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Weird Weather

Spanish Plume is set to bring a heatwave to Cornwall this week
By Oli_Vergnault | Posted: July 17, 2017

Winter may be coming in Westeros in Game of Thrones as it returns to our screens but in Cornwall it's the Spanish Plume that's about to bring Mediterranean weather to our shores.

The county, like the rest of the UK, is set to roast later this week when a swathe of baking air is carried north from the continent.
The weather phenomenon is known as a Spanish Plume and temperatures are likely to hit the high 20s C in the stifling heat. That means the heatwave is on its way back.

video:

A Spanish Plume' is a complex weather system that normally consists of hot, steamy conditions followed usually by heavy rain or thunderstorms. It is a plume of very warm air that nudges north from the baking plains of central and southern Spain, heating up as it travels across the continent on a southerly airflow.

Eventually, when the warm mass collides with the cooler air that normally settles over the British Isles, it creates a thunderstorm, often accompanied by heavy rain and even hail.

The combination of extreme high temperatures and intense rainfall offers potential for flash flooding, damaging hail storms and tornado formation.

The Met Office said the peak of this hot spell will most likely be during Tuesday or Wednesday when temperatures across some southern areas are expected to reach the low 30s Celsius and much of the UK should stay dry with lengthy sunny spells.
A thunder and lightning breakout is then expected later on Wednesday, bringing an end to the fine weather.

etc...

http://www.cornwalllive.com/spanish...ll-this-week/story-30443882-detail/story.html
 
Local forecasts now give the heavy rain, etc, hitting the south and west tonight rather than tomorrow.
 
A couple of incidents:


Flash Flood in Coverack, Cornwall today

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From earlier July, Violent Hailstorm in Spain Several sheep are killed. The video is pretty freaky - you wouldn't want to be out in this..

PAY-These-are-the-scenes-from-a-freak-hailstorm-that-took-place-in-Northern-Spain-last-week-Local-resi.jpg
 
hunck said:
Flash Flood in Coverack, Cornwall today

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Click to expand...
The first I heard of this was this morning on Classic FM news! Although Coverack is only a few miles from here as the seagull flies (and is frequently mentioned in my Lone CG reports), there was no hail, thunder or lightning here, although there was a brief flicker on the electrical supply which made me think "Uh oh!"

BBC Video: 1m 29s.
Storms and flash flooding hit Cornish village

Storms and heavy rainfall have seen flash flooding in a coastal Cornish village.
Residents in Coverack, on the Lizard Peninsula, reported hailstones the size of 50 pence pieces smashing windows and torrents of water blocking roads.
Some people captured the devastation in the coastal town.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-eng...storms-and-flash-flooding-hit-cornish-village
 
Cornwall floods: Coverack wakes up to 'devastation'

Heavy rain which sent a 4ft torrent of water through a Cornish village has left a "devastating" scene, a fire chief said.
About 50 properties were damaged and several people had to be rescued in Coverack, on the Lizard Peninsula, as storms hit on Tuesday afternoon,

Water swept through the village, leaving roads in and out impassable. A school bus remains stranded.
Emergency services are meeting "to co-ordinate the recovery phase".
...

In Cornwall, heavy rainfall hit at about 15:00 BST on Tuesday and about 50 properties are thought to be affected by the flooding, but there were no reports of serious injuries.
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said its crews attended "multiple flooding-related incidents" and urged people to avoid the area.

Stan Harris had been laying slate in the village when the rain began to fall.
"We started to hear the rumble and then suddenly I was hit with marbles, hitting me in the face. I couldn't get out. I was just stuck in a shed," he said.
"In the end I thought, 'I've got to get home', so we left and it took me nearly an hour just to go a couple of miles up the road, and everything was hitting me down through the village."
He said he thought his was the last vehicle to make it out of the village.
"By the time we got up past the lady we were working for, she said we were probably one of the last ones to get through because then another van floated through.
"By the time we got home it was chaos. Absolute chaos."

A meeting for local residents is being held in the village's Paris Hotel at 11:30, where Cornwall Council staff will provide "advice and guidance" to those affected.
A major incident was declared at 17:20 on Tuesday and the helicopter was deployed to rescue the people trapped on the roof.

