Storm and Convective Discussion 23rd June Onwards

[Supacell]

Just got back from France myself. Flew into La Rochelle and drove south to Lourdes and the Central Pyrenees. No storm action whilst i was there in the northern portion but plenty of distant lightning over the Pyrenees which i viewed from Lourdes on Sun night. Just inland from La Rochelle into the Limoges area seems to get a lot of storms and Central France gets some corkers. Certainly a far better chance than in the UK.I am thinking of going to Majorca in October. I hear that area is quite good for storms at that time of year.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Supacell

[Cakie]

William, we have been to France most summers and usually experience at least one storm. We stayed south of Niort (not far from La Rochelle) a few years ago and had some very violent storms. The poor people camping in the garden next door for a family party did not get a good nights sleep.

We also viewed the most spectacular sight of watching a slow moving cell in the distance. It was clear where we were but we watched the lightening within the cloud. Beautiful.

If you get chance go to Puy du Fou. Not cheap but worth every penny. Get two days if you can. Google and You Tube it

Edited June 29, 2014 by Cakie

[William Grimsley]

William, we have been to France most summers and usually experience at least one storm. We stayed south of Niort (not far from La Rochelle) a few years ago and had some very violent storms. The poor people camping in the garden next door for a family party did not get a good nights sleep.We also viewed the most spectacular sight of watching a slow moving cell in the distance. It was clear where we were but we watched the lightening within the cloud. Beautiful.If you get chance go to Puy du Foy. Not cheap but worth every penny. Get two days if you can. Google and You Tube it

Certainly will look up Puy du Foy I am getting a little excited to say how many people have witnessed storms in the area we are going. Even my mum's french tutors said La Rochelle was a good place for thunder storms.

[poseidon]

Stumbled upon a localised thunderstorm yesterday with some nice cloud structure. I was on the way to catch a train into London from Stansted Mountfichet (Essex), otherwise I would have followed it. It produced some heavy rain and rumbles of thunder and was intensifying as it moved away. The footage is somewhat uneven due to the country roads and hedgerows.

 

http://youtu.be/I1QaBqdVFpQ

 

Did anyone else encounter this cell?

Edited June 29, 2014 by poseidon

[East_England_Stormchaser91]

Just got back from France myself. Flew into La Rochelle and drove south to Lourdes and the Central Pyrenees. No storm action whilst i was there in the northern portion but plenty of distant lightning over the Pyrenees which i viewed from Lourdes on Sun night. Just inland from La Rochelle into the Limoges area seems to get a lot of storms and Central France gets some corkers. Certainly a far better chance than in the UK.I am thinking of going to Majorca in October. I hear that area is quite good for storms at that time of year.

Majorca is epic for storms around that time. Every time I've been in September I've seen some crackers as well. Ibiza last September was immense. Restaurant roof practically caved in with water it was raining that hard and my lovely lasagne got a deluge along with myself!! Lightning was spectacular too. (My display picture is a +CG observed over the med whilst on that holiday. Scary to think that October I've heard is even better haha. Defo go mate, im sure it will be worth every penny !!

[Mapantz]

Certainly will look up Puy du Foy I am getting a little excited to say how many people have witnessed storms in the area we are going. Even my mum's french tutors said La Rochelle was a good place for thunder storms.

It'll be storm free when you go, and they'll be some beauty's back home in NP. You know it'll happen.

[Spikecollie]

Just had a torrential shower with a rumble thrown in, me thinks this will be an electrical afternoon and evening. I'm going to take a bus to Lac Kir which should give some nice open views, but which has somewhere to shelter - I'd love to head to the hills, but I haven't got the footwear for it.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Spikecollie

[Speedway Slider]

Anymore news on "the net" on "the net"??!

[Mapantz]

Anymore news on "the net" on "the net"??!

Comment on YouTube said orchid netting, low level rotation picked it up. A bit like a dissipating hay devil, it can fall out of the skies quite a way from where it picked it up.

[richep]

Had a funnel cloud here yesterday. I'll post the video a little later. No thunderstorms though.

[Spikecollie]

Anymore news on "the net" on "the net"??!

Some moderately funny punning on ukweatherworld and there's something on Twitter. On ukweatherworld they're suggesting that it is a fruit net rather than a fishing net, but it's still a big thing to travel so far up. There are some scary tales of paragliders and hang gliders getting sucked up, when I eventually do my tandem paraglide in the Puy de Dôme I'm going to make sure the instructor has double checked the weather and the cloudscape!

