Severe Blizzard

Is Guildford, Surrey actually going to get a decent storm in this gutless, useless disappointment of a summer in the next few days or are we going to have to suffer - YET AGAIN? Typical, another weekend of stinking humid muck - and probably no storms again. Wish I could summer-hibernate and wake up when this awful excuse for a summer is over and not have to watch the agony of seeing the usual areas getting all the storms again while there is no hope in Hell's chance of anything changing for the better down here in the S.E. Also about time there were 'surprise developments' here rather than the occasional hopeful forecast being downgraded for us or failing completely like the 26 mm rain this area was supposed to have yesterday when the actual amount was 0.5 mm. Sorry to gripe - I NEED a storm - I need some excitement to forget the misery that my flat may have to be demolished in due course (structural issues) leading to more stress and uncertainty. This is not a melodramatic joke either. This horrid summer is seriously doing my head in - I cannot tolerate prolonged boredom and incessant failure frustration disappointment. I've been booted out of the NSC because of the weak thundery showers that have mostly passed this area by over the last 4 months, so sorry I have moaned on this thread.

Hope you get something thundery soon, CreweCold. SB.

I have never seen the No Storms Club have to extend into a second thread in a year before! 2012 must be bad. Kick me out of the club if you have to as I have had thunder on 7 days this year. But these were ALL passing thundery showers and no event lasted more than 20 minutes, and each event yielded thunder ranging from only one to seven claps. I have still not had a 'proper' storm lasting an hour or more since 28th June 2011. 'That' day this year was a tremendous disappointment and the prelude to a certain part of the country - which is normally not known for high levels of thundery activity - you know who you are! - to have a chain of excitement in the form of regular thunderstorms while the S.E. constantly misses out.

[b]1992[/b] Severe overnight thunderstorms experienced at Fleet, Hants, only hours after returning from Cornwall holiday (Par). A very muggy and humid morning on the beach and low cloud broke up to allow hot sunshine on Saturday 8th. My fear that an active plume event had hit home areas and I had missed a fantastic storm were groundless - had to wait to get home to find out - no internet or versatile mobile phones in 1992 (just 'brick' phones!). During the train journey home around 6~9 pm on the 8th there were showers when passing through Somerset and Wiltshire and I realised that tonight may the night. Arrive home at Fleet at 9 pm and the first thunder was rolling at 10 pm. There was little activity to follow until the early hours of the 9th. A short sharp thunderstorm occurred between 2:25 am and 2:55 am. There was torrential rain (14.5 mm at Fleet and 18.0 mm at Guildford) with almost continuous lightning and some moderate thunder. The lightning was very impressive and far outweighed the thunder. The main feature was the wind - there were very strong gusts during this thunderstorm and I don't remember another night storm accompanied by so much wind. Le Harve, Northern France had reported winds of 90 mph from this outbreak. Over the years, I have developed a 'rule' that if Cherbourg and the Le Havre area get thunderstorms in a particular plume situation, then it is almost certainly 'game on' for Hants and Surrey. This 'model' or rule has failed in recent years - surprise surprise! At 2:50 am there was a very bright flash and a lovely loud crash of thunder. There was much less activity to follow and the rain soon died out. After a disappointing start in 1992 with local areas missing every event (much like this year) we came up trumps twice with the thunderstorms of Monday 20th July and Sunday 9th August. [b]1994[/b] On holiday in Cornwall and staying at Par. Visiting Falmouth on this Tuesday, the altostratus thickened as a low approached from the S.S.W. This incorporated a warm plume and there was an inevitable thundery element. Rain started at Falmouth around 2 pm and was moderate. There was sporadic thunder, some of which was quite close and enough to make the floors vibrate in some of the shops near the harbour. On going back to St Austell and Par at 6 pm, the train journey passed through some very heavy rain. I had a rain gauge set up where I was staying at Tywardreath, nr. Par and I was looking forward to recording possibly the highest total I had seen so far. On arriving at Par, there was a new burst of very heavy rain which flooded the car park of the Polmear restaurant at Par and even the roof leaked in this bungalow building. A wet walk back to Twywardreath was rewarded with a missing raingauge! The people I was staying with had mown the lawn after I left that morning and forgotten to reposition the gauge - typical. However, I found it 'hidden' in a sheltered spot the next morning and recorded 23.5 mm - very much an underestimate seeing as it rained heavily all night. Interestingly, Falmouth was officially the wettest location on both 9th (16 mm) and 10th (46 mm). I was definitely in the right area and could have recorded a total of 60 mm or so. [b]1999[/b] A channel depression much like the one on this date 5 years previous brought heavy thundery rain to southern England. Cornwall, where I was staying, received little rain. There were large totals during the evening and early into the 10th. 45 mm was recorded in Guildford between the 7th and 11th. [b]2001[/b] Thunder 1132 GMT then Tl to 1220 GMT. Mod. rain 1140~1215 GMT. Further mod./heavy rain 1510~1800 GMT. (from COL /WON entry). This storm brought severer conditions to many parts of the S.E. including 3 funnel clouds seen in one go at Maidenhead and heavy hail covering the ground at Coggeshall further east. 12.5 mm fell at Guildford and 25.0 mm at Fleet. [b]2003[/b] Very hot and sunny. Go on holiday in the early hours of this Saturday morning. Still 20 deg.C at 4 am under clear skies. 34.0 deg.C reached at Fleet and 33.8 deg.C at Guildford. [b]2004[/b] No event today, but visited Boscastle on this Monday afternoon and remarked to my mother about flooding when I stood on the bridge over the main river. Speculate that the river would never flood! A week later at that time of day I would be proved incorrect - big time!

