Raja Clavata Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Got to watch a pretty spectacular show, and interesting ride, in the air this morning going round and round in circles waiting for the storms to clear Stansted so that we could land, at one point they were talking about diverting us to Gatwick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernel gadaffi Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 I was woken by a fantastic crack at just after 4am, that's all I'm saying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 17 minutes ago, kernel gadaffi said: I was woken by a fantastic crack at just after 4am, that's all I'm saying! You lucky man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 The walls were shaking in our house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said: hello, lashed down about 3 am, crops have to dry out now so the farmers can get back on the combines, there is no question our weather patterns have changed in the last 50 years Well, I go back as I know you do to the '50s and we had thunder and lightening on a regular basis throughout July and August and Harvest. I remember on year 56/57 I think when the frequency was such the shucks of corn didn't dry and the grain was growing green in the tops. Also had some pretty hot summers back then and rmember getting so burnt up that I had to lie on my back on the stone kitchen floor to try and ease the itching as it healed. Seen it all before but nearly didn't when an oak tree in the middle of a field got hit as I ran for it, remembering my grandfather warning me about sheltering under trees. Close enough I felt the electricty/pressure of the hit but was unharmed. That was about '53. Had a few booms at 1am in the a.m. last night and a welcome drop of rain but not enough. It was tradition for the Royal Agricultural Show to have at least one thunderstorm. I was designated motor cyclist outrider for the visiting Royalty and special VIPs I was lead rider taking the then Agricultural Minister back to Leamington Railway Station just after such a downpour and found the designated route under 3ft of water a quick wave to the lead Rolls and the driver latched on and I took them all a scenic ride around Warwick before getting back safely to the station. The Minister was gracious enough to walk over and shake my hand. Yes, we have had this sort of weather all 79yrs of my life to my knowledge. Edited July 24, 2019 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 4 hours ago, kennett said: Almighty thunder and lightning show over Newmarket last night from 2-3am with a bit of rain thrown in too. Haven't seen that amount of fork lightning for a long time Same my way! Woke to a mighty bang continuous lightning and Steady rain! Air smelt lovely! Sat out in it and watched Storm track across Suffolk. Mendlesham transmitter mast at back of mine took loads of strikes! NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 2 hours ago, Walker570 said: Yes, we have had this sort of weather all 79yrs of my life to my knowledge. And I am a whole year older than Walker 570 and I would agree with him. Nothing odd about this weather. Two sunny days and a thunder storm = A British summer. Had a cracking storm in North Suffolk last night. Bring on the heat - I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie-fox Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 2am large flashes of thunder then by 2:30am it was a torrential downpour for about 2 hours, glad to be honest as the farmer was cutting the fields at the back of my house and the rain has kept all the harvest flies and dust at a minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strimmer_13 Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Amazing light show last night, maybe the best I've ever seen. Must of been between 2-10 flashes a second for a good hour. If I could put a vid up I would. Good job I wasn't epileptic. I honestly thought the rozzers were outside nicking the ******** next door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernel gadaffi Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 The walls were shaking in our house. That could have been down to me too!😘 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 (edited) On 24/07/2019 at 17:47, Walker570 said: Seen it all before but nearly didn't when an oak tree in the middle of a field got hit as I ran for it, remembering my grandfather warning me about sheltering under trees. In Aberdeenshire in about '82 or '83 we had a massive storm one Saturday afternoon. My mate was round the house visiting and he came with me down to the farm buildings to disconnect the electric fence, and I remember laughing at him as we were driving down because he threw his hands over his head and ducked onto the floor of the landie when a clap of thunder went off right overhead. I wasn't laughing at the next clap because it happened just as I was reaching my hand out towards the fence unit on the wall of the workshop. There was an absolutely ear splitting bang and the whole thing literally disappeared from in front of my face. There were just the wires to the fence and earth standing there and the socket to the mains with the plug in it. When we'd got over the shock we had a scout round the workshop and found various bits here and there and tiny fragments of the Bakelite like casing everywhere. Just as I was reaching for the plug a strike must have hit the fence somewhere on the farm, with whole charge coming to earth via the fence unit, blowing it to smithereens. If the strike had been a millisecond later I'd have had a wire in my hand, and I still to this day don't understand how I wasn't hit in the face by flying debris. It was like a miracle. Edited July 26, 2019 by Retsdon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 Yeah lightning doesn't take many prisoners. We had to respond to a report of a house on fire a good few years ago, smoke was pouring out of the broken windows and on entering there was no sign of fire. The owners were out and it was extremely fortunate as both electric and plumbing that was chased in the walls had exploded and vaporised. I'm glad we live fairly close to a taller building with lightning conductors! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 4 minutes ago, henry d said: I'm glad we live fairly close to a taller building with lightning conductors! You have to be VERY close as the lightning conductor gives a quite limited protection 'safety zone' of about 45 degrees cone from the top. My late father's bungalow was next to a church with a tower that had lightning conductors. The lightning actually struck the ground about 20 feet from my father's bungalow; thew every trip in the distribution board and set off the alarm - corrupting all of the programming! No other damage. (This was about 20 years ago) A house locally was struck (again a few years ago) and it blew out all of the chased in wiring and damaged all electrical appliances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 I did not know that, however there are 4 within a 200m radius and plenty of similar sized houses to ours so a direct strike would be against the odds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 29 minutes ago, henry d said: I did not know that, however there are 4 within a 200m radius and plenty of similar sized houses to ours so a direct strike would be against the odds It is always against the odds. I was sat on my police motorcycle sheltering from the torrential storm under a factory canopy when there was a huge flash and sound almost together just over the railway line from where I was. Ouch I thought , glad I'm not under that. At that moment my radio lit up and the controller told me to get around to the sports ground directly where I had seen the flash. Helped an ambulance to access against the full flow of football spectators leaving the scene and eventually got to the pitch. A body lay near the centre with a couple trying to resuscitate but as I approached I could see the young footballer was dead...not a pretty sight. He was in the centre of 22 players, just happened to be standing still and the lightening just picked him out. One or two others got shaken up but no serious injuries. I would say that was a bit against the odds really. The only advice I have been given is to lay flat on the ground and in a slight dpression if you can and throw away any electrical/metal objects you may have on you. Maybe the metal studs in the boots didn't help that young man 55yrs ago and lightening has not gotten any less selective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 On 24/07/2019 at 10:44, kernel gadaffi said: I was woken by a fantastic crack at just after 4am, that's all I'm saying! bit early for me............did it smell of ozone ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted July 26, 2019 Report Share Posted July 26, 2019 On 24/07/2019 at 10:44, kernel gadaffi said: I was woken by a fantastic crack at just after 4am, that's all I'm saying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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