Spring 2018: General Discussion

Oneiric 3

Today's heavy cloud is actually largely made up of the remnants of some severe thunderstorm activity over northern Europe yesterday, and you can tell, given that ominous dark, hazy and sultry look to the atmosphere over Ireland today.

Look at this chart from Met Éireann for tomorrow:



Classic continental flow. If this same chart was to occur in the Summer, severe storms (homegrowns as well as 'imports') would almost be guaranteed, and possibly on par with those of 85/86. It has been a long long time since we have seen a set up like this during the summer months, but fingers crossed that we might just get lucky this year for once.

Artane2002

Personally I'm not mad about thunderstorms so I wouldn't be too upset if we didn't see any during the summer.

SleetAndSnow

Oneiric 3 wrote: »

Today's heavy cloud is actually largely made up of the remnants of some severe thunderstorm activity over northern Europe yesterday, and you can tell, given that ominous dark, hazy and sultry look to the atmosphere over Ireland today.

Look at this chart from Met Éireann for tomorrow:



Classic continental flow. If this same chart was to occur in the Summer, severe storms (homegrowns as well as 'imports') would almost be guaranteed, and possibly on par with those of 85/86. It has been a long long time since we have seen a set up like this during the summer months, but fingers crossed that we might just get lucky this year for once.

I saw that storm on Blitzortung, there was strike after strike on that. Looked really intense alright. Interesting that these clouds are the remnants!

sryanbruen

Artane2002 wrote: »

Personally I'm not mad about thunderstorms so I wouldn't be too upset if we didn't see any during the summer.

I wasn't either - and I got some backlash for saying that . Though after seeing the RTÉ Archive videos on the July 1985 and June 1986 thunderstorms - along with highdef's video from August/September 1997 thunderstorms, I wouldn't mind getting to have that experience. I probably don't care because I haven't had the experience as thunder days have been in decline.

Oneiric 3

Artane2002 wrote: »

Personally I'm not mad about thunderstorms so I wouldn't be too upset if we didn't see any during the summer.

You are to be purged, imp. :mad:

Artane2002

Oneiric 3 wrote: »

You are to be purged, imp. :mad:

I wouldn't mind thundersnow!

Donegal Storm

sryanbruen wrote: »

I wasn't either - and I got some backlash for saying that . Though after seeing the RTÉ Archive videos on the July 1985 and June 1986 thunderstorms - along with highdef's video from August/September 1997 thunderstorms, I wouldn't mind getting to have that experience. I probably don't care because I haven't had the experience as thunder days have been in decline.

If you'd experienced a real thunderstorm you wouldn't be saying that :cool:

The 'storms' we've had in recent years have been fairly pathetic, the odd rumble of thunder here and there isn't a thunderstorm. A real storm with constant flashes all across the sky and huge explosions of thunder is about as thrilling as the weather can get

sryanbruen

Donegal Storm wrote: »

If you'd experienced a real thunderstorm you wouldn't be saying that :cool:

The 'storms' we've had in recent years have been fairly pathetic, the odd rumble of thunder here and there isn't a thunderstorm. A real storm with constant flashes all across the sky and huge explosions of thunder is about as thrilling as the weather can get

The only somewhat decent storm I can remember here was that of 6th June 2016 but even that lasted only very briefly and it was nothing compared to those I've seen from 1985 or 1986 - even 1997 in the videos. It was about 6 minutes of rumbling and a few flashes at best.



19 July 2016:

Xenji

Donegal Storm wrote: »

If you'd experienced a real thunderstorm you wouldn't be saying that :cool:

The 'storms' we've had in recent years have been fairly pathetic, the odd rumble of thunder here and there isn't a thunderstorm. A real storm with constant flashes all across the sky and huge explosions of thunder is about as thrilling as the weather can get

The 19th of July 2016 around many parts of Mayo saw what you are describing, worse than the majority of countries I have personally witnessed thunderstorms in.

Nice map Sryanbruen of the 19th.

mg1982

Xenji wrote: »

The 19th of July 2016 around many parts of Mayo saw what you are describing, worse than the majority of countries I have personally witnessed thunderstorms in.

Remember that one well here in sligo too the most intense thunderstorm i have ever experienced lightning strikes were everywhere and the rain was bucketing down. Think the daytime temps were in the high twenties leading up to it so the conditions were right.

Another decent day here noticeably milder too but overcast.

Xenji

mg1982 wrote: »

Remember that one well here in sligo too the most intense thunderstorm i have ever experienced lightning strikes were everywhere and the rain was bucketing down. Think the daytime temps were in the high twenties leading up to it so the conditions were right.

Another decent day here noticeably milder too but overcast.

Yeah it got up to 27C that day in Castlebar.