[b]2002[/b] Guildford: Heavy shower at 1540~1600 GMT then 1725~1727 GMT. 4.5 mm. Thunderstorm to N.W. moving East towards London between 1809~2010 GMT. Lightning observed in cloud 1900~2005 GMT. Some spectacular pink-orange coloured forked lightning. Torrential rain and some flooding reported from Bisley and Wood Street (North Guildford). This outbreak got very close to the site with torrential rain and flooding only 5 km to the north. The severest conditions were about 10~20 km north of the site with very large totals in a short space of time. A colleague delivering shopping to a customer in Ash was marooned in her 'home shopping' van around 1900 GMT due to extremely heavy rain and flash flooding. Local totals include: Sandhurst, Berks: 54.9 mm / Crowthorne: 32.7 mm / Bracknell: 28.5 mm~32.0 mm. [b]2007[/b] Guildford: 31.1 mm rainfall from evening torrential downpour (unfortunately not observed – I was in Fleet where there was a very dark sky to East to South from 1830~2100 GMT with thunder to South from 1840~1910 GMT). Another part of Guildford received 55.0 mm from this event.

Thunder at Guildford!!! Rumble to east at 1441 as heavy shower moves away. Torrential rain with estimated 4 mm between 1430~1435. Further thunder to NW and N from developing cell at 1458, 1505 and 1511. Dark with need for lights on at present.