Assistant Chief Fire officer Phil Martin said there was now a "pile of rubble" about "3ft or 4ft high, that goes across about 20ft".
"You can see rubble on the beach and debris that's been washed down by the water," he added.
He described the flash flood as "devastating", adding "when I was listening to this incident unfold on the radio I had a real fear that this was going to have a tragic outcome ".

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency sent a helicopter from Newquay which rescued two people from a house.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-40652594
 
I've just watched the BBC lunchtime news. Not only was the local news all about Coverack, but the National news covered it too. Even the weather man got in on it, describing how the storm that created all the damage was formed, and how much rain actually fell.

I don't think Cornwall's had this much attention since the Boscastle flood, a few years ago now.
 
Derek Thomas MP calls for Government help after flooding strikes Coverack on the Lizard
By G_WIlkinson | Posted: July 19, 2017

The village of Coverack, which was hit by a torrent of water yesterday, had more than £300,000 allocated for flood defences just two years ago.
But this money was to protect the picturesque harbour from the sea – not from flash flooding from inland.
(Oh the irony!) :cool2:
Freak heavy rain caused flooding yesterday afternoon after water came pouring down the main street.

Derek Thomas MP said today that he had been talking to Sajid Javid, the secretary of state for communities, to see what help the government could give, as well as other agencies such as the Environment Agency.

Mr Thomas said: "It is clear this was a freak and tragic event that caught everyone unawares. I've spoken to Sajid Javid to ask what he can do to help in the immediate aftermath to make sure the infrastructure is put right.
"Once we've got the village repaired and open again, we need to look at making sure the waterways are doing their job properly."

He added: "It's also clear that the emergency services have done a fantastic job."

The last significant incident to affect Coverack was during the storms of 2014, when crashing waves and surging high tides undermined the sea wall at the back of the beach.
It was in February that a huge hole was punched through the concrete wall, causing the road to collapse above.
It meant the only major route into the village was blocked and it proved a major engineering challenge to repair.
The focus after that was on ensuring the sea defences were watertight, and not on water running down the hills from inland.

http://www.cornwalllive.com/derek-t...n-the-lizard/story-30447482-detail/story.html
 
Parts of Lancaster had minor flooding this afternoon. A couple of shops and a pub have been flooded yet again after opening from last years flood.
 
Coverack couple who were airlifted from roof of their home watched as water filled it
By CGMikeS | Posted: July 19, 2017

An elderly couple who were airlifted to safety from the roof of their Coverack home have told Cornwall Live how they watched in horror as six feet of water engulfed their home.
Chris and Penny Hammill admitted they didn't think they would escape from their property after they became trapped by the surging floods.

Chris, 68, was working on a building project across the road when it began to hail at around 2.30pm, with raindrops "the size of a table spoon".
He ran home and tried to keep the back door shut as the rain and hail lashed the property.

But a large piece of debris - believed to be a log - barged the door open and the couple of eight years became soaked.
Within an hour, the water had risen up to neck level.
The two fled upstairs to a storage room, before a helicopter arrived and pulled them up with a harness.

Chris said: "The rain drops were the size of table spoons. The hail was the size of sugar cubes.
"We were in the conservatory looking at the hail stones talking about how big they are. The water then started to rise around the house.
"I was holding the door and something came down from the valley - a tree stump, I think - and it barged open the door.
"I couldn't hold it closed anymore. Five to six feet of water and crap came in our house. We were covered. It was a freak of nature."

Penny, who has lived in the house for 54 years after her father moved down with her from Sheffield, said: "We didn't know how we were going to get out. It was terrifying."

Around 20 minutes after the couple ran upstairs, firefighters arrived at the scene.
The helicopter soon followed and rescued the pair from a window at the top of the property, before dropping them off in a nearby field.
Chris added: "I was terrified [being picked up by the helicopter]. I like to keep my feet on the ground."

