so many CG bolts and crawlers in that storm though, a great night.

[Paul]

If you're after a storm fix, tour 4 of the stormchase starts today - the team are on their way to their initial target area in the Texas Panhandle and are streaming live

 

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=chaselive;sess=

[Supacell]

Just for fun, and because it helps me to reminisce, a few video stills of 10th May 2006, quality is poor as it was low light and I was using a low standard camcorder:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MP-R]

Been a while since I've seen some proper home-grown storms though, and powerful summer convection. For example: 

May 10, 2006 - 

 

This storm went onto drop golf-ball sized hail over Oxfordshire and further west, I believe. It was a real biggen and developed right on our doorstep. From the metoffice: 

"10th to 12th: Pressure once again increased across much of the UK bringing plenty of dry, sunny and warm weather. However, the warm weather triggered some thunderstorms, most significant on the 10th when an organised cluster of storms developed across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire and drifted slowly west. Frequent lightning and hail were reported." I even saved the metoffice radar images! 

DSCI0040.JPG

 

DSCI0006.JPG

 

DSCI0002d.JPG

 

metoffice radar 10th may b.gif

 

metoffice radar 10th may.gif

 

If anyone remembers this storm, please reply! 

 

Remember this storm very well! This was one of my favourite storms as it completely surprised me. After a warm, sunny day being at school, I noticed the faint outline of an anvil to the northeast (air was very poor quality), then the sky got darker and darker from the northeast towards 18:00 when thunder began being audible. The storm really took off by 19:00 and lasted until midnight - one of the best home-grown storm days. There was another thunderstorm here on the evening of the 11th although much smaller and shorter.

[MP-R]

One event that really stands out to me was a thunderstorm from a Spanish plume at the end of August 2012. I remember it because it was the first thunderstorm I ever recorded. It wasn't really notable in the way of thunder and lightning, but I remember it for some of it's cloud formations and the large(ish) hail it produced.

 

 

The hail starts at 8:20. And yes, I had a crappy camera then...

 

Great vid there. I remember this day as I was in Cardiff and the rain that moved through in the early afternoon was insanely heavy. Roads like rivers within minutes. There was also a waterspout in the Severn Estuary. This wasn't, however, a Spanish plume. I think this one was just a cyclonic westerly that ushered in much cooler air and heralded the coldest August night I've ever registered on the 31st.

[cheese]

One event that really stands out to me was a thunderstorm from a Spanish plume at the end of August 2012. I remember it because it was the first thunderstorm I ever recorded. It wasn't really notable in the way of thunder and lightning, but I remember it for some of it's cloud formations and the large(ish) hail it produced.

 

The hail starts at 8:20. And yes, I had a crappy camera then...

I remember the first thunderstorm video that I recorded - it was in 1999, when I was 12 - a fact I only know because it says so on the recording - but our household didn't have an internet connection at the time and YouTube didn't exist. How times change.

Edited June 13, 2015 by cheese

[Gordon Webb]

I remember the first thunderstorm video that I recorded - it was in 1999, when I was 12 - a fact I only know because it says so on the recording - but our household didn't have an internet connection at the time and YouTube didn't exist. How times change.

 

yep things have changed you now have internet and youtube just no storms to record

[STORMGUY]

Great lightning on this cam.

 

http://www.viewsurf.com/univers/plage/vue/11536-france-provence-alpes-cote-d-azur-sanary-sur-mer-live

[Mokidugway]

Liking the blitzortung chart for UK at the moment ,storms in Europe right in bottom right hand corner !!!!.

[matt_in_dudley]

There is definitely something missing from our weather. I too remember storms that used to roll in a take all night to move on. I was born in the late 80s, and i was petrified of storms throughout my childhood till i got locked outside in one! I've not seen a storm that lasts longer than 10-15 minutes since 2000/2001. I remember in 2001, one of the last storms i remember me and my mates were at Shire Oak Park (Sandhills) in Brownhills. We heard distant rumbles getting closer and closer, we looked across towards Lichfield and then turned to look towards Walsall the sky was full of lightening, I've never run home so quick in my life! By the time i got home the sky was green! That was the last proper storm i remember.

[STORMGUY]

All that lightning towards southen france can be seen coming in now with this live cam.seen some good lightning so far.

 

nice if the cam kept still though.

 

http://www.viewsurf.com/univers/plage/vue/11536-france-provence-alpes-cote-d-azur-sanary-sur-mer-live

[Mesoscale]

All that lightning towards southen france can be seen coming in now with this live cam.seen some good lightning so far.

 

nice if the cam kept still though.

 

http://www.viewsurf.com/univers/plage/vue/11536-france-provence-alpes-cote-d-azur-sanary-sur-mer-live

Watching that there was a huge bit of lightning and it was so bright it turned the solar lights off. haha