Donegal Storm

I was living abroad then so I'm not familiar with that storm. There have been a few decent ones here and there, I remember another big one from a Spanish plume that clipped the south east about 6 or 7 years back but as usual the UK got most of the fun in that event.

The best I've experienced in this country was around 98 or 99 in Donegal. No idea of the date but it was a warm humid summers day, we were at the beach and could hear the ominous thunder in the distance and had to run for shelter. Had about 2 hours of fork lightning, loud crashes of thunder that were shaking the house and flash floods with a river running down the road. Not seen anything close ever since

Meteorite58

It would want to stay out there.

https://twitter.com/NWSOPC/status/984184382679379973

https://twitter.com/NWSOPC/status/984184385351057408

https://twitter.com/RyanMaue/status/984163419631865856

Big seas over the weekend and around the following Tues/ Weds also

sryanbruen

It would be great if it ever could help build that high as a block over us just like ex-hurricane Cristobal did on 31 August 2014 and brought us one of the driest Septembers on record.

https://twitter.com/bkav2011/status/983829715558522880

Artane2002

Wet and foggy last night and it's still overcast this morning.

Graces7

Grey and a small breeze. They say sun later? West Mayo

Artane2002

MT's forecast is not inspiring for people that love warm weather... after the possible warm spell, at the moment it looks like temperatures will go back down to 9c to 10c and guess what... more rain! Too far out for confidence, things could change but this is a possibility.

Donegal Storm

Artane2002 wrote: »

MT's forecast is not inspiring for people that love warm weather... after the possible warm spell, at the moment it looks like temperatures will go back down to 9c to 10c and guess what... more rain! Too far out for confidence, things could change but this is a possibility.

Increasingly looking like there won't even be a warm spell, wet an windy here while the warmth gets pushed east into the UK.

Would be potential for some big thunderstorms if this setup happened in July though this time of year we're probably just looking at more bog standard rain

jdcv94

Artane2002 wrote: »

MT's forecast is not inspiring for people that love warm weather... after the possible warm spell, at the moment it looks like temperatures will go back down to 9c to 10c and guess what... more rain! Too far out for confidence, things could change but this is a possibility.

Surely we must be on rainfall record pace so far this year?

Oneiric 3

UK Met chart from May 2014, showing a pattern that isn't overly dissimilar to the present set up:



only that time around, it was much warmer, helping to trigger off some pretty lively storms across the country. I remember one that hit here that evening lasted for well over an hour with some amazingly loud booms with lightning that appeared to have a purplish tinge.

sryanbruen

Artane2002 wrote: »

MT's forecast is not inspiring for people that love warm weather... after the possible warm spell, at the moment it looks like temperatures will go back down to 9c to 10c and guess what... more rain! Too far out for confidence, things could change but this is a possibility.

A northerly has been shown on the CFSv2 model for a few weeks now along with the GFS as it came into the period it was shown for on the CFSv2. Only thing is that these models keep delaying it. I did give the teaser: "There may lie some darker times towards the end of April", in my post a bit back in this thread.

The problem is the Greenland high, notice the above average heights up there.



20 May 2014:



That day was just a period of heavy rain and some brief sunny spells here. Fairly muggy and humid in the high teens. I was in town with my class going to watch Godzilla for our annual trip - crap film!

JCX BXC

Sun shining here in West Clare, quite warm in the sun and very humid air.

Periscal

A very dull week overall here on the east cost, it is very disappointing as central Europe will once again threaten record warm April and we will be left with this dull uninspiring 8-13 degrees and 3hrs of sunshine per week ratio.

What I find annoying is when we pick up the very end of that Euro high and reach couple of partly cloudy days and 16 degrees, then media will be worshiping this lovely weather, our only chance is when azores high builds over from north west over us like 2013 june, these euro high teasers never really bring more than a few days of sunshine, very rarely and I hate when my family tell me its 24 degrees at home today and I know we will probably not reach that figure at all this summer. rant over

Xenji

Clouds have not broken in Castlebar since Monday afternoon, dull but dry and a little bit chilly.

Artane2002

Realistically, it's rare for the temperature not to go above 25c during summer in Ireland for even a day.

Yet another dull, misty day in Dublin...

OldRio

Another dull, cool, yet dry day in Leitrim. Temperature has been disappointing all week.

pad199207

First bit of sun here now

Clonmel1000

Cool not cold but very dull and dreary. Did I see some rubbish in the tabloids about sizzling temperatures?

JCX BXC

Fairly consistent sun since half 4 here in West Clare with some limited cloudy patches, but mostly prevailing sun. Nice to see after days of dull. Max temperature today was 13.6c, and currently it's 13c.

Gonzo

another horrible day here, cold, damp, dark and feeling raw all day. Temps here have barely made it past 6C over the past few days.