[b]1981[/b] Big thunderstorm reported from Fleet in morning from about 7 am to 11 am. 25.5 mm rain fell. I was away in Cornwall and missed this event. Although I have always enjoyed thunderstorms, this was before my interest in weather really developed - that happened 5 months later with the fantastic snowy and cold 1981~1982 winter and thundery 1982 summer. This storm was more severe at Guildford and records show about 32 mm rain fell in two distinct storms, one before 8 am and the other after 10 am. [b]1982[/b] No thunder event locally - but towering cumulus developed as they moved west from Fleet dumping over 50 mm rain on areas near Basingstoke, as thunderstorms broke out. [b]1997[/b] A dull and humid morning with the promise of thunder and heavy rain seemed to be a letdown. At 12:30 pm, the sky became very dull and there was sudden torrential rain after 1 pm with a few good flashes and bangs to follow. I recorded 25 mm rain at Guildford but my friend at East Horsley nearby had 44 mm. August 1997 was beginning to get its thundery reputation. [b]2003[/b] The heat increases and a lovely hot and sunny day saw temperatures reach 34 deg. C. This was thought to be the peak of the heatwave at the time. There was more excitement to come as the hot air continued to push north from a scorching hot and arid France in the next few days. [b]2008[/b] A disappointing thundery outbreak. See a couple hours of distant lightning to the east as a 'Kent clipper' moves N.E. and intensifies just missing Sussex and Surrey. This was the beginning of the current storm-starvation period we have been suffering for far too long now! [b]2009[/b] Another plume event like the previous year but with more rain and very little thunder. 24.0 mm fell at Fleet with a morning thunderstorm. 12.2 mm fell at Guildford in the evening as another pulse of heavy and less thundery rain moved north.

[b]2004[/b] Guildford: Thunder 1441 GMT. Thunderstorm with heavy rain 1513~1540 GMT. Overhead discharge (Guildford, Tesco) at 1517 GMT. Thunder to 1600 GMT. FLEET: Thunderstorm with very heavy rain at times from 1520~1620 GMT. Slight hail. 13.0 mm rain. Torrential rain with minor flooding at Farnborough. (Extract from my Climatological Observers Link & Weather Observers Network returns).

[b]1984[/b] Heavy overnight rain, from slow moving shallow depression near S.W. areas, was preceded by downpours in Cornwall and Devon. There were rumours of holidaymakers making a 'massed exodus' out of Teignmouth the previous (Friday) evening. 29.5 mm rain fell at Fleet. [b]1985[/b] A vigorous depression brings some very unsummer-like weather in a return to poor summer weather after a reasonable July. 14.5 mm fell at Fleet but totals were much higher in local areas such as Alton, Hants, where orographic factors contributed to the heavy rain. An amateur radio caller was talking about 'horizontal rain' in South Wales during this Sunday morning. [b]1990[/b] Last day of 30 deg.C+ heat at Fleet. Max. temp. was 34 deg.C. Return from Cornwall holiday on that Saturday evening. Internal walls in the upstairs of the house were hot from the heat, not just the walls adjoining external walls. Much heat stored up. [b]1994[/b] A very warm night. Min. temp. 20.2 deg.C at Guildford. Some impressive lightning overnight, especially before 0200. Very little rain. [b]1997[/b] Thundery showers in evening after the thundery frontal weather positioned over S.W. England since Saturday 2nd starts to move north and east. A friend flying into Gatwick airport reported lightning flashing in clouds below the plane when approaching the south coast. This suggests altocumulus castellanus medium level instability. The showers were very localised with 4 mm rain at Fleet but only a few spots at Guildford. [b]1999[/b] Guildford: Moderate / heavy rain 1845~2150 GMT. Thunder 2045 & 2108 GMT. Torrential rain 2131~2134 GMT. 15.5 mm rainfall. [b]2010[/b] Guildford: Cb with dark base encroaching from N.W. from 1330. Surface wind direction was light S.W. Heavy thundery showers, with some very heavy rain from 1425 to 1503. Squally wind at times. In greater detail: Thunder approaching at 1425 with continued moderate thunder at 1428,1429,1431,1432, [i]1432[/i], 1433, 1435, 1437, 1440, 1441, 1442, 1444, 1447, 1453, 1455, 1457, [i]lightning only – horizontal blue CC fork to S.E. 1501[/i], 1503. [i]Lightning observations in italics. [/i]Heavy bursts of rain at 1426~1429, 1430~1433, 1434~1436 and large droplets at 1441~1442. Surface wind was north at 1455 and remained N.W. in the wake of the cold front. 2.5 mm rainfall. This was only the [u]second[/u] thunder event of 2010 here - another extremely poor year, like 2011 and 2012, but with much more of the country also receiving less thunder unlike in 2012 when it seems local areas are apt to miss all the events.

