[summer '85]

Its that time again to wheel the annual "thundery" rain thread.  [hehe]

When the forecasters ever mention "thundery rain" in a forecast, for me it almost a guarantee that you will not here thunder! It has become a misnomer like Bombay Duck. So why say it?

For the general public who are not interested in the weather to the degree members on here do,  if I heard "thundery" rain mentioned in a forecast, I would expect to here thunder and rather frequently at that.

As for thundery showers, what is the difference between a thundery shower and a small thunderstorm, the diffference between thundery showers and showers, heavy with thunder?  [cg]

 

[cedwa30]

Not a big fan of that term 'thundery rain' personally. I have also heard forecasters use the term 'wintry showers' - very non specific! How hard can it be - either Snow, Sleet or Hail! One of the new BBC forecasters uses the word 'clagg' - now what on earth is that condition?

[PaulKn]

I'm also not a fan, but use the terms sometimes in forecasts, as, with small word counts, it fits in much easier than "rain with embedded thunderstorms"!

[Matt D]

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summer '85 - 4/5/2006 10:18

Its that time again to wheel the annual "thundery" rain thread.  [hehe]

When the forecasters ever mention "thundery rain" in a forecast, for me it almost a guarantee that you will not here thunder! It has become a misnomer like Bombay Duck. So why say it?

For the general public who are not interested in the weather to the degree members on here do,  if I heard "thundery" rain mentioned in a forecast, I would expect to here thunder and rather frequently at that.

As for thundery showers, what is the difference between a thundery shower and a small thunderstorm, the diffference between thundery showers and showers, heavy with thunder?  [cg]

 

I agree that the term thundery rain is rather vauge. It often seems to crop up on forecasts when we have areas of heavy rain with the risk of a few embedded thunderstorms (probably what some parts of the UK may see over the coming weekend). As you say, what tends to happen is that most places have heavy rain and just a few (if any sometimes) have a thunderstorm!

As far as thundery showers goes, when writing a forecast text to a strict word count-it takes up hald the amount of words as showers, heavy with thunder! ;) But if the forecaster has more word count available to him/her, then perhaps some likelihood of the chance of thunder within the showers should be given:

e.g. heavy showers will develop later, with the small risk of a thunderstorm.

Showers will become frequent and widespread, many of them heavy with hail and thunder.

[summer '85]

 

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PaulKn - 3/5/2006 11:22 , , as, with small word counts, it fits in much easier than "rain with embedded thunderstorms"!

 

 

I can see your point  [hehe]

However forecasts  do say "showers, some heavy with hail and thunder " so why don't they say. "Rain, heavy at times with some thunder" 

How often is "thundery rain" actually thundery? I can't recall an instance. More often than not its either just a thunderstorm or just rain.   

[PaulKn]

Is heavy rain with thunder not thundery rain? ;)

[cedwa30]

heavy rain with thunder = thunderstorm? ;)

[summer '85]

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PaulKn - 3/5/2006 12:00 Is heavy rain with thunder not thundery rain? ;)

 

Yes but isn't "showers, heavy with thunder" just thundery showers?  [hehe]

 

[PaulKn]

Yes!

[Conrad]

Ordinary everyday language is often itself vague and ambiguous because the world is complicated with fuzzy boundaries between categories. Thundery rain is a nice term, it will certainly rain and it may or may not thunder but there is a potential for thunder to occur is all that it means.

[JohnF]

In defense of the term "thundary rain" (or maybe more devil's advocate!):

On many occasions I've witnessed/heard a single thunderclap/bolt of lightning as a band of heavy(ish) rain passes. 

Just one flash/thunder and that's it. No other storm activity and I've watched them for over an hour after the first flash/thunder event.

Perhaps they mean these kind of events?

JohnF 

[Nigel Bolton]

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summer '85 - 4/5/2006 12:16

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PaulKn - 3/5/2006 12:00 Is heavy rain with thunder not thundery rain? ;)

 

Yes but isn't "showers, heavy with thunder" just thundery showers?  [hehe]

 

Yes, but as soon as thunder is heard, a shower then becomes a thunderstorm with rain. Thereafter, the thuinderstorm is said to cease 10 minutes after the last peal of thunder is heard.

[Lightning Hunter]

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JohnF - 4/5/2006 16:05

In defense of the term "thundary rain" (or maybe more devil's advocate!):

On many occasions I've witnessed/heard a single thunderclap/bolt of lightning as a band of heavy(ish) rain passes. 

Just one flash/thunder and that's it. No other storm activity and I've watched them for over an hour after the first flash/thunder event.

Perhaps they mean these kind of events?

JohnF 

Yes, but what if your house happened to get struck by that single bolt? 'Thundery Rain', seems a rather soft description, for what could cause you a good deal of damage, unlikely though it is.
I was driving home one night during some lightish rain last August, when a huge positive bolt came from no-where and shook the whole town and was heard very loudly miles away. That was the only discharge, but certainly packed a punch and could have caused great danger if it had made contact.
People expect lightning with a thunderstorm, but thundery rain has the perception of just being the odd rumble.

[PaulKn]

But what causes the "odd rumble" in thundery rain? ;) 666

[John Mason]

Thundery rain? 

For me, it is murky skies but with very high cloud-bases - totally different from the orographically-enhanced monsoons we get hereabouts, with their 500m LCLs at best.

The sky is typically a sickly greyish-yellow, sometimes purplish. Instead of hours of incessant driving rain, one minute it's drizzling somewhat, next thing 50p-sized drops are hitting the windscreen - and now and then comes a rumble of thunder, usually estimated to be "up in the hills", by all and sundry.

In fact, a bit like tonight from 1700 onwards, but less rain in this case!

It's revolting weather - by contrast baroclinic frontal rainfall's quite nice to watch going by :)

Cheers - John 

[Sam Jowett]

In order of preference I like thundery rain, thundery showers, rain with embedded thuderstorms, then that isolated thunderstorm! :D Thundery is a necessary term to describe the vague possibility of some weak electrification imo... thunderstorm fits better with a more actively electrical storm. :P

[PaulKn]

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of the term, "thundery rain", but use it in media forecasts when word counts are tight - but only for rain with embedded weak thunderstorms. What annoys me is when the term is used to describe an area of thunderstorms...for example, yesterday evening's events across W/SW Scotland is best described as "thunderstorms", but I can imagine that some forecasts said, "thundery rain".

[David Sanderson]

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cedwa30 - 4/5/2006 10:45 Not a big fan of that term 'thundery rain' personally. I have also heard forecasters use the term 'wintry showers' - very non specific! How hard can it be - either Snow, Sleet or Hail! One of the new BBC forecasters uses the word 'clagg' - now what on earth is that condition?

 

Ha ha! In our household when I was little Clag was what we called going for a c**p![hehe] :D

 

Sorry to lower the tone but it's true,

[Thesme]

My worst nightmare is when Met Eireann forecasts 'heavy showers with a risk of thunder' or 'rain with a risk of thunder'
A risk? A slight risk? Medium? High? Why won't you TELL us! Of course I get all twitchy and excited even when there's no chance and then am devastated when nothing happens. Again.
Like yesterday, really. Again.

[summer '85]

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Sam Jowett - 5/5/2006 03:46  Thundery is a necessary term to describe the vague possibility of some weak electrification

But words ending in "y" describe a lot of "something"

For instance, last winter was snowy
Summer 2007 was rainy
August 2004 was thundery

So thundery rain, should mean rain that has a lot of thunder.