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Significant weather approaching Heathrow now with impressive lightning

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Significant weather approaching Heathrow now with impressive lightning

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Old 27th May 2018, 20:47
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Significant weather approaching Heathrow now with impressive lightning

Significant weather approaching LHR now, from N-NW, quite unprecedented in terms of lightning intensity and frequency I have to say. It is basically constant lightning which I have never seen before.
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Old 27th May 2018, 21:14
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Friend just sent me video of the CB shot in Caterham looking NW towards LHR a few minutes ago; amazingly active.

While walking over local commons and Kenley Aerodrome earlier on this evening I was keeping an eye on a very large and slow moving CB in much the same area. Couldn't see any lightning though. Think this one was building behind as I dropped into the valley at Whyteleaf.
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Old 27th May 2018, 21:34
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Similar story in Kent last night. Lightning was non stop and the thunder a continuous roar. I have never seen it continuous like that before in this region.
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Old 27th May 2018, 21:36
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It is constant, a lightning strike every second at least, never seen this intensity, live map here
https://www.lightningmaps.org/?lang=...;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;
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Old 28th May 2018, 00:02
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Was videoing a CB I noticed earlier this evening looking out towards Heathrow. The build up was very rapid, and as has been mention with an unprecedented amount of lightening.

Last night’s display over London was amazing and I was out on the balcony watching that and the pretty heavy rainfall that came with it.
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Old 28th May 2018, 00:16
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Yep, the Gulf Stream is going nuts, winter is cold and snowy, summer is hot and stormy, better get used to it. Next step is having tornadoes in Europe (proper and not just the odd one). All done by the Chinese of course.
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Old 28th May 2018, 01:24
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Here's the beastie presumably shot around Hounslow... much better video than the one my friend shot. It was actually north of High Wycombe and appeared to be slowly moving NW.

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Old 28th May 2018, 04:29
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Just remember. If you see it, it's missed you.
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Old 28th May 2018, 06:26
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[QUOTE]Just remember. If you see it, it's missed you[/QUOTE

Only if you have somewhere else to go. More years ago than I care to remember, there was a big, unforecast nasty that started off over the Channel Islands. We were coming back to Stansted from Frankfurt when we were told both Heathrow and Gatwick were closed. The approach to Stansted 23 (in those days) was clear, but we could see this huge storm coming from the London area, and getting very close. The only option for a go-around was an immediate 180 turn and head for Norwich. We advised ATC of this, telling them to hell with noise-sensitive areas. We, and one other behind us, landed before Stansted also closed. Sitting in the crew-bus, I watched the sky turn green. The only time I've ever seen that, and I presume it was ionisation?
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Old 28th May 2018, 07:12
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Sorry Herod, I was being silly. I was referring to a/the lightning bolts!
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Old 28th May 2018, 08:07
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Yes, I know; but it gave me a chance to tell my story. Does anyone have an explanation for the green sky? I have always assumed ionisation, but I don't know.
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Old 28th May 2018, 08:37
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Originally Posted by Herod
Yes, I know; but it gave me a chance to tell my story. Does anyone have an explanation for the green sky? I have always assumed ionisation, but I don't know.
Sure why not. Aurora borelais is the same thing. Mostly green. Thunderstorm ionisation can go very high if looked from a satellit or space station.
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Old 28th May 2018, 09:12
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The green sky is thought to be due to refraction of light through water droplets/hail. Google it, there’s lots of research into the phenomenon.
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Old 28th May 2018, 09:44
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This quote doesn't really explain it, but does show you are not making it up! Human eye is most sensitive to green which must be in there somewhere.


'An infrequent event can occur where the entire sky appears green. This is called a green thunderstorm. This happens when a thunderstorm occurs at just the right time of day, with just the right height of clouds, and just the right lighting. This can make the entire sky rather than just a thin band appear to be grayish green, and sometimes very green.'
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Old 28th May 2018, 09:59
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C'mon guys. Keep up with the conspiracy stuff. Chem trails, alimatar ,aliens are amongst us and the New Order are slowly trying to educate us by these weather displays. All so that we take our eyes off the ball while Trump takes on Vlad & kim. Simple really. Aaaaaaaaagh, just got hit by a bolt.
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Old 28th May 2018, 17:13
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The lightning that occurred earlier this weekend reminded me of a "Lightning storm" that caught out a bunch of us kids, in about 1970. We were out in the fields when the storm approached, initially there was no rain, only multiple lightning strikes in a purple and green sky, getting closer. We eventually ran out of the fields in the hope of escaping it - I was a very fast runner back then and was in front of "the pack". About a mile later, as we ran through a building site the heavens opened and a large tree got struck by lightning, just off to my right side. The rest of the pack screamed blue murder; they thought I'd taken the hit because I disappeared in the flash. All I knew was that an extremely loud bang occurred at the same time as the lightning flashed all around, I was knocked off my feet and my surroundings briefly turned bright yellow. There was a very strong after smell, which I later learned was ozone (yes, not caused by me!). I never felt a thing, the lightning never actually touched me.
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Old 28th May 2018, 18:40
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Despite the relative severity and widespread nature of it around the London airports bar Gatwick, surprised there wasn't more disruption bar a few extended holds.

I'm sure our American cousins are thinking right now this is a normal day for them in May (or any other month for that matter!)
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Old 28th May 2018, 18:54
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Originally Posted by Herod
Sitting in the crew-bus, I watched the sky turn green. The only time I've ever seen that, and I presume it was ionisation?
This happens in the SE USA sometimes... usually it means there’s an extremely intense storm (tornado) very close so better take cover.
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Old 28th May 2018, 19:15
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I really like to hear
“<callsign> requested left/right 10/20 for weather.”
I don’t like
”<callsign> We’ve got a bit of weather ahead, about 12 miles and it extends all the way from X to about Y, is there any chance we could turn before?”

RT is always really busy when there’s weather, let’s keep it brief.
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Old 28th May 2018, 20:31
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Herod - do you still have your log book? I would be interested to know the date of this storm. I wouldn't mind betting it was 24th June, 1994. An absolute whopper by all accounts, especially in the Essex area.
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