Thunderstorms

Snowbie · 28-12-2007 3:52pm #1

Continue to post here in the event of all things thunderstorm related,wheather it be radar,maps,charts,forecasts or just simple discussions.
Weather pics(clouds,lightning) in attachments only are allowed here otherwise use [thread=2055050139]Weather pics 2007[/thread] for your snaps.
Over the months you will find some variables or terms describing suitability of storms which are:
CAPE - This is the amount of potential energy in the atmosphere. High CAPE will indicate a high chance of thunderstorms.
LI - Lifted Index (LI) displays the 'trigger' potential at the surface to initiate unstable conditions. A low or negative LI will indicate conditions for thunderstorms are favourable.
Cb-Cumulonimbus or thundercloud.
Anvil-Where the top of the Cb reaches the stratosphere and spreads out like a flat top.
Cell or Supercell-An individual storm or a violent storm.
Squall line-Multi cellular organised storms forming in a line usually ahead or parallel to cold fronts.
Embedded Storms-Storms that are contained in overcast conditions
Convection-Warm air rising,cools,condenses forming cumuli clouds.
Orographic lift-Low level winds are forced to rise against rising terrain ie:mountains.Prevailing wind on a hot summers day,this lift can produce rapid convection.
Convergence zone-usually refers to a region in the atmosphere where two prevailing winds meet and interact, usually resulting in turbulent weather.
Lapse rate steepeing-is another fancy term for instability.
Sferics-Sound of low-frequency radio signals that derive from lightning strikes.Common terms would be strikes or strokes.
Some useful links
http://www.irlweather.com

http://www.gyweather.com/

http://www.isleofwightweather.co.uk/live_storm_data_sound.htm

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Rsfloc.html

Estofex

http://www.blitzortung.org/index.php?mode=0&map=5&lang=e

http://www.nowcast.co.uk/lightning/

http://meteocentre.com/lightning/map_sfuk.php?time=0&lang=en&map=Europe

http://www.estofex.org/guide/

If anyone has any more feel free to post them.

Snowbie · 28-12-2007 3:56pm

Started this new thread (with the above links and guidelines to be of help) as the other thread got huge.

A rash of convection across the country this afternoon and has go black dark here.No sferics detected but a couple of pulse type storms might break out.

Takeshi_Kovacs · 28-12-2007 4:26pm

We have had some very heavy thunderstorm like rain all day, but no lightning as of yet. At times it was like a monsoon it was so heavy, and i've seen a few rivers starting to flood surrounding fields. Was up near Carrauntuohil this morning, and the rivers coming of it were something else, you'd get great value for money if you brought a canoe out

Kippure · 28-12-2007 4:26pm

Massive clap of thunder, and lightning, The place has gone black, heavy rain aswell. Wasnt expecting this.

DOCARCH · 28-12-2007 5:26pm

Kippure wrote: »

Massive clap of thunder, and lightning, The place has gone black, heavy rain aswell. Wasnt expecting this.

Ditto with 3.3mm of rain in that shower! A few nice looking anvils out there earlier.

djhaxman · 28-12-2007 5:59pm

Just had a fairly heavy shower here, sheet lightning, a bolt so close I hardly had time to count to one before the loud clap of thunder, unfortunately that was about it, a few more distant rumbles

Snowbie · 28-12-2007 6:01pm

Lightning to the west of here,say more near the Blanch area.

hellboy99 · 28-12-2007 6:02pm

Thunderstorm about an hour ago in Newry.

djhaxman · 28-12-2007 6:04pm

Snowbie wrote: »

Lightning to the west of here,say more near the Blanch area.

Yeah that's the way that shower we had here was heading

Weather BOFH · 28-12-2007 6:34pm

Thought I heard a rumble down in Tallaght earlier but wasn't aware there was a risk of thunder so dismissed it, may well have been though!

Some heavy downpours in the last two hours, 4.1mm in total.

sirpsycho · 28-12-2007 7:15pm

huge downpour in balbriggan around 5-ish. seen one big flash too

Trogdor · 28-12-2007 7:30pm

Saw one huge flash to my North when i was in Wicklow town about an hour and a half ago.

