[Nigel Bolton]

One of the strongest storms of the 20th Century. More trees were felled by this storm across Scotland than were normally cut down in a year. A oil rig in the North Sea (Sea Quest), broke her anchors and sank.

N.

[Sammie]

I was talking to my mum about it, there is a reason why they call it "the forgotten storm"

[brett johnson]

well you can believe this one or not as you see fit - many years ago now - when i was in the fire service we had a massive ( square miles ) gorse /grass fire out on Dartmoor - we had been out there for hours and the decision was made to let the remaining bit burn out over night - in the morning an officer went out to look at the situation and reported the following

he said that there was one small patch burning and that a cloud formed over this patch ( there being no other clouds present ) and it then rained from this extinguishing the remaining fire - he swore blind that he had never seen the like

certainly i have been out in bright sunshine and witnessed rapid onset snow - which has extinguished grass fires ( march /April ) over the years - and had some extinguished by well timed rain - but a single cloud ?? - whatever - it saved us a long walk [rn]

[PaulKn]

Sounds like a 'fumulus' cloud - such things have happened across the USA on a number of occasions...must have been an interesting sight though!

[Nigel Bolton]

Back in the good old days of stubble burning, I once witnessed a thunderstorm develop due to stubble fire.

A hot, windless August day in Suffolk back in 1983, and it apperared all the arable farmers southwest of Wattisham decided to burn their stubble on this windless morning. Many many huge plumes of black smoke rose into the sky for a couple of hours, before suddenly cumulus clouds formed above each fire, merged and became one isolated, heavy thunderstom. Soot particles from the fire acted as condensation nucleii as rain from thsi storm was particularly heavy bringing flash flooding to the village of Chelsworth and sourounding areas.

The rain missed all the guages, though judging from flood deposits in and around Chelsworth, it is likely that between 25 and 50mm of rain fell, most over a very short period of time.

Snow showers occasionally develop in winter over cooling towers, such like those at Drax and Didcot.

N.

[summer '85]

Summer of 1994, a thunderstorm in the early hours and I was watching the lightning flashes when suddenly there was a bright glow to the west with no flickering and no visible lightning bolt. The glow lasted for a few seconds when suddenly it went off as though someone had turned a light switch off. Very odd and I knew I was seeing something unusual at the time as I was thinking to myself this doesn't look right with no flickering and the duration of it. It was as if someone had turned a light switch on and then off after a few seconds.   

[PaulKn]

Quote

Nigel Bolton - 11/10/2008 10:31

Back in the good old days of stubble burning, I once witnessed a thunderstorm develop due to stubble fire.

A hot, windless August day in Suffolk back in 1983, and it apperared all the arable farmers southwest of Wattisham decided to burn their stubble on this windless morning. Many many huge plumes of black smoke rose into the sky for a couple of hours, before suddenly cumulus clouds formed above each fire, merged and became one isolated, heavy thunderstom. Soot particles from the fire acted as condensation nucleii as rain from thsi storm was particularly heavy bringing flash flooding to the village of Chelsworth and sourounding areas.

The rain missed all the guages, though judging from flood deposits in and around Chelsworth, it is likely that between 25 and 50mm of rain fell, most over a very short period of time.

Snow showers occasionally develop in winter over cooling towers, such like those at Drax and Didcot.

N.

The latter frequently occurs across mainland Europe, where they call it, "Industrial Snow". There was a great sat pic of it last winter, where locally falls gave 2-4 inches.

[mikeofmacc]

Something I've seen and can't explain - during a winter thunderstorm in March 2007, a C-C discharged a good 5 miles to the west of me. At that very moment, whilst leaning out of the window watching it, there was an audible 'click' as it discharged, and then the rumble as normal a few seconds later.

Mike.

[Halo]

Quote

mikeofmacc - 13/7/2009 10:40 Something I've seen and can't explain - during a winter thunderstorm in March 2007, a C-C discharged a good 5 miles to the west of me. At that very moment, whilst leaning out of the window watching it, there was an audible 'click' as it discharged, and then the rumble as normal a few seconds later. Mike.

