Snow and storms

I agree with s4lancia on everything apart from people getting killed! stuff is stuff and it can be replaced but no one wants something where your own family are in danger. I want this storm to be as powerful and dangerous as possible but without anyone getting hurt. I know this is unlikely but I suppose nature will take it's course and nothing can change that.

what is COBRA?

I think if the 1987 storm was a 10/10 on a scale then this storm will be about a 8.5/10

I am looking forward to this as much as the next extreme weather enthusiast but what does scare me is the potential for tornadic activity. Im in a prime spot for one of these to spawn looking at the hellicity charts earlier. Does anyone have any more info on how likely these are and how powerful it would likely be? I see there are unconfirmed reports of tornados during 1987.

I think I may struggle to get down my work road on Monday morning, half a mile of this... ">http://

These hellicity charts look interesting but I don't understand them. Places that are off the scale on the wind shear, do they often see tornados or is it still very rare even in these perfect setups? Also lightening is surely going to be quite spectacular in this storm, can we expect some wild looking lightening storms on the southern flank?

Bring it on!! this is so exciting, If I can't get to work I will get my cam recorder out. I can't decide if I should go to the seafront or go to the wind farms? *must check my house insurance tomorrow* I might finally get my leaky conservatory replaced!

Has anyone got any maps of rainfall predictions for this storm? I havn't seen any yet, I can imagine it's going to be a bit damp.

One thing you have to remember is that a lot of the exposed coasts in the west/north of the UK receive a lot more pounding from wind than the south and inland areas from midlands downards. If a weak tree in the north is regulary pounded it will fall, so generally all the weaker ones are slowly picked off. In the South and inland we rarely see something of this strength so if it were to come of then we will most probably see a lot more trees downed here than the same strength storm hitting the north.

Has anyone got any good tips for filming/photographing this beast? Would be great to get some decent shots. It's a real shame it's hitting bang in the middle of the night but I guess it will be less dangerous. I am a complete amateur with a half decent camera but no tri-pod. I was thinking of possibly getting some shots of places that are likely to suffer damage and then return to the exact spots after the storm. Has anyone tried this? On a side note, I find it interesting how such a powerful low is developing from a secondary low. In general we have 'calm before the storm' because usually violent lows are surrounded by lovely high pressure and the two squeezing together creates those tight isobars. However this one is 'storm before the bigger storm' and that seems quite unusual to me? Is this something that happens quite commonly, secondary lows transforming into beasty storms? How does the interaction with the low that has just passed through affect the storm, does it add fuel to the fire or dampen it's formation.

Im going to dust of the kite. My arms need a good work out. See if I can hold on and land in the north sea somwhere

pathetic snow event imo, was forecast to be spectacular with heavy snow and blizzards across a large swathe of the country. we have about a cm or 2 of wet slushy mess. I always knew it was never cold enough to settle. the same thing will happen sunday, there is not enough cold uppers left, i know people say but look at the low dew points, but if your air temp and surface temps are hovering around 0 its always going to be a slushy mess.

I see this event going 1 of 2 ways. firstly we either get the heavy snow we were promised or secondly the front is further west, meaning that when it sinks south of us it will pull in very strong E-NE'yls bringing in streamers right across the county. On a side note, not much has been talked about the wind, we are forecast 30-38mph gusts along south east coast. This is not something we are used to under the influence of cold, I think when the freezing weather is biting against us in the wind it is going to feel unusally cold.

It does seem to me people are picking up the 500hpa charts, seeing a massive deep area of blue coming our way and assuming this is going to be heavy snow blizzards. What is actually happening is this is showing the pressure differences of a deep 968 low pressure coming our way which will pump atlantic warmth into our cold weather. Given that it is already falling as rain/sleet in places and we are under the influence of supposedly cold weather, by the time this reaches us it will almost definatley be cold high winds, heavy rain and dark grey skies.

So if this undercut was to come off, surely the blizzard it would produce would be something to go in the history books? thats a low of 968 pressure with nice tight isobars.

Looking forward to the west or SW winds hitting us with in the next 30mins or so. Should increase the gusts a lot. Looks as though the pressure has bottomed out at 987.

best storm in a long time so far (for wind)

it's easily gusting over 60mph in Hastings, this thing seems stronger than forecast, the pressure is 987 already

No one staying up with me to witness this beasties strength? Keeps cranking up here, judging by the 65mph gusts recorded along central southern coasts already and a pressure of 987 i am guessing this is more violent than met office predicted.

It will peak for you and me between about 2:30-3:30am I would say things are slightly stronger than predicted at the moment, but not to far above. I think we will see some places reporting 85mph on south east coast. I have not heard the wind whistle round this house until now. It will be deepening all the way out into the north sea, but the strongest winds will end up... in the sea of the east coast maybe 90mph out there?

Went out for a drive, when I left it was quite windy, 30mins later i arrive back home and it gone from quite windy to very wild. Maybe gusting 60mph now, strongest wind I have seen for a long time here and still lots more fuel to go in the fire.

This illustrates how defined the low is now becoming http://www.yr.no/satellitt/europa_animasjon.html Winds really starting to crank up into gear now. I would guess 50mph gusts?

Looking forward to this one hitting us. Hope not to much damage! Winds should be good here in Hastings. Does anyone remeber the focus on the rain before the 1987 storm hit? remind you of anything?

The only useful information all of the models have showed us in the last what 10 days? is that none of them have a clue, every single run is a completely different outcome, might as well have spent the last 10 days watching paint dry because it could probably tell me more about the weather.

Another poorly estimated wind event by Met Office. predicted 70mph gusts, we barely got 45mph. They have been noticebly bad this year. You can pretty much take there estimates and knock 20mph of