East_England_Stormchaser91

Hoping this might be the case, as they’ll likely be more discrete and make for fantastic viewing. I’m probably going to bet on the initiation happening around Birmingham though and maybe up towards the peaks, due to favourable Orographical lifting helping to trigger things, and then expanding towards Stoke and Cheshire, which in my opinion will be the sweet spots later on.

Looks very much like a repeat of June and August 2020 this setup. Just stepped outside now, and it felt like I had stepped off a plane in Italy or Greece! Very warm from the get go. If I get the chance, I might try and head towards the midlands later and try and get some shots of what could be some epic unimpeded views of CB’s and hopefully some decent lightning. The main area I’d go for if I was to really push the distance would be Birmingham / Stoke / Chester areas. However, as it’s high risk, and CAPE looks positively nuts, this may well be justified. I’ll see.

It’s often a high risk game for the U.K. to get the real proper storms, as they often come with a strong cap (high 850’s and lack of landmass to sufficiently heat and overcome the inversion, unlike the near continent). But explosive CAPE stored below it. Getting the windshear is also a challenge too without masses of high level cloud blocking out the insolation! Cold 500hpa temps and high 850’s are usually the best result for many, which deliver the elevated storms.

It’ll be quite an uplift I tell you!

It’s been exceptionally bad. Feels very weird that we’ve barely registered a 20c here and it’s already hurtling towards mid June! In 2018 for example, May was delivering 25+c day after day. Could this turn out to be a year without a summer? I do question it at this rate!

These past 3 weeks have easily been the most monotonous, dull and drab 3 weeks I think I’ve ever experienced. Wasting probably the best time of the year to generate convective activity to featureless, grey and downright chilly Northeasterlies. Apart from a brief interlude of a plume, (which is now getting watered down on each run) the same pattern looks to resume shortly after. The worst possible weather rut to get stuck in is this one.

Rihanna and that cursed “Umbrella” song was where it all started. 2007 and that “barbecue summer” which went spectacularly wrong!

You wouldn’t believe it out West, but this may well go down as one of the dullest Mays on record in these parts. I’ve barely seen the sun all week here in Norfolk. With a stiff NE wind and temps no higher than 14-15c, it’s been utterly woeful! Possibly one of the coolest Mays I’ve ever experienced too, and there’s been a few of them in my lifetime. This rivals 2013 and 2021 easily.

My god, some of the outputs into June are bordering on ridiculous. Full on countrywide frosts!? Early May was ok with a few P-M airmass thunderstorms, but seriously, this has to be one of the most tedious Mays I’ve ever experienced. Even May 2012 pulled off a late cracking hot spell of weather. It really does feel like early October in this Quasi permanent NE wind that looks set to continue well on into June. Zero plume activity at all! May 1999, 2006, 2017 and 2018 were what Mays should be like!

A complete reverse plume today then. Some rare English exports.

Some rare Southward moving storms which are quite potent. Reminds me of June 13th 2014 or somewhere around that time!

Hope those in Cambs/Lincs are making the most of the storms, there’s a whole load of dreaded sea mist charging towards you lovely sight of the anvils behind it.

Just when I thought it was game over..

Cam at Hunstanton showing the convergence zone over Lincs. Some brilliant anvils visible!

Already towering cumulus from the get go, seems to be almost stationary too, with variable cloud movements. This has the recipe for a fair few funnel clouds I would say, across the board! Flash flooding a likely issue too.

I’m right under that! Torrential rain and a few recent flashes. Been spoilt over the past week!

Within 10 minutes, these have matured like fine wine! Even trying to spawn daughters on the side and back edge.

Cap is properly getting punched through now. The anvil from the S is more or less over my head now! Just had a terrific peel of thunder from it whilst in the garden with a beer. Doesn’t get more perfect to be fair! Sun is still out.

Got these two beauties rumbling away! One to the S, one to the ENE!

I definitely observed and heard at least one of them yesterday. As the flash happened, it’s like it generated a huge impulse as it managed to get my living room TV to turn on without touching a button! About 5 seconds later, it felt like the windows were going to go through and the foundations of the house shook. You can tell straight away by the thunder whether it’s a +ve or a -ve discharge. The thunder is also much longer lasting than a typical negative discharge.

Your year was 2020. A warm Southeasterly most of the summer, storing the high dew points in the Cheshire gap and Manchester area. August that year up your way was insane. A rare setup.

Cell between here and Wisbech has some Arcus/shelf to it! Here’s to round two!!

Not a minute has gone by in the last couple of hours without the sound of booming thunder! This is nuts.

Just been watching this amazing cell dishing out almost constant thunder to my S! One strike made my TV turn on and then ground shaking thunder shortly after. Must’ve been a positive bolt!

Not a bad start to the season in these parts!