Lightning strike causes Stansted Airport disruption

[Heathrow Harry]

Hundreds of passengers are stranded at Stansted Airport after lightning strikes damaged aircraft fuelling systems, grounding flights.Flights have been cancelled or delayed and some are being diverted away from landing.

The airport said its aircraft fuelling system was "unavailable" for a period earlier due to a lightning strike.

A spokeswoman said engineers had since restored the system but "flights may be diverted, delayed or cancelled". "We apologise for the inconvenience and advise all passengers to check with their airlines for their latest flight updates," she said.Passengers have described being stuck on planes for hours waiting to take off while others are waiting in an already crowded departure lounge for information

[Dubaian]

BBC Radio reporting approx. 15,000 lightning strikes in the S. of England last night and 50K in the country overall.

[ILS27LEFT]

Now constant lightning N/NW of LHR, never seen this type of constant lightning around LHR before. Not sure which direction is going, hopefully not towards LHR as the constant lightning is unprecedented for the area.

[Suzeman]

This is quite a useful resource
https://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#x=-0.8581;m=sat;r=0;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;n=0;y=51.6717;z=10;d=2;dl=2; dc=0;

[ILS27LEFT]

excellent, straight into my favourites

[wiedehopf]

same data different visuals:
Lightning & Thunderstorms - live real time Google Maps (http://en.blitzortung.org/live_dynamic_maps.php)

also has static maps if you prefer that.

[ShyTorque]

This is quite a useful resource
https://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=en#x=-0.8581;m=sat;r=0;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;n=0;y=51.6717;z=10;d=2;dl=2; dc=0;

That's more than a bit spooky! I'd just posted on another thread about the time I almost got struck by lightning. I clicked on that page and it opened with the town having the same name as my own right in the middle of the map. What's more, today is my birthday.

I'm definitely avoiding all thunderstorms tonight!! :eek:

[core_dump]

What a joke that lightningmaps site is. I nearly got zapped outside just now, and I went to the site and there is nothing in range reported. I guess it works better when you live on a tiny little island west of Europe that can be covered with just 3 volunteer observers.

[Denti]

Try blitzortung.org, seems to work quite well. Wide range of maps to choose and many stations in the americas.

[trident3A]

It was an amazing show, near constant sheet lightning for an hour or so in W London