That hailstorm here gave around 5mm of equivalent rain in barely 5 minutes.   One of the most intense hailstorms for many years here. Still some lying hail which is slowly melting.

Another really dark ominous cloud looming to my west now.

M60 near Manchester during the storm...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkFy7eHDuU0

I was expressing interest in tomorrows cold front on my FB page earlier.

Matt Hugo(twitter) has picked up on this as well so maybe something of a squall as it passes

All eyes on the Cold Front this morning. Hail and torrential rain likely, risk of thunder.

Agreed Ben - Matt Hugo has been tweeting about the CF which could get pretty lively if it organises properly. I will be watching!

Excellent

Yes potential for the CF to sharpen considerably as it pushes south today, with a line of deep convection generating hail and thunder and some SLWs.

And then it'll magically fizzle out the moment that squall line touches the Kent Shield.

Very dark from the NW with very heavy rain and hail with squally winds here.

Not long had a downpour with hail.

Same as here just after midday.

Pretty impressive and something that I haven't seen much of recently here.

The rainfall profile was pretty sharp although I have seen better. Impossible to get a view of the front itself due to the rain/hail shield that occured at the time

And I was right, this end of the squall line is breaking up right at the last minute as it moves across East Kent, only gave me a few minutes of normal moderate rain and a bit of a breeze getting up and now it's trying to brighten up.

Happens every time, the Folkestone Weather Shield once again being effective as ever.

Ian, Folkestone and South Cambs. seem to have a lot in common - (ignoring the lack of seaside location here )

I thought I had blinked and missed this feature, but looking at the hole in the radar trace sequence over South Cambs. (situated around the top of the M11 if you show Motorways on the Meto radar) explains all - there was nothing to miss.

And I was right, this end of the squall line is breaking up right at the last minute as it moves across East Kent, only gave me a few minutes of normal moderate rain and a bit of a breeze getting up and now it's trying to brightening up.

Happens every time, the Folkestone Weather Shield once again being effective as ever.

Originally Posted by: idj20 

Ian, Folkestone and South Cambs. seem to have a lot in common - (ignoring the lack of seaside location here )

I thought I had blinked and missed this feature, but looking at the hole in the radar trace sequence over South Cambs. (situated around the top of the M11 if you show Motorways on the Meto radar) explains all - there was nothing to miss.

Originally Posted by: RobN 

 Hi Rob! Goes to show, doesn't it?   I issued a quick heads up on a certain social network website telling everyone to expect heavy squally rain for a short time in 30 minutes . . . then ten minutes, five minutes . . . then right on cue the rain did pep up a little . . . . and . . . er . . . that was it. No gusty winds or hail or anything.

It is looking a bit grey and laden to my west (looks like the rear end of a line of cumulonimbus) where I think the cold front is still working it's way over us at this end.

Originally Posted by: idj20 

Owing to my local micro climate I have given up trying to predict local conditions here hours or even minutes in advance from looking at the radar. Whatever direction a notable weather feature (bands of snow and thunderstorms in particular!) is coming from, it fizzles just before it gets here. Infuriatingly it then often peps up again as it passes into the next county. I guess it's an orographic effect, being as I am in a very low lying area compared to surrounding counties. Alas, I'm in the rain shadow of the Chilterns, the Northamtonshire Alps, the Suffolks Alps, the Norfolk Alps...