Thunderstorms

Snowbie

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

New shiny thread.
If anyone has anymore links(sferics,sats or other detectors etc),feel free to post them up here as i will keep them in OP.

Snowbie

Cape and LI favourable tomorrow for pulse type storms almost anywhere for thursday.At the mo forecast cape here for Dublin in mid 500s j/kg.Not great but a few sparks cant be ruled out.More favourable conditions late afternoon.

ninebeanrows

A number of hefty showers developing this afternoon with thunderstorms over Northwestern and Northern Ireland at the moment.

Some intense echoes on the radar, everything is headed in a west to east direction.;)

fatherdougalmag

God's skateboarding the skies in Citywest.

squonk

Looks like a thunderstorm out here in Clondalkin now. Thought I heard a rumble or two earlier about 5 minutes ago but their was quite a bang just now. It's gone quite dark too.

Weather BOFH

Just had a flash and rumble out here in Citywest!

PauloMN

Intense storm in Glasnevin right now. Crazy heavy rain, thunder and lightning. Never seen the likes.

Snowbie

Yep picking them up on the detector,a couple of flashes here atm.

squonk

Snowbie wrote:

Yep picking them up on the detector,a couple of flashes here atm.

Great detector Snowbie. Works really well and it's very accurate.

v-deniso

Repeated flashes and thunder here in Tallaght

darkman2

Thunder and lightening here atm. Not particularly heavy rain yet.

Mobhi1

Flashes and very loud thunder now near city centre (D8).

one loud rumble of thunder down here in the last few minutes at the tail end of a shower.

rc28

No thunder here yet but some very heavy downpours and then clear blue skies, like April showers...in July

Another couple of short booms.
Quite a distance away this time-possibly in mothmans direction.

sirpsycho

slightly off topic but i see the UK is getting battered sideways with rain and some thunderstorms. nasty looking radar (http://www.metoffice.com/weather/europe/uk/radar/) at the minute.

sirpsycho

Savage detector snowbie! didnt realise you were back up and running.

Pherekydes

A bright flash directly overhead (or so it seemed) at about 3 PM approaching the Kingswood flyover from the Lucan side on my bike, followed by a tremendous crash, followed by a distinct smell of ozone. It seemed bloody close (and bloody stupid) at the time.

rc28

Rumbles of thunder coming from a very impressive looking shower to my west/nw, gonzo in dunshaughlin would have a better view than me.

Snowbie

rc28 wrote:

Rumbles of thunder coming from a very impressive looking shower to my west/nw, gonzo in dunshaughlin would have a better view than me.

Picking them up rc,just exploded into life there with alot of intracloud strikes within a minute.Looks like a good storm.

Supercell

There's a huge CB cloud to the north of me here. Just light drizzle here, looks very dark further north with mamattus on its edges here, artictree, whats it like with you?

Snowbie

There is a massive one here to my west coming over me as i type.

Snowbie

Another rumble of thunder to my SE.

rc28

We had a prolonged downpour with a few more rumbles but not too near. Did anyone see on the news there the massive amount of hail that fell in donegal? The footage showed it built up on the sides of roads but most of it had melted by the time the camera crew arrived. It should be up on their website later so i'll post a link then.

fatherdougalmag

Slow coach wrote:

A bright flash directly overhead ... followed by a tremendous crash, followed by a distinct smell of ozone.

Ah right. Ozone. Yes, I must go for an ozone myself later.



There's a scary cloud to the west of Co. Dublin traveling north. Gas thing is, there isn't a breeze down here at ground level but the lower cloud decks are whizzing along.

Hal1

The sun was shining when I got home and I could see dark clouds in the distance but getting closer they where. 20 minutes or so later the black clouds opened up a really heavy downpour, some rumbles could be heard too. Just as it passed an unmercyfull crack of thunder could be heard and lasted 15 - 20 seconds.

Pherekydes

fatherdougalmag wrote:

Ah right. Ozone. Yes, I must go for an ozone myself later.

Ok, it wasn't the ozone:

The odor from a lightning strike is from ions produced during the rapid chemical changes, not the ozone itself

ninebeanrows

Either theres an earthquake here or the storm to my north is huge

The ground shaking, presume its thunder.. but man that must of been an intense ground strike.

lucernarian

Thunder and some flashes here at about 2.45 pm. I was speaking to someone who was in DCU on the mobile and there was also thunder down there at the time.

Lots of dark walls and cb's around since noon.
There have been a few quick sharp downpours nearby.
In fact theres great structure/artistry to the clouds today.

(I feel so nerdy with this post)