No Storms Club 2016

[Severe Blizzard]

A TRULY DREADFUL WEEK.

Guildford missed by all the interesting thundery weather - yet again. 

One annoying situation after another. Getting thoroughly bored with completing my 'thunder bust' Excel spreadsheet on a daily basis. A horrid June in 2015 - A horrid June in 2016 - when will it change?

If Guildford area had a bad history of missing out on storms then I would expect to have the garbage suffered in the last two summers (and years) but records show this area can be visited by some pretty impressive events even in awful years like the last two. 

It would not be so bad if it was like the olden days with 5 or 6 days thunder heard in a month with probably one or two good storms even if other locations are getting more than us. Having to see others get 7~8 days thunder or more in a month (more than our entire YEARLY total in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015) while I witness virtually nothing is infuriating and becoming more than tiresome and extremely boring. I know what I will be writing on my Climatological Observers Link and Weather Observers Network returns this month! 

Sick to death of the cloying humid muck that only feeds other peoples storms and watching the lightning map lighting up like a Christmas tree every evening then reading peoples gloating remarks about their successes in the appropriate threads. It wouldn't be so bad if there was a consolation 'prize'. A few years back (Summer 1996 comes to mind) when a certain situation failed and local areas missed out then there would often be a nice surprise with unexpected thundery activity in the 'unsettled' cooler showery weather which arrived after the failure of the plume or heatwave breakdown. Not anymore. Boring drizzle is predicted and that is what we get. A high chance of thunder is forecast and we still get drizzle.

Days like today, Sunday 12th, are the worst - cloying humidity to work in, everyone being stressy and irritable and taking it out on staff like me - yes, we all have frustrations, me included, yet I don't bite off a member of staffs head because I am having a month like June 2016 inflicted on me. I want to hear thunder - not be assaulted by thumping 'music' noise issuing from car windows rolled down and the stink of bbq and fag fumes drifting everywhere. It is very annoying that 3 days running certain areas have had surprise storms - this never happens here anymore - what we get forecast when it is a likely 'bust' is what we get.  

I know all to well what will happen later in this record breaking convective year (yer right) - the rest of June will go cooler (at least getting rid of that humid filth) with no activity anywhere then the rest of the year will be 'quiet' with virtually everywhere except a certain area to the southwest of London saying it was a good year while it lasted and where I have to be the one comes out empty handed yet again.   

Some individuals have had multiple storms already this year and are STILL NOT SATISFIED and want more. Spare a thought for the poor b*gg*r living in Guildford who has not enjoyed any decent thunderstorm activity for almost two years now plus had to suffer two snow-less winters too. Guildford has become the worst part of the UK to live if one wants any action in the weather more than drizzle, wind, humidity or cloud. 

Sorry for this IMBY post - it has been a stressful week and I am really ready to let rip. SDS - storm deprivation syndrome is not pleasant. Well and truly in the no storms club - wish I could find some more posters in here. Is the lack of posters due to everyone getting such a good year for storms? Sorry I am not light-hearted about this but my love of severe weather is my life and the crap suffered in the last 20 months or so kicks me where it really hurts. I have done a blog on Net Weather summarising what a disgrace this year has been - started in April in anticipation of another horrid year but hoping otherwise. My wishes for GOOD things never seem to come true and materialise.     

Wish I could meet someone with who I could storm chase in USA as I am seriously thinking about this possibility next year. 

[IanR]

i know how you feel, although we have had a few sporadic rumbles and flashes here so far in 2016 , its been nothing out of the ordinary, and not a patch on the activity we used to get in the 80's 

[Norfolk Sheep]

Definitely feel your pain despite everyone saying Norfolk has had a great start to the season - no, it hasn't. Dreadful doesn't describe it - one distant rumble of thunder in April sometime nothing since. Last year was not too bad with 2 decent night storms and one or two popcorn events here and there but overall dire, not just for storms but general weather - mostly dull and grey with a N'ly breeze for much of May and the beginning of June. At the moment we have light drizzle with any action far to the south in Essex. I haven't bothered taking my camera with me for months!

[Dami]

I can finally sigh out of here for now after 2 storms in a week, but keep my seat warm

[I Cumbria Marra I]

Haven't even been close to any thunder this year, haven't had a thunderstorm with more than 2 strikes a minute for years, absolutely genk.

