Famous Thunderstorms

[Thunderblaster]

Anyone can remember their favourite thunderstorm?
The worst thunderstorm I was caught in was in Dublin on the 24th August 1990. I remember going through the North Circular Road and it was getting so dark that office lights and some street lights were switched on. I was going to Aughrim Street Church at the time to a funeral and as soon as the funeral started, the thunder started at 5:45. The thunder after no time got so loud and violent that it was practically shaking the church and the lightning was lighting up inside. There were people running into the church after five minutes and they looked like drowned rats. I left the church at 6:30 and the rain had eased off at that stage but the thunder was still rumbling. The road at Aughrim Street had turned from bone dry to a torrent that was nearly level with the pavement in 45 minutes.:eek: Going across the north city back to Donnycarney, I was encountering floods up to the bonnets of cars, particularly near Fitzgibbon Street. On getting back to Donnycarney, I heard that one house had a lucky escape when lightning hit the back garden (I think it was the clothes line). :eek: The thunder was over at that stage when I got back to Donnycarney. I think for most Dublin people, the thunderstorm on the night of the 25th-26th July 1985 would be the storm of the century.:) I would love to hear more stories and did anyone ever capture a good lightning picture in Ireland?:D

[dahamsta]

Glastonbury in June. Words fail me, it was just incredible.

adam

[The Stars]

Hurrican Katrina....

[sligoman]

The worst storm I was caught in would have to be around Christmas a few years ago in Galway. I was down shopping in the retail park near Terryland Park and the wind and rain was just unbelivable then thunder and lightening started. Was thinking of staying the night somewhere down there cos we weren't sure about driving home in it:o

[Thunderblaster]

Hurrican Katrina....

Was there thunder and lightning with the hurricane?

[paul_oshea]

tb you are like my brother he loves thunderstorms, i spose they are its cool when you are sitting inside or in a car where you really get to feel it and can look out at all the people walking or with no coats or whatever awful funny altogether :D

[finlma]

Every night in Thailand there was a thunder storm like clock work. We used get into the sea for a swim cause the water was so warm and watch the sky light up. Wish I was back there now

[Thunderblaster]

Every night in Thailand there was a thunder storm like clock work. We used get into the sea for a swim cause the water was so warm and watch the sky light up. Wish I was back there now

You're very lucky not to have being hit by lightning as you should be aware that you should get out of water during a thunderstorm. Lightning can strike up to ten miles away from the cloud. I take it that you were there during the monsoon season. In tropical places, the weather is very choreographed, hence the nightly thunderstorms that probably came at 11:00 and finished up at 1:00.

[superfrank]

I remember when I was like 4 I was visiting relatives in Kerry and we were going to get the train back from Farranfore. There was some storm going around, I think it was called Hurricane Charlie, and the wind was really strong.

Anyway, we were standing on the platform and a big gust of wind came along and my aunt shouts "Get away from the ****ing train!!"

That's all I remember, strangely enough.

[Troy.McClure]

Every night in Thailand there was a thunder storm like clock work. We used get into the sea for a swim cause the water was so warm and watch the sky light up. Wish I was back there now

The same in Strasbourg when I was there for a summer. Every night around 11-12. The lightening only struck Germany though, never France :D

We flew through a lightening storm from India to Dubai which was $hit cool. Quite un cool at the time though was landing in Cork one time in the middle of a storm. The plane was being blown around and everyone was realy tense, then the plane skidded sideways on touchdown and some woman shouted out "Jesus Christ" and everyone nearly wet themsleves! On hindsight though, that was also cool :)

[paul_oshea]

i was about 8 or somethign and i was down in achill staying in a caravan the bloody caravan was gooing from side to side and i was saying to my mam at the time, "i wish daddy was here now cos he would be able stop it" LOL, but he would have im telling ye!!!!

i dont remember saying that but i do remember it being extremely winding, with very heavy rain and the thunder seemed like it was coming from just above the roof

[CollegeTillIDie]

Hurricane Charlie hit Ireland in 1986 it was the worst but I was indoors throughout mainly, Worst I was caught in was a Sunday afternoon downpour in 1995. About the only day it rained the whole summer and I was soaked to the skin watching a soccer game.

[joeSoap]

I came home hammered drunk at 4 in the afternoon the day Robbie Keane equalised against Germany. I was supposed to be going out to dinner with me mots family to celebrate some birthday or other, and passed out on the couch.

I was awoken by roars and screams the likes of which I never heard before, that actually shook the walls of the apartment. 'Hurricane Jenny' I called it.
Shocking experience.:D :D

[superfrank]

Hurricane Charlie hit Ireland in 1986
So that couldn't have been the one I got caught in. I wasn't even born!

[finlma]

your a fuc(kin muppet,
did you ever hear that water and electricity dont mix?

The storm was miles away. We could see the lightning way in the distance.

[Thunderblaster]

The storm was miles away. We could see the lightning way in the distance.

Check up websites on lightning safety. Anyone that goes swimming with lightning in the area is either brave or is just being an idiot. I could have picked up The Star some morning and read " Irish Tourist Killed By Lightning While Swimming in Thailand Beach" or a right wing British paper would have wrote "Thick Mick Goes For Swim In Thunderstorm; Killed By Lightning". :eek:

[Troy.McClure]

Did anyone see Conan O'Brien last night with the Lightening Safety skit? "I'll KILL you!" :D

[Thunderblaster]

Did anyone see Conan O'Brien last night with the Lightening Safety skit? "I'll KILL you!" :D

Tell me more about the series.