Unlike the Price family down the road, the couple's property is covered by insurance. But they estimate it will take three months to clear and repair the damage in their beloved "clean as a new pin" home.

etc...

http://www.cornwalllive.com/coverac...er-filled-it/story-30448544-detail/story.html
 
Yesterday I reported really heavy rain here:
http://forum.forteantimes.com/index.php?threads/environmental-issues.25759/page-36#post-1690360

I went into town, and got soaked to the skin, literally... :mad:

But I didn't go far enough down to witness the usual flooding by the Prince of Wales pub:

Drain covers pushed up and street flooded as fresh deluge hits Falmouth

As the rain hits Cornwall, businesses on Market Strand are facing the now-familiar sight of flooding at the end of the Prince of Wales Pier.
A stream of water was running down Killigrew Street and Webber Hill this morning, and the excess water had forced up the drain covers and sent floodwater out across Falmouth's lowest lying road.

Businesses had sandbags and flood gates at the ready, although by 11am no water had managed to get into any of the premises.

etc...

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/new...street_flooded_as_fresh_deluge_hits_Falmouth/
 
UK weather: 'Family of depressions' set to blast Britain with heavy rain and strong winds
Victoria Ward 23 July 2017 • 8:59am

A "family of depressions" is going to blast Britain with spells of heavy rain and strong wind throughout the rest of the month, forecasters have warned.
Summer will be largely on hold as several areas of low pressure move in over the UK from the Atlantic.

But it's not all bad news for parents contemplating the start of the school holidays as the ensuing spells of wet weather will be interspersed with periods of pleasant sunshine.

Emma Boorman, a Met Office forecaster, said: "It will come and go. There will be rain one day and dry, bright weather the next.
"It's not going to be a complete washout but if you have outdoor plans, you are going to have to pick and choose the days, and keep and eye on the forecast."

Ms Boorman said the unsettled weather was likely to last throughout next weekend and into the beginning of the following week, although conditions could be set to improve in August.

etc...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...ressions-set-blast-britain-heavy-rain-strong/

So, pretty normal British weather then! :p
 
Just got power back on after a lightning strike a few hours ago. It was a spectacular sunny morning. Then around mid day over ten minutes the front came in very swiftly, the atmosphere blackened and the air got all tingly, and finally the storm announced itself with a significant bolt. The strike was massive. It happened a long way from us but I saw the flash and the power was out immediately. I braced for the clap, and waited and waited, fingers in ears. It was huge when it came and rolled for at least 30-40 seconds after. Very little rain tho. Weird.

Story and some pics:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-27/adelaide-lightning-strike-leaves-man-in-hospital/8749456

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Mud bath at Port Eliot after ‘biblical’ rain hits festival
By WMNAGreenwood | Posted: July 30, 2017

Festival-goers at Port Eliot were flooded out of their tents and put into emergency accommodation as “biblical” weather deluged the site.
The festival at St Germans, in South East Cornwall, sold out over a month ago and has a reputation of being a more “upmarket” festival compared to the likes of Glastonbury, Download and most others.

But the weather isn’t very selective when choosing targets, and the festival site was hit by a deluge of rain as flood warnings were issued for Saturday night.

etc...

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/mud...its-festival/story-30462128-detail/story.html

Rain and heavy showers were forecast for the Westcountry yesterday, but not a drop fell here!
 
Pilot lands Airbus at Ataturk airport 'blind' after hailstones shatter windscreen
Dave Maclean
32 mins ago

A pilot carried out a heart-stopping emergency landing during which he couldn't see – after giant hailstones shattered the windscreen of his severely damaged jet.

Captain Alexander Akopov picked up the Ukrainian Order For Courage in his home country after landing the Airbus A320 at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport on Thursday.
His skills saved the lives of the 121 passengers and six crew members on board, leaving him and his crew members celebrating as if it was a “second birthday”.

A heavy storm over Turkey saw hailstones the size of eggs rain down, which left a gash in Captain Akopov’s plane and disabled the plane's autopilot.

...

The storm over Istanbul lasted just 20 minutes but managed to cause traffic chaos and flash flooding. Cars and buses were submerged. More than 7,000 emergency workers were deployed to help in the aftermath, which sparked fires across the city.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel...xander-akopov-atlasglobal-erkan-a7868901.html
 
Another festival hit by bad weather:
Y Not festival guests share photos of carnage after extreme weather forces organisers to cancel event
Attendees criticised the festival as they queued for up to four hours to leave the site
Roisin O'Connor
6 hours ago

Y Not guests have criticised the festival over the apparent "chaos" that ensued after organisers cancelled the event due to "adverse weather conditions".
The Derbyshire festival was set to continue on Sunday 30 July but organisers said the risk was "too severe".

A scheduled performance by The Vaccines was cancelled entirely, while Clean Bandit ended up doing a DJ set instead of a full show.
Guests were asked to pack their belongings and leave the site "calmly", with staff supposedly available to help.

However, soon after the announcement was made, attendees took to social media and claimed that they had been forced to wait in car park queues for almost four hours.

etc...

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...res-video-refunds-who-performed-a7868431.html

Isn't summer wonderful! :p
 
Shetland has sunnier July than Cornwall

The Shetland Islands had more sunshine than Cornwall in July, despite being more than 700 miles further north.
It is only the eighth time this has happened since records began in 1929.
Met Office statistics showed the Shetland area had 192.9 hours of sunshine from 1-29 July, while Cornwall had 153.5 hours.

It was a wet month for the UK as a whole, with 22% more than the average rainfall for July.
Properties were damaged and people had to be rescued after heavy rain and storms hit the Cornish village of Coverack.

Climate scientist Mike Kendon said while it hadn't been a remarkable weather month, there were some "significant events".
"It is uncommon for Shetland to experience more sunshine hours than Cornwall at this time of year," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40798901

I'm surprised to see no mention of the fact that there are more daylight hours in summer as you go further north. If it wasn't for cloud cover, you'd expect Shetland to be sunnier than Cornwall most summers!
 
Storms hit both RoI & NI.

Northwest floods: Cost of clean-up likely to run into millions
Politicians question the ‘preparedness’ of statutory bodies after storm devastation
about 22 hours ago Gerry Moriarty
  • After a devastating night of thunderstorms caused havoc across the northwest, more than 100 people had to be rescued from cars and houses due to the flooding.

    Authorities on both sides of the Border are now estimating the multimillion euro cost of the damage wreaked predominantly in counties Derry,
    Donegal and Tyrone on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

    Politicians were on Wednesday night raising questions about the state of preparedness of the statutory agencies to deal with the flash flooding.

    However, Kevin “Boxer” Moran, Minister for State at the Office of Public Works , who travelled to Co Donegal on Wednesday night, rejected criticism from Fianna Fáil over the Government’s and OPW’s response to flooding threats, insisting his intervention had enabled important flood relief works to be sanctioned more promptly.

    He confirmed he would be briefing the Minister for Finance and the Taoiseach on the scale of damage to the region and expected an emergency relief fund would follow that process. ...

    Earlier, local TD and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Joe McHugh had visited Burnfoot and Buncrana, and Minister for Transport Shane Ross arrived in the area on Wednesday night to assess damage to roads “first hand”.

    Unprecedented scale
    Officials from the North’s Department for Infrastructure and Donegal County Council described the scale of the flooding as “unprecedented”. Over nine hours almost two-thirds of the total rainfall for August fell across the northwest. ...
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...est&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_digest

‘Once in a 100 years’ extreme weather event caused Donegal flooding
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/env...ather-event-caused-donegal-flooding-1.3195934
 
Victoria, Texas. Ulalume's town is under the deluge of category 3 Hurricane Harvey. Video at link. I've PM'd her but no response as yet. I expect the power would be out and networks down. Dangers are not just from the winds but also major flooding expected and then you'd have to expect looters to be rife and roaming in packs.

Stay safe, 'Lumes.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/jason-allen-braves-hurricane-harvey-in-victoria/vp-AAqJCqE

edit: I see she posted on her blog a few days ago. I tried to post a comment but it was entirely impossible to get through the gates. I sent her a PM as well. Hopefully she'll check in some time.
 
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She needs to let peeps know that she is safe if she has access to the internet. Stay safe Ulalume.
 
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