Monday/Tuesday Thunderstorm Heads Up

[Velvet Glove]

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=radar;sess=

Click [Anim On] for activity over last hour

[RichC]

Any tips of taking photos of lightning please?
I expect a timed exposure of say, 30 seconds or more?
ISO ????
f.stop ????

Thanks
John

John,

I do quite a lot of lightning photography (when we get storms that is) so have some experience...

the best settings for night time are:-
ISO 100
F11
30 Secs exposure or use bulb setting if you have an auto shutter

Obviously a tripod or bean bag.

F11 is used mainly if you have street lights or the like lighting up the surrounds. It's dark enough to drown them out and give good results.

Before you start clicking away though, seriously make sure you are on Infinite focusing.

Depending how active the storm is, you might catch multiple CG's in one exposure.

[RichC]

Hope know Hail this time, last year it broke every roof panel on my Conservatory roof. hail stones the size of golf balls.

some dark clouds rolling in at present here east of Coventry, been out in the back garden putting all garden furniture away brolly down mows the lawn etc.

That might be the issue for tomorrow, but not from this type of storm.

[RichC]

Just making sure you have your focus set to infinite, on some lenses it is shown as a horizontal 8 marking (symbol). If you don't have it, it's best to auto focus on a far object, like a distant light and then switch to manual focus and leave it there... so the focus ring isn't moving when you press the shutter. Just make sure you don't move it by accident. Most lightning, even if it looks close can be several miles away and so need to be focussed for that range. Even if its a lot closer.

[TankBuster]

This might be of use to get a location on the storms, although I dont know how accurate it is?..
http://www.metcheck.com/UK/sferics.asp

TankBuster

[RichC]

Large area of cells have sprung up very quickly (within 30mins) south of my location and are heading NNE. They are currently in the channel so should provide a nice light show for those in the firing line tonight into the early hours due to a trough destabilising the air on the western flank.

As for lightning accuracy, go onto the UKMO Radar, it has ATD (you can't get more accurate)...
You have Radar, Satellite and Lightning all at your finger tips every 15mins.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weat ... &lat=49.80

[mr stihl]

Just been out to watch the 2 apaches that are circling Sculthorpe. The cloud is filling in and it feels very humid with the breeze which is coming from all directions. My weather station gives 21.3 degrees.

[RichC]

And at the same time as the line down here, more cells have developed in an equally rapid rate over Warminster area again heading north. This is the best time for plume events.... rather than day light hours. They don't work the same way as normal storms do at the surface although some of these storms will be surface based rather than elevated.

Keep an eye on the link i posted above in the previous post for radar and lightning. Refresh every 14mins past hour and 44mins past hour.

[GreenBat]

Im camping out at Johns field/Mildenhall, and at the moment there is a large electrical storm to the North West.
Currently sat in my car keeping safe and dry and trying hopelessly to get some photos!

[Pen Pusher]

Im camping out at Johns field/Mildenhall, and at the moment there is a large electrical storm to the North West.
Currently sat in my car keeping safe and dry and trying hopelessly to get some photos!

Gone very quiet here in St Ives, Cambs. now following all the flash bangs and downpours over the last couple of hours. A couple of times we did have some instant lightning/thunder that rattled the windows. I did try to get back to sleep yet here I am tapping away on a key board.

Brian

[TankBuster]

I'm just to the S/E of Colchester & its been rumbling away in the distance here since 03.30hrs & then at 4am there was an almighty bang very close by, sounded like a bomb going off!!! After that it quitened down with just the occasional distant rumble & a few spots of rain.

Since around 06.10 it has really started to pick up again with the distance flashes & bangs starting to get closer & more frequent (every 2-3 mins), with the rain also starting to get heavier. Tin hat time I think!

Edit: Nothing came of it, it stopped & went all quiet again

TankBuster

[nickowen]

Hi Rich / All
Many thanks for the heads up and ongoing reports.
Last year's Spanish Plume blew up on the day we were supposed to be leaving for Vichy for the RSA Fly-in. By mid-morning we had cancelled the FPLN and sat back to watch the show from the hangar.
We've made it to Vichy this time (via a flat battery at Beauvais, but that's another story!)

We're now in Orleans, with the aeroplane hangared, and keeping a close eye on UK weather for the next few days. Here in France, it's been convecting strongly each day, getting too rough to fly after about 1200z, but we've seen no sign of thunder so far, despite daily warnings from Meteo France. We had originally planned to go over to Brittany for a couple of days, but decided against it on the basis of this thread (many thanks again for the heads-up).

We had originally planned to return to the UK on Friday, but a decent gap between the fronts appears to favour Thursday, so will probably be heading for Amiens today to get clear of Paris, and ready for a Channel Dash if need be.

Cheers
Nick

[Sparts99]

From my loft window in Tonbridge Kent from about 1 am this morning for at least an hour I could see three storms moving to the East, huge lightning strikes, and spectacular arcs between clouds. I also saw what looked like small discharges on the clouds that looked like spiders webs spreading out across the surface of the cloud, never seen that before, is that normal ? Some big thunderclaps but not much flashing later.

[mirage 2000]

I was woken up at Half past 5 this morning we had a very nasty thunder storm here in Macclesfield lasting about an hour and a half, Local radio station said a few buildings and Trees had been hit by lighting in the and around the town centre our estate also had a power cut but power is now back on, I must say the lighting was very spectacular and looked purple (Rich is this right or is it just the way it seems?) there was also sand on our cars on the street i live on but after some more very heavy rain it seems to off now gone. As i am on days off from work some off my work mates said it caused a few problems at work this morning (I work airside at Manchester airport) and i have seen they had a few problems in Manchester city centre as well. Would be good to see anyone's shot's of the storms.


regards mirage 2000

[RichC]

Nottinghamshire has the main activity for this afternoon.... huge/major thunderstorm at the moment.

[Mike]

any idea on its heading guys hopeing it hits newcastle.

What ???

[TankBuster]

Looking at tonights local forecast, it seems much of East Anglia could be receiving thunderstorms & heavy rain from late Saturday morning onwards.

Why at the weekend !!!

TankBuster

[TankBuster]

Looking at the lightning data this morning, it looks like they have had some very active storms over France in the early hours. If yesterday's forecasts are correct then that lot will be heading our way in the next few hours .

TankBuster

[RichC]

Correct, SE England (Anywhere from Hampshire to Kent to Essex and possibly in Central England have a chance of elevated thunderstorms tonight. Large MCS already missed Kent during the night and another currently already initiated in northern France. More will follow and spread north from the Caen/LeHavre area this evening and advect northwards. Expect some very potent CG's and as usual from elevated plumes, very torrential downpours.
Models suggest around 1800 onwards.

[RichC]

I see a small MCS is already crossing the channel, so a few storms will come earlier. But the breakdown looks set for a bit later.