[b]1986[/b] Heavy thundery rain yields 28.0 mm at Fleet, Hants. [b]1990[/b] Max. temp was 36.0 deg.C. at Fleet. This was the highest temperature to date exceeding the previous record of 34.0 deg.C on 26th June 1976.

[b]1969[/b] A very thundery and wet week ended with a spectacular deluge in S.E. and central southern England at the weekend of Saturday 2nd and early Sunday 3rd August. Although the action had been in the S.W. a few days earlier (Plymouth area and much of southern Cornwall had received 100 mm+ rain on the 28th July), it was now the turn of areas to the west of London to have some excitement (none of this 2012 'Guildford missing out' nonsense in 1969!). Thundery rain early on the 2nd yielded 15.5 mm at Guildford. The main activity was on the Saturday evening and early into Sunday 3rd. Thunderstorms dumped over 100 mm on Hook, Surrey late on the Saturday afternoon. This development brought thundery rain to Guildford around 6 pm before dying out. Meanwhile, a slow moving cold front made erratic eastward progress with heavy pulses of rain slowly moving north along its axis. Torrential rain lasted through into the Sunday morning. There are no notes in the records about thunder in the late evening of the 2nd, just heavy rain. Amounts included; Fleet: 52.0 mm. Guildford: 62.5 mm. Another site in Guildford recorded 55.0 mm as well as the 15.5 mm with a total of 70.5 mm in just over 24 hours. Reading: 28.0 mm Kew, London: 55.0 mm. [b]1982[/b] Sudden torrential rain and thunder around 6 pm at Fleet. 12 mm rainfall. [b]1983[/b] A cool and unstable N.W.ly covered the U.K. There were heavy thundery showers with hail in the S.E. I was on holiday in Cornwall and missed the event at Fleet, Hampshire. There was considerable hail, possibly 'large' (10 mm diameter) in a second torrential thundery shower around 3 pm. 12.5 mm rainfall. I once heard about walnut sized hail smashing greenhouses in the Alice Holt Forest area on this day. [b]1990[/b] The heat builds with maxima well over 30 deg.C. Par Beach in Cornwall, was almost too hot to walk on. When the tide came in the large expanse of sand (0.5 mile square) which had been heated by the intense sun resulted in some lovely warm water for swimming in.

[b]1983[/b] Heavy overnight rain as cold front clears S.E. introducing cooler air. 8.5 mm overnight at Fleet and 27 mm at Guildford. Much of this rain was thundery. [b]1984[/b] An unsettled interlude in an otherwise 'good' summer. Windy evening with heavy rain in Cornwall which moved east. Heavy showers to follow with tornado near Doncaster or Conningsby. (?). [b]1991[/b] Heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon in Guildford. 12 mm or so and parts of the town were flooded. [b]1995[/b] A very hot day. Max. temp. 33 deg. C. Development of afternoon thunderstorms which were few and far between and scattered. Thunder at Guildford and this development moved west to give a severe storm and 75 mm+ rain over Cardiff. [b]1998[/b] Major development of storms over S.E. with quite severe thunderstorm moving S.W. near Guildford in afternoon. 27 mm rain fell at East Horsley but much less in Guildford. There was a major development to the south of the town in the afternoon where hail fell. A tornado was reported near Guildford but little is known about this development. [b]1999[/b] Maximum temperature 31.5°C. Thundery shower from 1437 to 1455. Torrential bursts of rain with clear irregular shaped hail 5~8mm dimensions, between 1438~1441. 4.5mm rainfall. Large Cb to north after 1630. During the shower there was hazy blue sky to the south and north. This development was quite small and intensified as it moved N.W.

