Storm & Convective Discussion - 1 September 2015 onwards

[IanR]

Thats it, I am moving to France,  sick of Sh**ty  Blighty 

Edited October 28, 2015 by IanR

[Rain123]

Thats it, I am moving to France,  sick of Sh**ty  Blighty 

That doesn't sound like a bad idea!

[Mokidugway]

That doesn't sound like a bad idea!

I'm think of doing that or California .....

[Supacell]

I'm think of doing that or California ... ..

 

Thunderstorms in California are almost non-existent, but there is obviously sunshine aplenty. I would move to central Florida.

[Thunderbolt_]

I last went to Florida in August 2013, and that was an extremely thundery month. In the 14 days that I was there, there was 16 thunderstorms. The video below is actually one of the storms that I recorded on the evening of 18 August 2013.

 

The lightning strike at 1:38 actually knocked the power out!

 

Edited October 29, 2015 by Thunderbolt_

[Mokidugway]

Thunderstorms in California are almost non-existent, but there is obviously sunshine aplenty. I would move to central Florida.

I know ,but Arizona and Utah are quite near ..

[Spikecollie]

Thats it, I am moving to France,  sick of Sh**ty  Blighty 

All good thinking, but this is a very big country! I'm in a continental climate zone here in Limousin, theoretically, but it never behaves predictably (it's 16c outside now, hmmm). Down south you have the Mediterranean and the regions between the Alps and the Med., which most people idealise as sunny, smooth seas and lavender fields , but which at this time of year has some of the most unpredictably violent weather around - just look at the deaths last month. You could pick Normandie, which can either be quite British and rather drab in winter or be on constant coastal flood alert, but it gets far bigger storms and hailstones than we do here in the middle of France! Or the Chalons en Champagne region - best for supercells. Chamonix area for the snow, Bordeaux region for the sun and Atlantic beaches, but so often has been ravaged by storms from the Bay of Biscay.

 

If you want to move somewhere, spend time there at all times of the year like we did. A loving relationship develops over time. Never move for just one thing, like weather, because it will fail you in its unpredictability when you most need it. Move for culture (however you define it), for your health (to get out on your bike more, to have a longer wild swimming season), for the shape of the landscape, for the neighbours and friends you get to know from frequent visits. Then you can enjoy the thunderstorms when they happen, from somewhere you belong.

 

No storms today BTW...a morning of mist and mellow fruitfulness as I drove to Poitiers, followed by lunch outside with my students in 21c! Long may it last...

[Thunderbolt_]

All good thinking, but this is a very big country! I'm in a continental climate zone here in Limousin, theoretically, but it never behaves predictably (it's 16c outside now, hmmm). Down south you have the Mediterranean and the regions between the Alps and the Med., which most people idealise as sunny, smooth seas and lavender fields , but which at this time of year has some of the most unpredictably violent weather around - just look at the deaths last month. You could pick Normandie, which can either be quite British and rather drab in winter or be on constant coastal flood alert, but it gets far bigger storms and hailstones than we do here in the middle of France! Or the Chalons en Champagne region - best for supercells. Chamonix area for the snow, Bordeaux region for the sun and Atlantic beaches, but so often has been ravaged by storms from the Bay of Biscay.

 

If you want to move somewhere, spend time there at all times of the year like we did. A loving relationship develops over time. Never move for just one thing, like weather, because it will fail you in its unpredictability when you most need it. Move for culture (however you define it), for your health (to get out on your bike more, to have a longer wild swimming season), for the shape of the landscape, for the neighbours and friends you get to know from frequent visits. Then you can enjoy the thunderstorms when they happen, from somewhere you belong.

 

No storms today BTW...a morning of mist and mellow fruitfulness as I drove to Poitiers, followed by lunch outside with my students in 21c! Long may it last...

 

I'll settle for Central Florida to be honest. Very hot with some large and violent thunderstorms in the summer and autumn, and then warm and sunny in the winter and spring. There also the extra bonus of not having to bother learning a new language either.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Thunderbolt_

[Ravelin]

I'll settle for Central Florida to be honest. Very hot with some large and violent thunderstorms in the summer and autumn, and then warm and sunny in the winter and spring. There also the extra bonus of not having to bother learning a new language either.

 

Tried it for 3yrs, not for me. The winters were more than pleasant but even once acclimatized the summers are awful. It's not the heat per se, but the heat combined with very high humidity that makes it so unpleasant. You really do become a slave to air conditioning for several months of the year.

