ABC of Weather: Electric Storm


I seem to live in a place which quite often has electric storms. A couple of times at least during the summer I awake at night to find an eerily silent flickering across the sky. Naturally, I stay up to watch the free show: it's mostly sheet lightning of mainly yellow, white and orange hues, but I always watch out (and hope) for the more dramatic forked lightning stretching across the sky. Sometimes it might be accompanied by the tiniest rumble of thunder, indicating the storm has moved within hearing range. Thunder is usually heard when a storm is 30 miles away or less, lightning can be seen from up to 100 miles away.

To be able to watch a storm these days shows I've conquered a most primeval fear. As a child I was really frightened of them and hated to be left alone in the summer in case one arrived. If there was any chance of one, I'd head off to the nearest shopping centre to be held safe amongst a crowd of strangers. My fear wasn't helped by being made to stand sobbing with fright on a chair with my hands on my head during a particularly violent storm when I was at primary school.

Nowadays I love them for their beauty and awesome power and perhaps for the thrill of being close to danger, yet feeling safe. Sometimes when flying over the Alps I've looked out of the tiny window of my plane to see a number of storms brewing over the mountains. I see vast billowing cathedrals of cloud being lit dramatically from within. They serve to remind me what a tiny speck I am in the vastness of the world.

How's the weather with you today? This very instant a watery sun has just revealed itself after a morning of sleet and rain.

For more in the way of E, do visit the ABC Wednesday blog.

Picture courtesy of Christian Meyn on Freedigitalphotos.net.

Comments

  1. Helen17 February 2010 at 13:40

    I love electrical storms, too. As we live by this great inland sea, Lake Ontario, we can get some stunners -- particularly in late summer after a hot, humid day. You can almost channel King Lear raging against the storm.

    Poor you. I can't escape that image of you standing on that stool, sobbing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. petoskystone17 February 2010 at 15:11

    we had 6" of snow accumulate yesterday, but the blue skies today are pushing the grey clouds out & the snow is melting! your primary school teacher would've had a serious Issue w/me...grey clouds of Ulginess would've risen to great heights.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Moonstone Gardens17 February 2010 at 15:34

    I also love Thunder Storms and we get a few doozies that sneak over the Cascade Mountains in the summer. My sister-in-law also loves them, so when we have an especially loud storm, I call her so she can listen to the Thunder.
    The teacher who made you stand on the stool should be taken out and horse-whipped.
    Cindee

    ReplyDelete
  4. Joan17 February 2010 at 16:04

    Today and indeed this week we are having spring here in Puget Sound Washington US.

    The weather will be mild and sunny! yay and dry! perfect weather to do those gardening pleasures of an early spring. Peas to be planted and roses to be pruned.

    I too love thunder and lightening! Thanks for sharing the story and awesome photo.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dirty Girl Gardening17 February 2010 at 16:19

    Lightening is so cool... wish we had more here.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Roger Owen Green17 February 2010 at 18:17

    I love lighning - when I'm safe. When I'm riding a bike and it comes up suddenly, not so much/

    On behalf of the ABC Wednesday team, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. colleen17 February 2010 at 20:07

    London has been sunny today - hoorah!!!. 7 degrees. Almost tropical. ( Thunder yesterday, though)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mara17 February 2010 at 20:57

    I can't really remember many electrical storms when I lived that way. Perhaps Castle Combe wasn't as affected as Chippenham!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Plant Mad Nige18 February 2010 at 10:34

    If only we could have a thunder storm here in Lincolnshire, or some rain, or some sun, or a gale or ANYTHING other than the static, half-fog-half-drizzle-half freezing misery that we've endured for so long. Even a blizzard would be better than this!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Monica the Garden Faerie18 February 2010 at 12:15

    Cool photo. In Colorado where my niece lives, they often get lightening up in the mountains, which looks really cool from lower elevations.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jay18 February 2010 at 15:34

    I used to like to watch storms from the window of our eighth floor flat. Then when I adopted our first dog I realised just how terrified and inconsolable our pets can be and I began to hate them for their sake. Luckily, our new dog Sid doesn't care about storms, or fireworks, so I can relax again and enjoy the show.

    ReplyDelete
  12. dana19 February 2010 at 01:00

    Respect for your crediting the photographer. Sadness for your sobbing in fear as a little one. Happiness for discovering a new blog!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ladyinblue19 February 2010 at 22:47

    Good picture, but personally I don´t like them. But I know some do.
    Have a great weekend/
    Ulla Sweden

    ReplyDelete
  14. VP23 February 2010 at 19:38

    Helen - now those storms sound like they're worth seeing :)

    Petoskystone - stay warm!

    Cindee - ooh that sounds fun. Shame you can't call long distance...

    Joan - oh, if only it was that kind of weather here. My fingers are itching to get sowing again...

    DGG - welcome! I'm sure there's some people only too happy to send some your way ;)

    Roger - I have memories of riding a bike through a storm with it directly overhead! The hairs on my arms were standing to attention - I've never pedalled so fast in my life!

    Colleen - it's funny how 7 has become the new warm isn't it?

    Mara - I think you'd be protected by Lynham Bank - it seems to keep hold of many of the storms in our area.

    Nige - be careful what you wish for - I seem to remember RO compalining about snow over the weekend..

    Monica - oooh I'd have liked to have seen that. It's always been good weather the 2x we've been to Colorado

    Jay - luckily our 2 cats remain untroubled by storms - apart from rushing in from the rain and putting muddy paws everywhere including me!

    Dana - you're most welcome :)

    Ulla - good to meet you and you have a good week!

    ReplyDelete

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