[b]1978[/b] Heavy rain fell overnight and into the daytime as a thundery low moved N.E. over southern England. Fleet, Hants received 30.5 mm raiin on the 30th and another 37.5 mm on the 31st, a total of 68.0 mm in 24 hours (evening to evening). [b]1981[/b] 2nd morning of a Cornwall holiday having driven down on the afternoon of the Charles and Diana Royal Wedding (29th July). Thundery showers moved north overnight. There was little rain in Cornwall but some very close lightning strikes. There was a direct strike on the milking Parlour at Great Pelean Farm, nr. Tywardreath, at 7:57 am. The thunder woke me up with a start as the strike was only 100 metres away. Heavy rain affected other parts of southern England with 19 mm in the evening recorded at Fleet. [b]1983[/b] A thundery low moved N.E. over Cornwall with torrential rain near Culdrose (11 mm measured in a makeshift rain gauge while having a coffee in the afternoon). Only 1.5 mm at Great Pelean Farm. A cold front moving S.E. merged with the thundery rain over the S.W. with some good totals in southern England. Cooler and very windy in a fresh N.W.ly in Cornwall later as the cold front was less active further west. [b]1991[/b] Heavy overnight rain with 25 mm at Fleet. Rain affected Pavarotti Concert in London. [b]1998[/b] Thundery shower in late afternoon at Guildford. 7 mm rain.

FLEET: 12.4 mm (est.). FRIMLEY: Hail at approx. 1100 & Thunder at 1300. (Reported to me). GUILDFORD: Moderate shower of large raindrops and slight hail at 1141~1145. Thunder 1143, TL 1152 & thunder 1157. Showers at 1236~1245 then 1325~1345 and prolonged shower at 1445~1525 with thunder at 1418, 1438, 1445 (TL), 1454 & 1500. Further shower at 1700~1730 with rainbow as shower moves east. A rather disappointing 4.5 mm rain here.

In the past when the storms missed this part of S.E. England and stayed over France moving away in the 'wrong' direction there would always be the good prospect of storms from unstable cooler S.W.ly / westerly / N.W./y situations that inevitably followed. We don't even get any chance with those, once reliable, setups either.

You have brilliantly summed up how I feel about recent events. Around 4 pm I was pleased with my 3 rumbles of thunder and I even abandoned cooking my tea to go out and walk to a less built up area and watch the cell developing as it moved east. Took photos but cannot seem to upload them on here. Typical then that yet again Guildford misses these two outbreaks as another followed to the north and east and Reigate gets pasted a second time. I believe Dorking and Reigate also had a storm yesterday afternoon as well. This area 15~20 mile to the east of Guildford has had event after event over the last few days including a deluge (also with thunder) on Saturday night. We missed it. 3 rumbles is comparatively puny now I am getting reports on various chat sites of >20 discharges, many very close, in many nearby areas. We wait weeks for the right situation to develop while the north gets plastered, yet again then we get let-downs like today. Lets just hope the next few days can deliver - I don't care about the rest of the U.K. grumbling about the wet summer as here in Guildford it has NOT been especially wet or thundery and I really don't want to lose the instability until I finally experience something. Selfish - I know, but after weeks of mediocrity and extremely boring and depressing weather, I really want this wet summer to go out with a bang. 2012 summer may be similar to the wet summer of 2007, but the general rain, interesting events and thundery activity was far superior to what this year has offered. I was in Cornwall in early June when Guildford had >40 mm rain in a day (June 10th~11th). This also happened last year (June 5th~6th) when I was on holiday. I was also too far west for the Plymouth storms of 11th June. I am a well experienced veteran of being in the wrong area at the wrong time for interesting events, so I can identify with your frustration very well!

Brief heavy shower at Guildford at 3:20 pm to 3:25 pm - about 1.5 mm. Thunder as large cumulus moves away at 3:28 pm. The heavy shower fell from partially clear skies with the large cumulus overhead and very dull skies immediately to the south and S.E. Thunder at 3:33 pm then lightning on rear of large Cu at 3:41 pm with thunder about 20 secs later - cell 4 miles away eg. over Chilworth. Lightning in Cu which was glaciating (developing anvil) at 3:51 pm. Possible hail shafts seen on rear edge at this time.