 

The thunderstorms were one consolation, quite spectacular at times.

 

Oh, and don't think you don't need to bother learning a new language....

[Rain123]

Right - apparently some heavy and 'potentially thundery' showers pushing out of France tonight. Thoughts?

[Nick F]

Right - apparently some heavy and 'potentially thundery' showers pushing out of France tonight. Thoughts?

 

Upper cold pool slowly drifts northeast across SE Britain over next 12-24hrs atop an increasingly moist southerly surface flow - which will steepen lapse rates tonight and into Wednesday, with GFS indicating a few 100 j/kg CAPE spreading onshore across SE England early tomorrow afternoon:

 

 

So potential for the odd rumble of thunder from the heavier showers expected through tomorrow.

 

Same cold pool has destabilised the relatively warm/moist airmass over west central France this evening,

 

 

...though, as often in the summer too, lightning seems to have died as the mass of rain from these earlier storms heads across the English Channel.

 

Strange seeing this unstable set-up from the south in November, as it's much like a summer thundery plume set-up with low moving NE out of Biscay destabilising the plume, particularly earlier over France earlier before the storms die as they get wind of the Channel!

[Rain123]

Upper cold pool slowly drifts northeast across SE Britain over next 12-24hrs atop an increasingly moist southerly surface flow - which will steepen lapse rates tonight and into Wednesday, with GFS indicating a few 100 j/kg CAPE spreading onshore across SE England early tomorrow afternoon:

 

cape_w12z.png

 

So potential for the odd rumble of thunder from the heavier showers expected through tomorrow.

 

Same cold pool has destabilised the relatively warm/moist airmass over west central France this evening,

 

France sferics 19z 031115.png

 

...though, as often in the summer too, lightning seems to have died as the mass of rain from these earlier storms heads across the English Channel.

 

Strange seeing this unstable set-up from the south in November, as it's much like a summer thundery plume set-up with low moving NE out of Biscay destabilising the plume, particularly earlier over France earlier before the storms die as they get wind of the Channel!

Wow - a bit late, but many thanks.

[alexisj9]

Right - apparently some heavy and 'potentially thundery' showers pushing out of France tonight. Thoughts?

Well we had the heavy showers for sure, but if any of them had thunder I slept through it.

[Flash bang flash bang etc]

Estofex issuing a level 1 for today right across the UK - 200-300kj CAPE potentially with the jet giving us good shear and the wind to power it all up nicely.

Let's see what happens, maybe we'll get a flash or two this avo

[Greeny]

http://www.torro.org.uk/forecast.php

Torro issuing a tornado watch and convective discussion for today.

[Chris.R]

http://www.torro.org.uk/forecast.php

Torro issuing a tornado watch and convective discussion for today.

That looks interesting for my location. I'll keep an eye out.

[Rain123]

Looks like some sort of lively squall line crossing west-east over south england tomorrow... 

Thoughts?

[Thunderbolt_]

We could be in for quite a convective day tomorrow, as an incursion of pretty chilly Pm air is dragged across the UK behind Storm Abigail. There will be slight to moderate instability along coastal areas due to sea-based convection, as the cool Pm air moves over the relatively warm sea. There is also some very strong deep-layer wind shear from the jet stream running through the country and some very steep lapse rates too.

 

 

I'd expect western coastlines to be in for a pretty good chance of seeing some hefty thundery showers tomorrow afternoon.

[Cloud 10]

Looks like a squall line about to hit the NE.

 

[Weather-history]

Feels like ages ago since we had convective skies

[Supacell]

An intense looking squall line passing east/southeast through the southeast Midlands and East Anglia currently with some recent strikes in north Norfolk.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Supacell

[alexisj9]

An intense looking squall line passing east/southeast through the southeast Midlands and East Anglia currently with some recent strikes in north Norfolk.

Great need to pop out in a min, will probably get caught in that.

 

Edit lol never mind, just looked at radar was thinking of the wrong bit of rain. The stuff heading here looks like it's breaking up.

Edited November 18, 2015 by alexisj9

[Weather-history]

A squall line passed just before noon.

[Weather-history]

Showery afternoon

[Chris W]

Thought I'd drop in and share, at the risk of potentially riling you during the winter storm drought but you might still like to see this - 2 supercells in Canterbury yesterday after an entire spring of no storms.  At least one tornado and marble-sized hail that has ravaged my veggie garden!  Photos at the link below:

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/75057881/hail-gone-but-thunder-may-return-in-christchurch.html

 

Here's a panoramic I took of the second one approaching: