SE and East Anglia general weather discussion 26/03/2018 onwards

[Methuselah]

Nothing at all last night, not that anything was ever expected...Anywho, today looks like it'll be a hot one; it's already a cloudless, breezy 21C!

[Cableguy]

Close but no cigar last night, decent enough light show from a short distance away, thought today was game on but I must have got it wrong as nothing much forecast

[alexisj9]

All missed me to the north west but all the flashes looked awesome, think I would have been scared had they been over me anyway.

[mike Meehan]

8 hours ago, saint said:

The last twenty minutes have seen a big increase in the amounts of thunder just down the road here in St Albans, with a couple of shotgun claps to go with it. Surprised you guys haven't heard more in Watford. 

Strange really but it is something I have noticed before, sometimes, I'm not sure if it is all but Watford appears to get by passed by the worst best effects of storms but last night the activity started off to our south, then it perked up to our north which would have been St Albans with quite a number of bright flashes. 

I have just checked our fish pool and there has been no real appreciable increase in depth. A bit different to a sudden storm we had at Capestang in Southern France. It occurred during the relatively early morning and in fact I had slept through it. But in the garden there had been an empty bucket and when I checked that it was half full. I guesstimated that some 6 inches had fallen. Somebody had taken a video of a water channel designed to take flood water away - this measured something like about 5 metres across and 5 metres deep and it was virtually full of 'angry swirling water.' 

It does remind me of back in June circa 1984 - I had been transferred to Victoria Street in St Albans and during one afternoon there was a cracker of a storm. One bright flash of lightning was immediately followed by a very loud crack, so that must have been extremely close. 

Sadly that storm caught a number of young lads who had been playing football in a park - when the rain started, they sheltered under a tree and that tree had been struck, killing the lads.

Afterwards you could see the damage to the tree, then an irregular track across the ground which had obviously been caused by the lightning. 

We have double glazing and tend to keep the windows shut at the front because we are on the A41 - I had also taken out my hearing aids, so didn't really hear the thunder. 

I think the topography makes quite a difference - St Albans is slightly higher than where we live and referring back to the south of France, we have the Pyrenees about 60 miles to the south and about 30 miles to the north we have the Massif, then combine that with the higher temperatures we get some real crackers of storms down there often accompanied by really torrential rain.

The worst I ever recall was a bit further south - we had flown to Barcelona then picked up a car to travel north and had just picked up the motorway when I could see heavy clouds ahead, almost with a greenish twinge. 

It was obvious we were driving into a storm but the intensity of it took me by surprise. It rained and hailed so hard that ours and the car in front stopped altogether. All I could see of this car was just the flashing of its hazard lights and although in lane 1, I could not see the hard shoulder. 

[Mark Bayley]

Currently cloudy although the sun is trying to poke through. Hopefully a more more storms during today and later this evening!

[seaside 60]

Did I miss something lol.

Saw the radar for 11pm and went out to clear everything up in the garden expecting a wipe out.

Guess what saw some sheet lighting and then we did not get any rain at all all slid of to the west of us, unbelievable.

So still have to water he garden.

[mike Meehan]

9 minutes ago, alexisj9 said:

All missed me to the north west but all the flashes looked awesome, think I would have been scared had they been over me anyway.

I've never really been scared by lightning, though many years ago there were a number of us at a house party in Tonneins in France - this is situated at a point midway between Bordeaux and Toulouse. 

The house had a swimming pool, quite a large one, it was a hot evening, so I asked the owner for permission to go for a swim, I went in the water to be followed by a number of other people.

There was some lightning which was getting closer with time,  so it did get to a point where I thought it would be prudent to get out of the water. That was quite a good storm with some heavy rain.

The following evening, the mosquitoes had taken advantage and by the river in the town you could see swarms of them like a cloud in the lights of the square. 

It does bring me back to the original point I wanted to make about being scared. We had a dog, who in appearance looked like a small German shepherd but in fact he was a 'street crossing'.

Every time there was a storm he would get absolutely petrified and try and hide in the corner behind the TV - no amount of telling would convince him that he was in more danger there with the wires and the TV itself than the lighting outside. He did it every time and had to be physically pulled away from what he thought was his safe haven. 

[sunnijim]

1 hour ago, Surrey said:

Last night for me was hands down the most active storms I've seen in the UK personally.. Absolutely unreal what a night.. I have to say I was not expecting soemthing like that last week reading the charts.. Absolutely insane 

Ditto to that, although as I said in the convective discussion earlier, imo the context historically would be like this.

For the three pronged cell attack in SE London to get a 10/10 It would be for the continuus deep rumbling thunder from 'way up in the God's' and continuus strobe lightning for 90 minutes.

The third cell had much more in the way of cloud to cloud fork lightning and louder thunder.

It was by no means a classic in terms of CG lightning and 'China cupboard' rattling overhead thunder.

However, a night that will long live in the memory, as will the explosive radar returns as things developed just to the SE of London.

Edited May 27, 2018 by sunnijim

[Norfolk Sheep]

Streaming Ac appearing in the Norwich area now. Warming up and dare I say the wind has less of a cutting edge.

[Jimmyh]

I have a feeling that this will go bang tonite as well less breeze. Heat already going up here in sanderstead. 

 

[alexisj9]

27 minutes ago, mike Meehan said:

I've never really been scared by lightning, though many years ago there were a number of us at a house party in Tonneins in France - this is situated at a point midway between Bordeaux and Toulouse. 

The house had a swimming pool, quite a large one, it was a hot evening, so I asked the owner for permission to go for a swim, I went in the water to be followed by a number of other people.

There was some lightning which was getting closer with time,  so it did get to a point where I thought it would be prudent to get out of the water. That was quite a good storm with some heavy rain.

The following evening, the mosquitoes had taken advantage and by the river in the town you could see swarms of them like a cloud in the lights of the square. 

It does bring me back to the original point I wanted to make about being scared. We had a dog, who in appearance looked like a small German shepherd but in fact he was a 'street crossing'.

Every time there was a storm he would get absolutely petrified and try and hide in the corner behind the TV - no amount of telling would convince him that he was in more danger there with the wires and the TV itself than the lighting outside. He did it every time and had to be physically pulled away from what he thought was his safe haven. 

I'm not scared of lightning unless I'm out side and can't get to shelter, it's the sound I don't like. Lightning it's self is beautiful. All though when it's close by, I do always hope it doesn't hit the house.

[NO LONGER POSTING]

13 minutes ago, Jimmyh said:

I have a feeling that this will go bang tonite as well less breeze. Heat already going up here in sanderstead. 

 

Think the storms today will be slightly further north.. Everyone still unsure on tonight 

[mike Meehan]

14 minutes ago, alexisj9 said:

I'm not scared of lightning unless I'm out side and can't get to shelter, it's the sound I don't like. Lightning it's self is beautiful. All though when it's close by, I do always hope it doesn't hit the house.

I can understand that but one goes with the other. I get fascinated myself and don't ever recall being frightened even though on one occasion had to cycle  5 miles home in a bad storm. 

Apart from getting wet, I reasoned that with the rubber tyres making contact with the road I was relatively safe from anything other than a direct hit, which would have been unlikely. Much safer than stopping and sheltering under a tree.

Like everybody else I do get worried about lightning hitting the house and if I think it is getting too close I start disconnecting things like the TV from the aerial socket and the telephones. 

Edited May 27, 2018 by mike Meehan

[Lauren]

Lovely and humid. Water from last night being evaporated nicely.

[Uxbridge90]

Well yesterday was fantastic, beautiful weather and sunshine followed by an almighty storm! Already up to 24c today, hopefully any storms hold off so I can enjoy the weather!

[Norfolk Sheep]

Still more hopeful than yesterday but it turns v chilly when sun disappears as the wind is very cool and gusty as usual.

[alexisj9]

Yep I think it's you guys turn today. Not sure about us down south, guess we'll see.

[Lauren]

Clouded over and temperature drop. Not sure I'm feeling this for tonight.

[yamkin]

 

[alexisj9]

6 minutes ago, Lauren said:

Clouded over and temperature drop. Not sure I'm feeling this for tonight.

Same here although there's still some blue sky and sun too, but temperature drop 19.2 down from 22.6

[crazy_diamond]

Well, we eventually got the thunder and rain! One boom was so loud it’s vibration activated my Apple Watch that was on the bedside cabinet. Such a tiny glow amid a spectacular display of nature’s power. 

[Met4Cast]

Last night was hands down the most incredible storm I've ever witnessed. 

Constant lightning for about 1-2 hours, less than 1 second gap between the flashes, quite, distant sounding thunder for the most part because of how elevated the storms were but there were 2 deafening booms, so loud they set car alarms off all over the place.

The rain, lasted about 10 minutes but it was enough to cause flash flooding at the bottom of the hill, quite incredible really. Sunny all day yesterday, a massive storm and then sunny today followed by potentially more storms later this evening (London North-Westwards towards Wales looks a good bet)

Amazing. If this is a precursor to summer, I think we'll all be happy.

[UxbridgeSnow]

Apart from the Jul 2015 storm, last night's storm was the most active I have witnessed in the UK. Second cell hit and the house literally shook. There was a particularly very strong pulse of rain, with lighting and cracks of thunder over us, followed by about 2 minutes of hail, pea sized. Way too much water for the drains to handle. Literally a monsoon flowing, with hail floating on top. Wish I could have got a picture. 

Today does feel very humid.

[Mesoscale]

Last nights storms where pretty good but we didn't get much rain, constant flickering but because the storms where elevated the thunder wasn't that loud. Hopefully today is rinse and repeat. 

[alexisj9]

3 minutes ago, Mesoscale said:

Last nights storms where pretty good but we didn't get much rain, constant flickering but because the storms where elevated the thunder wasn't that loud. Hopefully today is rinse and repeat. 

Just hope it doesn't miss this corner this time.