Electric Sky: T0042

THUNDERSTORM T0042
Date: Sunday 2nd June 2002 Time: Cell 1: 1810BST, Cell 2: 1856BST, Cell 3: 1900BST
Location: Macclesfield, Cheshire UK
Path: Cell 1: few miles east, Cell 2: few miles NW, Cell 3: overhead

Synoptics: Spanish plume destabilising ahead of Atlantic trough
Duration: 1 hour (all 3 cells)
Type: Cell 1: Multicell, Cell 2: Single Cell, Cell 3: Multicell
Average lightning type: C-G
Average discharge rate: Cell 1: 160s, Cell 2: n/a (1 discharge), Cell 3: 102s
Footage Quality: VHS/Hi8

These storm cells were produced ahead of a Cold Front approaching from the west lifting warm air travelled up from the Bay of Biscay. A genesis point for intense cells passed right over the northwest region and was stuck for a while whilst the upper level winds carried the cells slowly in a north-westerly direction. The result was fantastic sequence of organised slow-moving storm cells with large mushroomed thunderheads. In total three separate cells were spawned in the East Cheshire region. C-Gs were abundant in all three cells in the footage.

Cell 1
The first cell floated over the Pennines to the east giving some impressive C-G shots, whilst the front kept producing cells to the south.

Cell 2
This was a newly developed Singlecell to the Northwest that produced a fantastic long C-G, possibly a positive flash as it reached outside the cell. That was a lucky capture as I had only just moved the positioning of the camera from Cell 1 to Cell 2 on a hunch it was active.

Cell 3
A couple of minutes after that, Cell 3 started kicking off to the south which was closer and started moving overhead, so I repositioned the camera again.

A close C-G strike that was slightly missed off the edge of the camera view was the closest discharge of the evening, and the front continued development of cells further north and east giving way to a spectacular view of mushroomed thunderheads, undisturbed by the strong upper-level winds.

CHARTS (Credits)

SFERICS (Credits)
EUROPE 24-hour SFERIC LOCATION
EUROPE 24-hour SFERIC INTENSITY