This is something I've experienced on two occasions. An audible click, almost like an earth leakage trip, during a lightning discharge. I've also heard a swishing sound when lightning struck overhead.

[Dave W]

Moderator ~ UKww Editor Location: Irlam (86.24.172.51)

Summer of 1994, a thunderstorm in the early hours and I was watching the lightning flashes when suddenly there was a bright glow to the west with no flickering and no visible lightning bolt. The glow lasted for a few seconds when suddenly it went off as though someone had turned a light switch off. Very odd and I knew I was seeing something unusual at the time as I was thinking to myself this doesn't look right with no flickering and the duration of it. It was as if someone had turned a light switch on and then off after a few seconds.

Meant to add a while ago, this sounds like a large transformer being hit and arcing for a while ..

[PaulKn]

That reminds me - I got footage of a CG followed by a ground glow in the USA this year - I'll have to upload it.

[summer '85]

Quote

Dave W - 13/7/2009 11:37

Moderator ~ UKww Editor Location: Irlam (86.24.172.51)

Summer of 1994, a thunderstorm in the early hours and I was watching the lightning flashes when suddenly there was a bright glow to the west with no flickering and no visible lightning bolt. The glow lasted for a few seconds when suddenly it went off as though someone had turned a light switch off. Very odd and I knew I was seeing something unusual at the time as I was thinking to myself this doesn't look right with no flickering and the duration of it. It was as if someone had turned a light switch on and then off after a few seconds.

Meant to add a while ago, this sounds like a large transformer being hit and arcing for a while ..

Interesting theory but unlikely. 

[Chris CW (aka Seedubs)]

Quote

PaulKn - 13/7/2009 13:43 That reminds me - I got footage of a CG followed by a ground glow in the USA this year - I'll have to upload it.

 I noticed a number of strikes with ground glow when I took my pictures over Cardiff last month, most of the ground glow strikes however were across the channel in Devon, but clearly visible glow for maybe 1 sec afterwards, first time I had seen this.

[Dave W]

Umm, its a very likely reason indeed actually Kevin! Why exactly is it unlikely?

[Dave W]

Ground glow & diffusion can occur as a result of atmospheric haze/mist and fog being present ..

[PaulKn]

It sounds like a plausible explanation to me, Dave - it's been witnessed a number of times over the years by storm chasers.

[summer '85]

Quote

Dave W - 13/7/2009 23:25 Umm, its a very likely reason indeed actually Kevin! Why exactly is it unlikely?

Well the glow covered a large area as it was at some distance and it looked to me cloud based rather than ground based.. This wasn't down the road, Dave, this was some miles away.

It was nothing like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LvHcR2jK2Y

[PaulKn]

Perhaps it was a reflection in the low cloud from the transformer on the ground.

[summer '85]

Quote

mikeofmacc - 13/7/2009 10:40 Something I've seen and can't explain - during a winter thunderstorm in March 2007, a C-C discharged a good 5 miles to the west of me. At that very moment, whilst leaning out of the window watching it, there was an audible 'click' as it discharged, and then the rumble as normal a few seconds later. Mike.

I've seen accounts of this from years  ago, although the click was immediately followed by the thunder.

[Nigel Bolton]

Quote

summer '85 - 26/8/2009 07:50

Quote

mikeofmacc - 13/7/2009 10:40 Something I've seen and can't explain - during a winter thunderstorm in March 2007, a C-C discharged a good 5 miles to the west of me. At that very moment, whilst leaning out of the window watching it, there was an audible 'click' as it discharged, and then the rumble as normal a few seconds later. Mike.

I've seen accounts of this from years  ago, although the click was immediately followed by the thunder.

Have heard this click on many occasions, but always during thunderstorms when lightning was very close, say 1 second or less between the discharge and the thunder.

N.