Thunderstorms
in 2001
(Photographs
copyright Eye On The Sky)
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| Date:
August, 2001 Location:
Broughton, Flintshire, NE Wales. An exceptionally unstable airmass, coupled with intense solar heating, high temperatures and a convergance line gave a rope of storms, only 2 miles wide, but running across Connah's Quay (NE Wales) for 3 hours. Here, the front edge of the long line or narrow storm clouds appears on the horizon, as taken from a few miles away in Broughton. (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |
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| Date:
August, 2001 Location:
Broughton, Flintshire, NE Wales. This image, taken in Broughton, shows the almost impenetrable wall of torrential rain and hailstones, falling beneath the narrow storm clouds. Just 2 miles away through the rain wall, the sun was shining and it was dry, and where this image was taken also remained sunny and dry. This process lasted for 3 hours, the footprint of the rope of storms being just 2 miles wide. (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |
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| Date:
August, 2001 Location:
Connah's Quay, Flintshire, NE Wales. In Connah's Quay, it took just 30 minutes for the situation to become serious. Torrential rain and large hail blocked drains within minutes, and everywhere along this narrow line of storms was badly flooded in mere minutes. Here, a flood stretches for 1/2 mile along the main road, in places up to 3ft deep, and flooding roadside properties. (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |
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| Date:
August, 2001 Location:
Connah's Quay, Flintshire, NE Wales. The hail came in waves, alternating with torrential rain. Some of the hailstones individually reached £1 coin side, but on the whole they were generally marble size. Here, a parked car judders under the onslaught of hailstones. (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |
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Date:
August, 2001 Location:
Connah's Quay, Flintshire, NE Wales. |
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| Date:
August, 2001 Location:
Connah's Quay, Flintshire, NE Wales. The flood began to rise further, so my parking space on the pavement became submerged. I sought safety on a garage forecourt, where hail accumulated into deep drifts around the car. The lightning was approximately every 5 seconds, and because of the intense, small scale of this storm, every bolt was directly overhead, resulting in deafening, instantaneous thunder. (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |
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| Date:
August,
2001 Location:
Hope Mountain, Flintshire, NE Wales. Still August 2001, but this time a different storm. This image was taken from Hope Mountain, looking out over the Cheshire Plain. A solid wall of rain and hail carved its way towards me across the landscape, dropping frequent lightning bolts as it did so. (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |
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| Date:
August,
2001 Location:
Hope Mountain, Flintshire, NE Wales. The top of the same storm, showing a superb over-shoot, as well as a pileus cloud which is rapidly getting swallowed by the updraft. (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |
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| Date:
August,
2001 Location:
Hope Mountain, Flintshire, NE Wales. I raced home before the storm arrived, as I didn't really want to be up there with lightning pasting the ground around me. Here, the dark base of the storm advances the last few miles towards me, with hail falling beneath it (on the right of this image). (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |
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| Date:
August,
2001 Location:
Hope Mountain, Flintshire, NE Wales. Once the storm in the previous photograph had cleared, it spawned a sister-cell based on outflow covective forcing. This second storm became a real brute, and formed what looks like a wall cloud over the Cheshire Plain, pictured here. However, I suspect this was an unusual gust-front, racing away from precipitation falling to the right of this image. (Photograph taken using an old 35mm camera, then scanned). . |