I bet my collection of weather books that by the end of July; (1) Despite this vile crap continuing, I will not reach >10 mm rain in a day and the entire months rain events will be drizzle or light rain. (2) The lack of thunder will continue. (3) There will be more days of cancelled bike rides, like today, a dreadful state of affairs after only 2 rides in June (usually 4-5 each month). (4) The weather will miraculously improve and be stiflingly hot and sunny for the Olympics - when we will be subjected to incessant Olympic detail in the media - at least this may give the tabloids a rest from the bilge and inaccurate accounts that are all too frequent. I don't think I have ever felt so fed up in the summer as this year, which is not helped by the action replay of the incessant crap endured in the last few summers without a break. I feel similarly bored and depressed to how I feel during a normal (snowless) winter and even they hold more potential for bike rides than this vile summer. Wish I didn't have to get up in the morning as there is nothing to feel motivated about and another humdrum day at work, bored out of my skull with nothing to chat about does not raise any positive feel. I only feel contented when asleep, listening to music, eating or doing anything else when I can forget about and not have to look at and be reminded of this awful summer. Diversionary tactics are usually a winter ploy. The dreary weather would be less frustrating and annoying if it wasn't accompanied by seeing other locations having all the 'excitement' while where ever I happen to be misses out and that the ambient conditions are less unpleasant to work and be out in. The main issues are; (1) Incessant dull and depressing conditions which bring negative feelings. SAD in summer - never known this before. (2) No exciting events modeled and if anything is indicated then it is downgraded and Guildford misses out - yet again. (3) Extreme boredom resulting in nothing to talk about which enhances the negative mood and feelings of resentment, the metaphorical 'big party party for everyone but I'm not invited'. On rare occasions that we have interesting events, conversation is easier, I have more people interested in chatting and feel there is a purpose. During boring weather there is obviously nothing to talk about and people are similarly bored and start to 'back-stab', complain more and are generally more obnoxious. (I got attacked by angry customer in car park last July during a long period of disgusting weather in an intensely boring period). (4) No pleasant surprises. (5) Just more of this dross which just is a never-ending Hell.

New month and continuation of the crap we have suffered through June. No rain in Guildford since last Sunday. I get one free day to go cycling this coming week - Tuesday. Bl**dy typical - light rain all day is forecast yet the rest of the week each day will be dominated by the usual useless light showers and days of humid cloudy muck (which at least can be cycled in). More boredom and seething annoyance at having to stay in on Tuesday then get the less wet conditions to work in. Still no thunder in this dreadful summer - I was under the impression that this coming week was supposed to be 'convective' with a hope of some thundery showers in central southern England at long last - not more of this frontal dross. If it was thunderstorms forecast for Tuesday's bike ride I could guarantee that it would stay bone dry and I could get a decent ride. As it is drizzle then it will come true. I am also getting sick of this sods law awkward annoyance with bad weather expected for EVERY day that I get free to ride and relax yet it is always dry (but cloudy and vile) on work days. I got better rides in February without all this dross. Cycling in the countryside is the only pleasure to get away from urban life and with this awful summer I need respite from the daily stresses of work. No ride / wet ride + strong weather dissatisfaction and frustration + grumpy customers (due to crap weather) = Anger, frustration and resentment, poor customer service. Summers like this create high levels of boredom - if it has to be wet or unsettled then at least we could get some decent rainfall amounts or storms here in Guildford, or it could be settled and sunny. Long dry and sunny spells can be boring but there are so many more activities that can be enjoyed in those conditions and there is such a better 'feel good' factor - something vitally missing this year. Well, I hope Tuesday is like the rest of the last 8 days - the rain fails to materialise - unless there are some surprises which involve a thunderstorm then a cancelled ride will be worth it. Rant over.