[Chris101]

Some moderately funny punning on ukweatherworld and there's something on Twitter. On ukweatherworld they're suggesting that it is a fruit net rather than a fishing net, but it's still a big thing to travel so far up. There are some scary tales of paragliders and hang gliders getting sucked up, when I eventually do my tandem paraglide in the Puy de Dôme I'm going to make sure the instructor has double checked the weather and the cloudscape!

My favorite has to be, just one word.

Netweather

[Greeny]

Had a funnel cloud here yesterday. I'll post the video a little later. No thunderstorms though.

I don't mind not getting a t-storm if I see rotation or funnel cloud. Yesterday wasn't thundery when I saw the cloud base rotation but that was v.satisfying. Later on there were some rumbles heard when the sky got dark again. This week has been v. Interesting for Norfolk that's for sure.

[Supacell]

Majorca is epic for storms around that time. Every time I've been in September I've seen some crackers as well. Ibiza last September was immense. Restaurant roof practically caved in with water it was raining that hard and my lovely lasagne got a deluge along with myself!! Lightning was spectacular too. (My display picture is a +CG observed over the med whilst on that holiday.Scary to think that October I've heard is even better haha. Defo go mate, im sure it will be worth every penny !!

 

My mates are wanting to go away end of season to somewhere that will still be warm where we can have a night out or three and so I suggested Majorca as technically it will still be warm and there will still be sunshine. I haven't mentioned storms but if we see any then they will know I had a partially hidden agenda . I am thinking very end Sept into Oct would be a good time for both warmth and storms. Sounds like you saw some gooduns, hopefully I can too.

[East_England_Stormchaser91]

My mates are wanting to go away end of season to somewhere that will still be warm where we can have a night out or three and so I suggested Majorca as technically it will still be warm and there will still be sunshine. I haven't mentioned storms but if we see any then they will know I had a partially hidden agenda . I am thinking very end Sept into Oct would be a good time for both warmth and storms. Sounds like you saw some gooduns, hopefully I can too.

Everyone will be a winner I'm sure 

 

Heres a prime example or two 

 

 

[Buckster]

I've been to southern europe latter part of October a fair bit (Crete, Corfu etc)

 

and whilst a chance of storms - and when they hit quite impressive - I've found them a bit thin

 

like a one week holiday you might get one really good day of storms

 

also watch out as its stormy season flights can be a bit "interesting"

 

we had a flight to Corfu ... should have taken 3 1/2 hours - took about 7 in total - there were thunderstorms over the airport at Corfu - we had to do circuits (2 parts of which were through storms) - to wait for it to calm down - each time we went through the bank of storms (each circuit) - the plane bucked around like anything, people were screaming, engines were surging - was horrible.  The winds within the Cb were very gusty - each gust you could hear the engines really surge - and obviously the plane was shooting up and down like no business (small movements in reality - but doesn't feel like it when you're having G applied to you and you've got no point of reference outside - just clouds)

 

we in the end were running low on fuel so had to divert to a military airport in Italy - refuel, wait 30 mins on ground, then re-attempt

 

even then - it was still fairly stormy, pilot had to do a low pass over runway to check conditions - then did a circuit and went for it - was a hairy landing, due to lots of water on ground etc - pilot went in hard and quick, so slammed it onto runway at a speed that was enough to go around if needed (they slam onto the ground when water soaked I believe to get best grip)

 

as I said all in all about 7+ hours

 

I'm a frequent flier and still found it rather scary lol

Edited June 29, 2014 by Buckster

[Lauren]

I would love to have experienced that Bucks! I love a bit of turbulence as long as it's not dangerous.

 

Reminds me of landing in Bulgaria during a huge storm in a rickety old Tupolev. I was sure it would fall apart as the wheels hit the tarmac, we were getting chucked around all over the place right until touchdown. I'm pretty sure it wasn't safe weather to land in, but this was Bulgaria just out of communism in 1997 with aircraft that were barely airworthy.

[Mokidugway]

Corfu airport not best runway to land at either , stuck there for 9 hours once while engineers checked over our plane after it was struck by lightning on aproach !!!.....

[Chris101]

My profile pic is from my hotel in Santa Ponsa, Majorca, early September 2012 and all the locals were saying today is the day the heatwave since May will come to an end, Safe to say i had no interest in sitting by the pool that day, radar was on in the room and a top floor room gave me a great view when the beast came over the hills CGs coming down all around and hail the size of 50p pieces, best storm i've ever seen and we've booked the first 2 weeks of September this year.

[Spikecollie]

I've been to southern europe latter part of October a fair bit (Crete, Corfu etc)

 

and whilst a chance of storms - and when they hit quite impressive - I've found them a bit thin

 

like a one week holiday you might get one really good day of storms

 

also watch out as its stormy season flights can be a bit "interesting"

 

we had a flight to Corfu ... should have taken 3 1/2 hours - took about 7 in total - there were thunderstorms over the airport at Corfu - we had to do circuits (2 parts of which were through storms) - to wait for it to calm down - each time we went through the bank of storms (each circuit) - the plane bucked around like anything, people were screaming, engines were surging - was horrible.  The winds within the Cb were very gusty - each gust you could hear the engines really surge - and obviously the plane was shooting up and down like no business (small movements in reality - but doesn't feel like it when you're having G applied to you and you've got no point of reference outside - just clouds)

 

we in the end were running low on fuel so had to divert to a military airport in Italy - refuel, wait 30 mins on ground, then re-attempt

 

even then - it was still fairly stormy, pilot had to do a low pass over runway to check conditions - then did a circuit and went for it - was a hairy landing, due to lots of water on ground etc - pilot went in hard and quick, so slammed it onto runway at a speed that was enough to go around if needed (they slam onto the ground when water soaked I believe to get best grip)

 

as I said all in all about 7+ hours

 

I'm a frequent flier and still found it rather scary lol

Always remember you're not flying the plane, the best qualified guy or girl up front is! Turbulence can be physically (and psychologically) uncomfortable and like you I am a frequent flier who is not upset by turbulence, but who can get rather sick when it gets a bit overly lumpy - I hate being sick in front of other people and that makes me a bit anxious! I can't count the number of hands I've had holding so tight onto mine that they've virtually cut off the circulation...and only because I've seen their panic and said "it's ok". Missed approaches are controlled, routine and very safe. I'd rather a missed approach/diversion than an unsafe landing any day...

 

What you describe as a "slam landing" is not abnormal when there is insufficient room on the runway to raise the nose of the aircraft and slow the descent nice and steadily what's called a "flare". Limoges is a prime example of an airport where this is not possible and my husband always panics despite my explanation!

Edited June 29, 2014 by Spikecollie

[Spikecollie]

I would love to have experienced that Bucks! I love a bit of turbulence as long as it's not dangerous.

 

Reminds me of landing in Bulgaria during a huge storm in a rickety old Tupolev. I was sure it would fall apart as the wheels hit the tarmac, we were getting chucked around all over the place right until touchdown. I'm pretty sure it wasn't safe weather to land in, but this was Bulgaria just out of communism in 1997 with aircraft that were barely airworthy.

Careful what you wish for! I love flying and love cloud spotting from aloft. I understand the physics of turbulence and I'm a psychologist so I'll hold hands and make anxiety a lot less intense. BUT I get motion sick...so I might need your barf bag and lemon scented wipe. At least I'm honest...

 

On another track...the most uncomfortable I've been on an aircraft is flying from Kiev to Simferopol in Ukraine a few years back. The ominous writing "hack with crash axe here" on the outside, and the harness seatbelts were bad enough - it was an Antonov 24 (check the safety record). The CAT was dire. I tried my relaxation stuff...no good. I shut my eyes and tried to think of something else...no good. I puked and puked and puked. I had to sit in the toilet with the flight attendants for the rest of the flight and I fainted on the bus to the terminal. A lovely German guy who was going to the same place I was going looked after me and came in the cab with me. The kindness of strangers and the weirdness of travel eh...

[chionomaniac]

Anyone seen the waterspout off the Sussex coast Goodwood area around 5mins ago? Just had a picture posted to FB from a friend there who has witnessed one there.

 

Here's his pic:

 

Edited June 29, 2014 by chionomaniac

[chionomaniac]

Really good pic of the waterspout here: https://twitter.com/HMCGSelsey/status/483312090787377152/photo/1

Edited June 29, 2014 by chionomaniac

[East_England_Stormchaser91]

Just looking through videos on youtube and came across this in Skegvegas !! Pretty good lightning!

 

[Captain Shortwave]

Got nothing thunder wise over the last 3 days. As they say.... you win some, you lose some.

Not sure when the next big storm chance will be, there are showers forecast tomorrow so lets see what happens.