A storm to remember.

[JDog]

I have been to Shropshire today for what may be the last day of the season for me. The company was convivial and the shooting was fine until 2pm when the Devil himself sent down some weather the like of which I have never seen before in my life.

 

I was back gun on a drive which promised to be the best of the day. I was told where to stand and in the fifteen minutes leading up to the start of the drive the wind speed increased considerably and the sky went dark and there were the most stupendous claps of thunder and strikes of lightening I have ever seen. I moved position as I considered that any pheasant facing such a wind would not make it straight out through the line of guns but would be blown downwind. Then the hail started. The wind was so strong the hail stung my face badly and my poor old Labrador Jack was seriously inconvenienced by the hail that he headed off and curled up in a ball at the edge of the field. Never have I seen such conditions. Lightening struck a tree in the wood which was being beaten and thankfully fell just behind the line of beaters.

 

Two guns in the line could not stand the weather any more and ran back to the safety of their cars. I have never seen this in the shooting field before either. I took the opportunity of moving from the back gun position to replace the two who had run off and I was rewarded with some of the highest and fastest pheasants I have ever had over my head and I managed to bring quite a number down, some of which fell 80 to 90m behind me even though they were quite dead.

 

What a way to end the season. All of my kit is now in the wash or the drier, Jack has been fed and is in front of the fire and I am about to attempt to clean and dry my gun which took a pasting in the weather.

 

This was a day to remember.

[magman]

That's a normal day up north

 

Sounds like you had a good day and some great birds over you , most on are shoot today wanted to head to the pub early and left the best drive out

[Medic1281]

Where abouts in shropshire were you?

[Richi]

We got the same storm over in Staffordshire. I've never seen such a storm in January (aren't thunder storms summer events!?) . As we walked to the next drive (across a very exposed open field) we got the full force of it - hail that made your hands and face burn - and lightening to close for comfort!! Still its was the last drive and your skin is waterproof!

Edited January 26, 2014 by Richi

[kyska]

Yep and in Leicestershire, thunder storm like I've never seen, I was driving, with wipers on that speed that looks silly and nearly had to stop, visibility was that bad.

[KFC]

I don't know if it was te same storm but we had the same thing on our shoot just around 3pm.

 

Most drives had low yields throughout the day so we were relying on the last two drives to make a good bag. The last but one drive was quite good but just as we finished, and were about to go to the last drive through a wood next to the cover, the sky went black and, as you say, the hail started.

 

Within seconds the ground looked like snow. The hail hurt so much we had to cover our heads with whatever we could and rush for the shelter of the wood.

We just gotinto the edge of the wood and everyone dived behind whatever trees offered a bit of shelter. Then the wind hit.

One of the beaters ducked behind a tree and just as he did then the tree behind that one crashed down and hit the tree he'd jumped behind :blink: !!

He missed death or serious injury by millimetres. The wind and hail made such a noise that he didn't realise what had happened until we all started asking him for the Lottery numbers.

 

Then the lightening started. The driver with the beaters trailer was still half a mile away and we weren't going to stand under those trees with the lightening directly overhead so we just had to make a run for the farm.

 

By the time we got back to the farm I'd found out my prized moleskin beating coat was not waterproof and thigh length leggings might keep thorns out but not a torrent of water running through the inside of my coat.

 

It was obvious that there was no point in waiting for the final drive so there was a few disappointed guns. Hey ho.

 

The sky was clearing for a beautiful sunset as I drove away with the fallen hail slowly melting off my Disco and the steam from my sodden clothes steaming up the windows. I was dreaming of a hot bath and wondering what to have for dinner.

Now, I'm a Gemini, the heavenly twins, and I know from experience that one of my twins likes to play jokes on the other.

I parked up and put my hand in my pocket to get my housekeys out. Nothing!!! Coat pocket, glove box, dockybag, gamebag, nothing :oops: !!

Realised I must have left my keys at home. It's 4.30. My wife is a nurse on late shift 35 miles away and won't be home until 10.15. My wallet and cash are in the house. I don't have enough diesel to keep my Disco running with the heater on for 5 hours and I can't sit in a Pub for nothing in these clothes.

Hypothermia was a real possibility.

I phoned my daughter who lives 12 miles away. Fortunately, although she wasn't home, my grandaughter was on her way out but would wait long enough for me to get there so I could drive over to hers until my wife was due home.

 

By the time I'd watched The Voice and Peter Gabriel on Sky it was time to make my way home.

 

It was definitely the worst storm I've been caught out in the open and I was grateful to get in the warm and dry and that everyone was safe. I bet a few drivers must have felt their giblets wobble in that one though

[Scully]

The hail storm sounds as if it could have swept the length of the country!

On our last syndicate day in Cumbria yesterday we were hit by a hail storm which was short lived but astonishing in its ferocity. Caught out in the open we had no choice but to turn our backs on it and sit it out. The dogs were cowering and the hail swept the grass in wave after wave for about 5 mins. Amazing. Clothes are still on radiators.

Edited January 26, 2014 by Scully

[Sprinter]

Hail storm hit us on Saturday as well, just as we were getting set-up for the last drive. Common sense prevailed and we abandoned it and went to the pub...

[Penelope]

At around 4:30pm on Saturday, whilst duck/goose flighting on my dad's syndicate shoot not far from Chelmsford, Essex, this storm hit with a vengeance, multiple lighting flashes, continuous thunder and very heavy hail driven by a very strong wind gusting to what must of been 70+mph.

 

At it's peak, the water's surface (two irrigation reservoirs approx. 15 acres each) to a height of around 4 foot was just wind driven spray, the white tops having vanished in it. The whole storm event went of for around 30 mins. The duck and goose decoy spread was blown from 20, 25 yd out right into the margins and the lines covered in weed balls about the size on a mini.

 

A pretty amazing thing to be out in, all in all.