Yep, Excellent pics  I just happened to be taking some vid of the graupel storm here earlier - it includes that flash 'n' bang!  .. I'll attempt to post it below. Still have graupel laying here from that storm!

https://youtu.be/8ePP4wWaVx4

Originally Posted by: P+ve Giant 

Very nice! Love the thunder, and do I hear a gasp from you? 

Off topic, but I was in Congleton just last weekend; me and my brother were picking up some cheap steel fence posts from Daneside Business Park  It's a nice area, Cheshire  Hope you're well, mate 

Originally Posted by: SJV 

Nice!

There was a waterspout up here this afternoon but unfortunately I missed I.

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

I'm OK, thanks m8 and hope all's well with you

Small world, eh? Yes, Cheshire has some lovely countryside. Back on topic - I was caught-out by that flash, as I thought the cell had died - but it decided to re-activate overhead lol  

Originally Posted by: P+ve Giant 

Our 3rd storm of the day is now kicking off..

Originally Posted by: picturesareme 

Hi John and Steve!  I could remember that occasion about 6 or 7 years ago when a lively cell passed over Folkestone on one summer's evening, it gave some impressive looking anvil crawlers in doing so but then just when I thought the cell was on the retreat as things started to quieten down when suddenly "FLASH!!", I saw a thunderbolt strike something behind the houses on the opposite side of my street. It must have been very close by because the gunshot thunder was followed instantly, made me jump out of my skin - but then that was it, the storm was totally dead thereafter. It's like it built up that one last final charge to completely "earth" the cell, I remember Bren did an article on that in the past.  

Anyway, as already covered by most of us in here, today has been a good day for cloudscapes as I spotted cumulus quickly bubbling up at around noon time . . .



And it looks like tomorrow could go along on the same theme, perhaps not quite so lively in nature.

Originally Posted by: idj20 

Hi, Ian! A great day for cloudscapes indeed! Some huge cb's around  Yes, the mighty tail-ender - often a Positive Giant off the cloud top and they do sometimes earth most of the charge high up in the cloud - hence the currents from these are in the 100,000's of amps  

Originally Posted by: P+ve Giant 

God's own tazer gun.

Getting back to the here and now, there is a clump of organised stuff working it's way southwards over East Anglia and that might give us here at Kent a shower or two overnight, will I wake up to a surprise dusting first thing tomorrow morning? Most probably over high ground, so there's only one way to find out.

Originally Posted by: idj20 

As expected the cumulus has bubbled up and are now large enough to be as cumulonimbus-type shower clouds. However, what is slightly different on yesterday is that these showers are very, very slow moving. There could be one the size of a small hamlet producing heavy rain/hail while staying in one spot and at the same time an area only a mile away remain high and dry. All down to pot luck for the rest of the day, might even spot a funnel cloud over the Channel if you are good/quick enough.

Originally Posted by: idj20 

Showers are slower moving today here also. This approaching shower produced 1cm graupel but no thunder.

Originally Posted by: P+ve Giant 

Hi John! I've been surrounded by cumulonimbus and virga for most of this afternoon but not a single drop had landed here!

Originally Posted by: idj20 

That Folkestone weather shield must be set on local, Ian  The showery activity has diminished here now and like yesterday, there's only a couple of mm in the gauge! 

Originally Posted by: P+ve Giant 

You could almost make out the outline of the Harbour Rain Deflector (this photo was taken by a friend living at Capel, a better vantage point for this kind of thing) . . .

Originally Posted by: idj20 

I hope the IoW paid you back