Dirk Gently · 28-12-2007 8:19pm

I seen one of the most spectacular flashes I've ever seen this evening at about 17:30. Came a couple of minutes into a heavy down pour and it was an absolutely huge double fork, taking up nearly all of the sky that I could see to the north. It made picking that moment to go the shops and get soaked worthwhile. (Finglas area).

rc28 · 28-12-2007 9:35pm

I was in town today where I saw nothing but very heavy rain(there may have been thunder while i was in a shopping centre though) and seriously dark skies but apparently out here in meath ,while I was out, there was quite a thunderstorm. There was fork lightning, very strong winds and torrential rain. There is some debris on the roads and a telephone pole and phone wires came down near my house.

lucernarian · 28-12-2007 11:08pm

I saw and heard that lightning strike today at about 3.30 pm. I'd say it was over Clonskeagh or that area. It was pretty close to me anyway.

Snowbie · 08-01-2008 4:57pm

I have picked up a few strikes around the midlands. Not severe but there nonetheless.

Heavy rain falling but no lightning

Weather BOFH · 08-01-2008 5:04pm

Massive flash and huge rumble out here in Citywest just now! You could hear the flash over the PA system here in work and the floor shaking with the rumble a second or two later.

08-01-2008 5:10pm

We had lightning here about 10 minutes ago.
The wind is howling down here now.

rc28 · 08-01-2008 5:16pm

Lashing, almost torrential, rain with more and more sleet mixed in though. Big clap of thunder just there too. 2.5c

squonk · 08-01-2008 5:18pm

Just had a torrential downpour here as well. No lightening and the temps still feel relatively mild. Certainly not like the 2.5 from Meath. Nothing much in the way of wind yet either, just blustery during the rain is all.

Snowbie · 08-01-2008 5:21pm

nemonoid wrote: »

Massive flash and huge rumble out here in Citywest just now! You could hear the flash over the PA system here in work and the floor shaking with the rumble a second or two later.

Picked that one up on my detector,nothing here.A few more sporadic strikes captured.

Trogdor · 08-01-2008 5:34pm

One clap of thunder here. Just had the worst drenching of the last few years at least. As soon as I left the DART station it started to piss down and then it turned to hail. All the roads were flooded and the traffic had to stop and I was wet to the skin through three layers! When I got in the door I releasied that the pockets in my hoodie had filled up with hail:p
EDIT: Another strike just now

squonk · 08-01-2008 5:37pm

Temps really dropping int he past 20 mins or so here. Wind rising.... bucketing it down at the moment.

Snowbie · 08-01-2008 6:20pm

A few bright sparks out over the sea just now.

DOCARCH · 09-01-2008 5:23pm

Thunderstorm reported at Valentia at 16.00 - looking at the lightning detectors there appears to be a bit activity over Munster at the back end of the rain band.

Paddy.1 · 09-01-2008 6:09pm

Just heard that on the radio. Where could one see lightning reports?. Most of the links I have seem to be stuck on 11th december.

squonk · 09-01-2008 6:16pm

Live lightening data... not the most frequently updated but good in general.
http://www.meteorologica.info/freedata_lightning.htm

Paddy.1 · 09-01-2008 6:18pm

squonk wrote: »

Live lightening data... not the most frequently updated but good in general.
http://www.meteorologica.info/freedata_lightning.htm

Cheers for that, I wonder will them storm be strong enough to keep going as they move inland.

squonk · 15-01-2008 12:07pm

Might be worth keeping an eye on the lightening detectors today. Seems to be a bit of activity around. Those heavier showers promised later soun interesting.

Snowbie · 15-01-2008 12:21pm

squonk wrote: »

Might be worth keeping an eye on the lightening detectors today. Seems to be a bit of activity around. Those heavier showers promised later soun interesting.

Thread already created about TS,merged your thread with this.

I think only pulse type stuff in the heavier showers out west,cape is low but there is some LI (lift).
Worth keeping an eye on as Winter storms are kinda hard to predict.Little or no convection over land so the windward coasts are vulnerable to these at this time of year,in this case the West.

Snowbie · 16-01-2008 12:16am

A couple of strikes out near Clare/Limerick areas movind inland.

Thunderstorms

Comments