saint

Deep rumbles and gusts are really picking up now. Getting dark too.

Very large convective drops - sounded like hail initially they're so big!

Distant deep rumbles heard in St Albans and the sky is darkening.

Very distant but deep rumble just heard in St Albans.

No thunder heard yet from the cell over Hemel, however it has developed incredibly quickly.

Pretty cloudy here in Herts at the moment, which I'm not complaining about given the forecast for the next week....

The cell that quickly developed over Hatfield has just electrified - first rumble of thunder heard.

Big towers going up to my east over towards Hatfield where two cells have developed quickly

Almost a direct hit here - plenty of thunder, CC lightning and very heavy rain.

Tried to fit a walk in but got caught out by the storm. Plenty of thunder and CC lightning, and some very heavy rain that soaked myself and will definitely cause some flash flooding issues!

Some distant thunder here in St Albans finally.

Looks like the next 24 hours could provide some excitement for those of us around the London area!

Definite rumble of thunder just now in Herts.

Hopefully we get some more rain tonight, it would be nice to get some with barely any over the past four weeks and another dry week coming.

Worth noting that while Uni's are not yet officially closed, a number have suspended face to face teaching and have already extended their Easter breaks. Some are operating on very much skeleton staff already.

Reliably informed that week on week sales compared to this time last year are over 70% up in our local supper market. Crazy amount of panic buying.

Just walked past an Apple store and it had messages in the window saying ‘All Apple retail stores closed until the 27th March’.

Our workplace has started to implement the usual measures like some staff working from home, but they're trying to spread it out as they expect the impacts to be felt on the workforce until June. Very much planning for the long haul.

Confirmed as one of the Hertfordshire cases.

Up to 18 cases here in Herts now, the highest in England outside of London. Not too surprising given our proximity to the capital and the commuter belt, along with how many local schools went to Italy in half-term.

Today’s figures delayed until later this afternoon.

I think that is when we will see the delay approach kick-in and more restrictions put in place, possibly on certain regions.

If a specific location of community spread on a fairly large scale appears in the coming days then there will be concern that it could replicate the Northern Italy situation.

Just received the following text from my GP surgery: “Latest NHS coronavirus guidance now states the following: 1. All online booking appointments are to be suspended. 2. If you have been in contact with anyone that has been abroad in the last two weeks and experiencing flu like symptoms or breathing difficulties - DO NOT attend the surgery. 3. For info and advice please visit www.nhs.uk or call NHS 111.”

This country is losing its collective tiny mind. Our local Tesco had no toilet roll, pasta or flour yesterday, yet as you say boxes of tissues are untouched. I feel for retail staff. I know some people connected to another high street supermarket and they’re reporting customers kicking off at those working on the shop floor because there isn’t enough loo roll etc, or are going in to stores and attempting to buy seventy bottles of sanitiser and are reacting badly when they find out that’s not possible.