I am sick to death of incessant cloud, wind and drizzle dross and what is shaping up to be yet another nightmare summer with an absence of thunderstorms or any other interesting weather. Winter brings more enjoyment than this pathetic excuse for a 'summer' month has yielded. May was a load of crud too and barely any rain fell in the dull and sunless period before the 21st. Today was yet another let down here in the S.E. with a piddling useless rain event despite the depression passing overhead. As usual, any thundery activity either moved east away from reaching this area or died out before it got here (last night). if we have to suffer such a crap month, it would be nice if we could actually get something worthy of comment instead of endless waste of time small rainfall events and days of gloom and strong winds. Before anyone says 'S.E. had a deluge on Monday 11th June' - we did, but like last years only decent event of the summer here (5th~6th June '11), I was away on holiday and missed everything - again. Of course, nothing interesting happened at my holiday area. My summing up of summer 2012 - another year - another summer - same old Truly sick to death and at the end of my tether with this depressing dirge. Might as well put some Christmas music on to cheer myself up - at least we have the festive period in winter when the wx is dreary - the summer offers nothing but endless disappointment and the fifth summer in a row like this is wearing very thin and my patience is going.

I remember the BBC forecast on the evening of Saturday 12th December 1981. I don't recall who was forecasting but one feature was the male forecaster saying he had to have new symbols cut earlier that day (blue discs denoting temperatures below -20 deg.C). There was a blue '-13' disc over central Southern England and '-20' over West Scotland. Indeed, Fleet (Hampshire) had a min. temp. of -13 deg.C late Saturday evening (after -11 deg.C by 6 pm on the Saturday) and temperatures were slowly rising as the cloud from Sunday 13th's blizzard was advancing. This was the occasion when -24.9 deg.C was reached at Shawbury.

Only 19.8 mm at Guildford in March - last 'proper' rain was on 4th March (10.1 mm). At least the dry conditions in March were anticyclonic with sunshine and pleasant conditions. Now it is a return to the type of dross which has been the bane of the last 18~24 months (except December 2010) - unsettled setups that don't deliver rain or interesting conditions in central SE England. All we have had off this 'major' event of the last 36 hours is 1.5 mm. There is no sign of any more rain or showers and it's just more cloud and wind with little or no rain. I would put money on 2012 being yet another year that fails to produce any noteworthy thunder event. Sorry, this part of the post should go into the whining thread but I can't find a current one. Although some people may not agree, there is a definite correlation with dry Marches and Aprils and wet summers or at least poor summers which may be cloudy, breezy but still rather dry - like 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 were in this area. One can infer why I am getting sick to death of this pattern after suffering it for four consecutive years. It's a double kick in the teeth having to wait and work through endless weeks of rainless / snowless / thunderless unsettled weather to get to June and go on a much needed and hard earned holiday just in time for the rain to arrive. Also the probability is increased of missing the only decent thunder event of the year while away from home, thereby ruining the holiday. This naturally is to be followed by returning home to have more of this current 'unsettled rainless dross' or to have a heatwave just in time for the weeks of Olympics with which we are all going to be bombarded from the media after mid-July. I personally hope for a wet April and May which would increase the chances of some decent convective activity too and more anticyclonic development by the start of June ensuring a month like March - sunny, anticyclonic with proper dry weather to continue through June. I cannot believe the current synoptic situation (map for 4th April not shown) could have only delivered 1.5 mm locally. I thought I had clicked onto the wrong year when viewing the map earlier tonight. The map resembles early April 1998 or 2000 when there was heavy rain HERE on both occasions plus snow in 2000.

I know exactly what you mean. 2011 has been a rubbish year in the south. Hardly any thunderstorms, hardly any snow, hardly any interesting events. Why? Because we have had to suffer 9/12 months of south westerly - westerly dross that results in synoptics that don't favour the S.E. for interesting events. I thought 2008 was bad but 2011 has been horrendous - no decent summer thunderstorms since 2006 now. For such a 'westerly' year, rainfall levels have been very low in this area. Such boring weather situations results in little to discuss too - not a good scenario at this time of the year where there far too little (non weather) to enjoy already.