[Shane Wheeldon]

While some places have had some epic storms, here in Telford it has been pretty meh. I did hear a couple of rumbles while in Blackpool last week but that's about it! I remember when we used to get storm after storm, they would rumble on into the night. These days round here you get a rumble then the cell deteriorates, once it has past it reignites! So frustrating! We had an epic storm last year, it was the 1st decent storm to hit these parts in a couple of years! The way this year has started for some areas in the Midlands the law of averages has got to give us at least one storm to remember?! If i am still here come September then we have been very unlucky in Telford! 

[Snowyowl9]

I was never expecting any thunder this weekened here,was expecting bigger shower clouds than I expected to see though,too cool.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Snowyowl9

[Shane Wheeldon]

Wonder if i will still be in here by the end of the week??!! If we dont get anything in this neck of the woods tonight/tomorrow then i think its time to find a new passion Ha-Ha!

 Its just so frustrating to see storms build over you then just erupt 10 miles up the road, or see something approaching on the radar then it dies a death, then 10 miles up the road comes back to life! So fingers crossed that i can have my BBQ for a few hours this evening then watch some cloud fireworks in to the night :-)

[cheese]

12 hours ago, Shane Wheeldon said:

Wonder if i will still be in here by the end of the week??!! If we dont get anything in this neck of the woods tonight/tomorrow then i think its time to find a new passion Ha-Ha!

 Its just so frustrating to see storms build over you then just erupt 10 miles up the road, or see something approaching on the radar then it dies a death, then 10 miles up the road comes back to life! So fingers crossed that i can have my BBQ for a few hours this evening then watch some cloud fireworks in to the night :-)

I'm not expecting anything here. We'll have 28-30C temps, 20-21C dew points and high CAPE levels but it just won't be enough to spark anything in this locale. Why is it these days that the least thundery areas of the country on average seem to be getting the most impressive storms of late? It was the same with last year's supercell over the Yorkshire Dales. Meanwhile, we had to endure this heat for nothing.

We have literally had one day of thunder this year - back in April. Not even a distant rumble sine then, let alone anything resembling a storm. I'm genuinely starting to think that this summer could be our first ever without thunder. I just don't know what it takes anymore. Either way, I'll be on here tomorrow afternoon confirming that we haven't had a thunderstorm, that much is certain.

Edited July 19, 2016 by cheese

[Shane Wheeldon]

8 hours ago, cheese said:

I'm not expecting anything here. We'll have 28-30C temps, 20-21C dew points and high CAPE levels but it just won't be enough to spark anything in this locale. Why is it these days that the least thundery areas of the country on average seem to be getting the most impressive storms of late? It was the same with last year's supercell over the Yorkshire Dales. Meanwhile, we had to endure this heat for nothing.

We have literally had one day of thunder this year - back in April. Not even a distant rumble sine then, let alone anything resembling a storm. I'm genuinely starting to think that this summer could be our first ever without thunder. I just don't know what it takes anymore. Either way, I'll be on here tomorrow afternoon confirming that we haven't had a thunderstorm, that much is certain.

I feel your pain! Its been like that round here, the lightning map that was doing the rounds for June a few weeks back painted a perfect picture, you could make Telford out on the map it was one of the very few places to register 0 days of thunder. Looks like we have miss out again round here as the main bulk is currently giving parts of Wales a lighy show, but if anything did happed i would still miss it because i have work soon. Hope you get to see something today :-) 

Edited July 20, 2016 by Shane Wheeldon
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[NUT]

Proud to say i'm no longer a member of the NSC club for this year after this morning's fun and games

[Shane Wheeldon]

Still here, rather frustrating some areas get storm after storm and the same areas miss out time and time again! Been a storm lover and been unable to drive sucks! 

[Azazel]

worst year for sunshine and worst year for storms here in living memory.

 

Absolutely nothing IMBY

[Azazel]

I honestly don't recall a summer as quiet as this one for storms. Just lots of benign nothingness:(

[carinthian]

Morning all, another cool cloudy start in the Austrian Alps. Intense electrical storm due SW of here south of the Dolomites around Treviso way.

