The Midlands - Weather Chat

[Snowyowl9]

Was I woken up by cracking thunder and blinding flashes?

Yeah right. This county is an absolute joke. Everyone.else seems to have had a cracker, why the hell not here yet again. They form over Hereford and enf up in Brum, form over Wales and end up in Manchester, die out at Craven Arms and turn up again in Cheshire. What is wrong with here? Its not luck or coincidennce, happens far too often. MUST be a scientific reason.

Dry as a cork here no thunderstorms even here unlike last year.

It would of been a superb display as the forecast went pear shaped again for placement of the storms,though as there was mini CG`s just east of here at past midnight when I was out quite frequent it was but no thunder again.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

Was I woken up by cracking thunder and blinding flashes?

Yeah right. This county is an absolute joke. Everyone.else seems to have had a cracker, why the hell not here yet again. They form over Hereford and enf up in Brum, form over Wales and end up in Manchester, die out at Craven Arms and turn up again in Cheshire. What is wrong with here? Its not luck or coincidennce, happens far too often. MUST be a scientific reason.

 

was good show here, but usual setup applied, i was positioned too far west for the best action, as always the best was over stourbridge and the 'west midlands'

 

equivalent of 18th dec '10, when it was good here, but miles off the best areas the west midlands, of the 4 counties, shropshire worst, staffordshire 2nd worst, west midlands good, East midlands the best, (storms and snow)

[matt_in_dudley]

I've got to say looking at the strikes...we were so close to get nothing! Quite a big eastward shift. But we scraped in with 2 storms, the 2nd having the loudest thunder I've ever heard!

[Summer of 95]

was good show here, but usual setup applied, i was positioned too far west for the best action, as always the best was over stourbridge and the 'west midlands'

 

equivalent of 18th dec '10, when it was good here, but miles off the best areas the west midlands, of the 4 counties, shropshire worst, staffordshire 2nd worst, west midlands good, East midlands the best, (storms and snow)

We actually did OK on 18th Dec 10 (as we did on 17th, 1st-2nd and 21st-22nd), although we were close to the edge, not far to the west got much less. December 10 was the only month that delivered at all in the last 7-8 years, 2009-10 was a total non event

[I remember Atlantic 252]

plane was circling west midlands, assuming because all the lightning at east midlands, played it back on flight tracker, did land at east midlands when storm cleared

[mildmuck]

Just thought I'd share our show we had here last night , I did managed to capture some CG lightning with tripod and 30sec Exposure. 

Edited July 4, 2015 by mildmuck

[Bishop Brennan]

Note to self: if I ever decide to leave Solihull never, ever move to Shropshire!!!!

 

I'm gutted for you guys, not rubbing it in but you really did miss something special last night.

 

As for possible scientific reasons: I'm guessing Shropshire's close proximity to the higher ground to the west (aka Wales) must have something to do with it.........?

 

Bish

[Shane Wheeldon]

Note to self: if I ever decide to leave Solihull never, ever move to Shropshire!!!!

 

I'm gutted for you guys, not rubbing it in but you really did miss something special last night.

 

As for possible scientific reasons: I'm guessing Shropshire's close proximity to the higher ground to the west (aka Wales) must have something to do with it.........?

 

Bish

We use to get some really good storms here tho but last few years they have really dropped off the radar! I can remember storms starting in the evening  and lasting hours, getting woken up at 2 in the morning and watching the lighting till 5, the going to work at 6! I can even remember been at junior school in the early 80s in the afternoon and it went like night! It was one of those things that stuck with me! 

Yes if you love storms dont move to Shropshire but if you like stratus clouds then i think it could be a good move  

[Summer of 95]

And what happened to our hot sunny day today? Loads of cloud and windy......

We did used to get some storms in the 90s, like I mentioned the best setup was a cold front from the N/NW hitting hot air. Not stuff from the south which always happens these days. Re the high ground, it doesnt seem to be the Welsh hills that are thr problem but the South Shropshire ones. They kill everything just south of here. The Welsh ones kill snow.

[Eugene]

Not sure what you expected Summer but today we're in TM southwesterlies not TC southeasterlies.
 

[Costa Del Fal]

I've got to say looking at the strikes...we were so close to get nothing! Quite a big eastward shift. But we scraped in with 2 storms, the 2nd having the loudest thunder I've ever heard!

Last night has restored my faith in what can be achieved in this country. However as often in these set ups, what favoured us in the end was a near southerly wind aloft. Had that been more to the west we would have struggled. I think it was 28th July 2008 for example or around then and there were some great evening storms but they again came from a southerly wind aloft. Of course South easterly would be even better. But anything more west than SSW is not great for us.

Regardless, last night was superb in the end. 2 main storms with the second one purely violent for a time with the lightning maps showing it went very much overhead here with a number of very close strikes. I reckon there were an awful lot of strikes not recorded either, especially infra cloud stuff. For 10-15 minutes it was pure torrential rain and numerous cg bolts dropping around us close by and instant loud shotgun thunder. Really was a spectacle. Caused the street lights to go out briefly, saw a couple Of fire engines go by and heard numerous alarms go off. One of my best ever storms. If the storms had been more slow moving there could have been a lot more disruption.

So in future we need to look for a negatively tilted trough of low pressure, a warm front bringing moist air aloft with lots of deep layer shear, an advancing cold front and winds anywhere east of SSW.

In regards to Shropshire, I think. You guys need a southerly or southeasterly wind more than anyone else in the Midlands. I feel shropshires position pretty much directly above the Severn estuary doesn't help it. I have never seen a storm develop over the Severn estuary itself from what I can remember. Usually they form East like over Gloucester. However they can occasionally form in South Wales and drift up here as they did the other year with a more SW wind aloft though that is more dodgy ground IMO. That is my theory anyway.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Costa Del Fal

[Summer of 95]

Last night has restored my faith in what can be achieved in this country. However as often in these set ups, what favoured us in the end was a near southerly wind aloft. Had that been more to the west we would have struggled. I think it was 28th July 2008 for example or around then and there were some great evening storms but they again came from a southerly wind aloft. Of course South easterly would be even better. But anything more west than SSW is not great for

In regards to Shropshire, I think. You guys need a southerly or southeasterly wind more than anyone else in the Midlands. I feel shropshires position pretty much directly above the Severn estuary doesn't help it. I have never seen a storm develop over the Severn estuary itself from what I can remember. Usually they form East like over Gloucester. However they can occasionally form in South Wales and drift up here as they did the other year with a more SW wind aloft though that is more dodgy ground IMO. That is my theory anyway.

There may be some truth in that. I've noticed in these southerly setups that storms often form on the S Wales coast from Newport westwards, and around Gloucester, but almost never in between (Chepstow sort of area). That's the bit that's due south of here. The Gloucester ones inevitably end up in Birmingham. (Does the course of the Severn down there send them NE, even when the wind is S or SE?). The Welsh ones are a bit more unpredictable. Many go north and die out over the Brecon Beacons. Some get over them and head straight up the spine of Wales, sometimes getting to Welshpool but always missing Shropshire. Others go over into Herefordshire but either die on hitting the South Shropshire hills, or turn east for Birmingham again. Ones that form around Hereford, which does happen, always behave like that too.

Another area they never form is just north of the Black Mountains/Beacons, Brecon sort of area. On a SWly they would get here as they would miss the killer Shropshire hills to the west, and pass over Shrewsbury. But they never form there, although they can do further north in Mid Wales which feeds NW England. Occasionally they spark up around Knighton, but inevitably die in South Shropshire again. But once in August 2011 we did get a storm off a straight westerly, not normally conducive to them. It was a Mid Wales one that seemed to pick up the Severn and went east, giving us a late night surprise. So that direction can do it, but it's rarely convective enough.

[Cheshire Freeze]

Don't worry Shropshire folk there was nowt here last night either....apart from distant lightning from the cells crossing Stoke to our east. I remember plenty of times when storms have spread up through Shropshire into Cheshire but it hardly ever happens anymore. The issue is that last night things formed just marginally too far east. If that Bournemouth storm had formed just 30 miles further west we'd have been laughing. Unfortunately things always seem to be attracted to the eastern half of the country nowadays. No idea why.

 

If I hadn't had an awesome light show on Wed evening I'd be majorly peeved today after last night's events.

Edited July 4, 2015 by CreweCold

[Snowshine]

Back to reality... North-Westerlies next week!

[Cheshire Freeze]

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow afternoon....

 

The situation tomorrow actually has the potential to put down more water than the storms last night in the areas that receive them as they'll be fairly slow moving and I'm guessing more precipitation will reach ground level. Obviously lightning activity will be less prolific....

[Shane Wheeldon]

I am not getting my hopes up anymore, any showers will either die before they get here then come back to life once they have left or they will miss by a few miles! I had a storm on the witcher 3 earlier even my ps4 is mocking me

[klippieboo]

Not a bad day today. Bit breezy tho. Following the lack of PPN ladt night just had to dump 25 watering cans on the garden

Was looking promising for sunday this morning for shropshire but downgrades again by the looks. At the end of the day everyone has luck now and then with these things but recently be in spring, summer, autumn or winter the last decade has been very poor for snow/storms in shropshire.

But this is the joys of the british weather i suppose.

Thought i would share a pic taken from my home town last night too. (Why did i move lol)

Edited July 4, 2015 by klippieboo

[Costa Del Fal]

Not a bad day today. Bit breezy tho. Following the lack of PPN ladt night just had to dump 25 watering cans on the garden

Was looking promising for sunday this morning for shropshire but downgrades again by the looks. At the end of the day everyone has luck now and then with these things but recently be in spring, summer, autumn or winter the last decade has been very poor for snow/storms in shropshire.

But this is the joys of the british weather i suppose.

Thought i would share a pic taken from my home town last night too. (Why did i move lol)

Where are the downgrades for tomorrow?

[klippieboo]

Where are the downgrades for tomorrow?

was showing alot heavier PPN and meto forecast was thunder for here. Now just light showers

[fazer76]

Thoroughly enjoyable storm yesterday into this very early morning. No side swiper for a change. Sunday pm may prove quite lively still, not the frequent lightning or big hail stuff, odd loud clap and bright flash for some and local torrential rain. Otherwise quite pleasant in any sunny intervals as humidity remains lower than more recently.

[klippieboo]

Looks like meto are predicting another storming performance from shropshires 'all things interesting' weather shield

#GiveUp

[conor123]

Back for a glorious week in sunny Turkey, i'm guessing it's been glorious everyday here while i've been away haha?

Slate grey skies this morning, a fitting welcome home standard Sunday.

[Polar Maritime]

Parts of the Midlands could catch some heavy thundery showers later.

 

[Terminal Moraine]

Parts of the Midlands could catch some heavy thundery showers later.

 

Yes, hopefully P.M it'll hold off until I get back from my bike ride at about 1430. After that we can have a deluge.

 

[Polar Maritime]

Same here T.M, Going to make the most of this morning, May have a walk up to Robin Hoods Stride shortly, Before i set up camp for the afternoon..

Edited July 5, 2015 by Polar Maritime