 C

[MP-R]

I'm obviously not in the NSC as this year was half decent up until June, but since then I've almost forgotten that we've had storm activity here this year as June and July have been completely void of thunder! I think that's the first time since I began taking records that neither June nor July have registered a thunderstorm at this location. August may follow suit if it turns out anticyclonic for most of the month. Could do with an August 2005 style thundery breakdown to close the summer. 

[Raidan]

2 hours ago, MP-R said:

I'm obviously not in the NSC as this year was half decent up until June, but since then I've almost forgotten that we've had storm activity here this year as June and July have been completely void of thunder! I think that's the first time since I began taking records that neither June nor July have registered a thunderstorm at this location. August may follow suit if it turns out anticyclonic for most of the month. Could do with an August 2005 style thundery breakdown to close the summer. 

Same here not a single flash or rumble this summer, there were a few storms here in the early months of this year but since there has been absolutely nothing even plume events produce nothing, hopefully im moving to the SE next year not for storm reasons but when there are storms forecast i will be more likely to see see something there than in the SW.

[MP-R]

24 minutes ago, Raidan said:

Same here not a single flash or rumble this summer, there were a few storms here in the early months of this year but since there has been absolutely nothing even plume events produce nothing, hopefully im moving to the SE next year not for storm reasons but when there are storms forecast i will be more likely to see see something there than in the SW.

Oh fair enough. You'll have to pick where you go in the southeast haha. I lived in Egham for three years and it was probably less thundery than here. In fact, other than warmer (better) summer weather most of the time, I actually found the weather in the southeast incredibly boring compared to here.

[cheese]

Still in here unfortunately. Not a single rumble of thunder this summer, and literally only one day of thunder all year.

I'm struggling to think of a year as bad as this for thunder locally.

[IanR]

four possibly five thunder days here, about the yearly average,  but i had horrible feeling we used up the qota by early june,  seems we have . expecting nothing here now until 2017

[PersianPaladin]

Up here in the north-east of England - namely County Durham, there have been at least a couple of occasions this year with some decent storm activity. None of them occuring in my area though, as per usual. There is a storm-shield or force-field around Durham City, keeping overhead lightning away. Doesn't matter how good conditions are regionally, you can guarantee that any cell from the west or the south-west will fizzle as it crosses here, or....INFURIATINGLY....weaken over me whilst strengthening on the western or eastern flank, or entirely weaken and then invigorate again once the drizzle and odd rumble have crossed over. I had a good mind to study the possible micro-climate factors that led to this continual block against storms, but got too depressed to bother. If however, a storm happens to encroach from the south-east (very rare mind), then it's sometimes impressive. But these usually happen outside summer. 

 

[Reubinator]

Okay, I don't know if this is some kind of record... but here in Grimsby... I have literally not even heard a single rumble of thunder this YEAR... not even joking! And I don't just mean the summer months like others are saying... I mean all year! It's actually quite incredible (especially for a place located in Lincolnshire which supposedly is the storm capital of the UK.... although all the storms tend to miss us anyway, they go on in the southern and Wolds parts of the county!) I often think it's something to do with our unusual position on the coast of the Humber Estuary.

Although if this counts, I did randomly wake up one morning this year (I think it was possibly around mid-June), and there was heavy rain outside... so I decided to check on the radar and there had been a few strikes just off the Grimsby Docks (I don't know whether I subconsciously heard them and that's why I woke up). I asked other people if they'd heard anything and yes they said they'd heard two rumbles... however the people I asked live much closer to the Docks than I... I live in south-western Grimsby on the Nunsthorpe estate which is a lot more inland, so for all I know, the rumbles might have not even occurred here... which if so, would make this a completely thunder-less year so far. Really is unbelievable... never known a year like it.

Edited August 26, 2016 by Reubinator

[Shane Wheeldon]

Yawn!! Another day passed with potential yesterday and nothing. Seems to be a recurring theme of the 'summer' i have lost count the days with potential this year which have failed to deliver! 

[davehsug]

Looking like the usual stormless summer here again. A couple of showers with a rumble, but nothing close to a storm. No point being that disappointed, it is to be expected.

[PersianPaladin]

Looks like north-east england, at least my neck of the woods anyway - will be getting sloppy-seconds of heavy rain with the odd rumble if lucky.