[Thunderblaster]

I have to admit tht I was a very naught boy yesterday.:eek: I was browsing on the internet when there was a flash of lightning, followed by a rap of thunder.:o Lucky enough, my modem did not get sozzled by the lightning.:D I think that my punishment is that I shall die by a lightning strike while browsing the internet.:rolleyes: :D

[Thunderblaster]

A couple of people mentioned Hurricane Charlie. I was 10 at the time it happened and there was no thunder. However, there were some nasty thunderstorms from the 26th-30th June 1986 and I remember the one on the morning of the 27th June 1986 and there were some pretty violent raps of thunder that morning and the rain bucketed. The storm was from 7:30 to about 9:00 and it was the last day of school.

[Thunderblaster]

1983: January 9th: I cannot remember thunder from this storm, but it was my first memory of lightning that night.

1983: June 1st: Afternoon thunderstorm had evrybody in a panic. A flash of forked lightning frightened the crap out of me that day.

1983: 22nd August: First thunderstorm abroad happened in the Huelva region of Spain on a day trip during the middle of the day.

1984: September 20th: Last real ultra long thunderstorm that I can remember took place that night. Storm started at 7:30 and went on for at least 3 and a half hours.

1986: June 27th: Nasty thunderstorm. See previous post. I slept through another violent storm on the night of 28th-29th June 1986. My father told me about the forked lightning in that one.

1989: May 21st: Evening thunderstorm with hardly any rain, the sky turned an eerie yellow and some spectacular forked lightning. Started at 8:00 and finished at 10:00.

1989: December 24th: Thunderstorm at 9:30 at night knocks off electricity. Christmas tree on local mountain still lit making for an unreal scene.

1990: August 24th: My worst thunderstorm ever took place in Dublin. Please find details on opening post.

1992: June 7th: Nasty evening thunderstorm started at 8:00. The storm produced heavy rain and acorn-sized hail.

1992: June 29th: A day with frequent thunderstorms saw one that knocked off the power and another one with squally winds.

1993: December 29th: An unstable, thundery day saw one thunderstorm with very large hail.

1997: July 10th: A very thundery day with forked lightning. At 7:30 that evening during football training. one bolt of lightning struck less than a mile away.

1999: August 6th: A series of afternoon thunderstorms causes flooding in a local supermarket.

1999: August 18th: An afternoon thunderstorm spawns mini-twisters.

1999: August 24th: Night time thunderstorm with intense lightning and some very loud thunder. Thunder was from 9:30-10:00 and the lightning carried on for some time after that.

2000: July 4th: Afternoon thunderstorm at 4:30 caused local flooding.

Can anybody beat that list?

[sligoman]

Can anybody beat that list?Does anyone want to?:D

[The Stars]

Does anyone want to?:D
well were not gonna compete in a Thunderstorm discussion with someone called Thunderblaster

[Thunderblaster]

well were not gonna compete in a Thunderstorm discussion with someone called Thunderblaster

Potential POTM for November!! Has a good line to it.:D

[Dotsy]

i was about 8 or somethign and i was down in achill staying in a caravan the bloody caravan was gooing from side to side and i was saying to my mam at the time, "i wish daddy was here now cos he would be able stop it" LOL, but he would have im telling ye!!!!

i dont remember saying that but i do remember it being extremely winding, with very heavy rain and the thunder seemed like it was coming from just above the roof

I experienced something similar. We stayed in a caravan in a campsite in Ventry in 1979 (I was 12) the night of the storm during the fasnet yacht race which killed 15 people. The campsite was basically on a headland totally exposed to the wind. I remember waking up in the caravan in the middle of the night and the thing was swaying like mad and there was unbeliveable thunder and lighting. I was scared sh*tless. My parents, me and my cousin ended up sleeping in the car. Everyne else ended up doing the same and a few of the caravans did get blown over in the night.

[Thunderblaster]

There was a couple of raps of thunder tonight, and I simply enjoyed the storm by listening to Cheeky Girls (Touch My Bum) by Cheeky Girls. Absolutely Scrumptious.:D How about getting a spooky song out sometime during a thunderstorm; eg, Vienna by Ultravox or Mama by Genesis, particularly if it was a violent storm.:eek: :D

[Thunderblaster]

I happened to be in Ballinasloe the other week and there was a nice bolt of fork lightning.:D No thunder though.:( It was an absolute thrill at the same time. I wonder did Sirhamish see any of it?

[hamish]

I remember one in the 90s during the night - the first and loudest bang was so bad I ran outside 'cos I thought something had knocked down one of our chimneys. The house actually vibrated (no smart ass remarks please:p ) No kidding. That storm burned out every bloody phone connection in Beeslow in a radius of 7 miles. The phone connection in my house was black.
TBH I love thunderstorms though.
Back in 1974, I was playing Deep Purples (just released) "Burn" album so loud that when someone said to me "wasn't that a terrible loud storm" - hadn't a clue what he was talking about. Passed right over me. God's truth, no exaggeration:o - wonder why I didn't notice the lightning.:confused:

[paul_oshea]

ya i wonder what it is, but i love them too, so does my brother and father? is it that we can marvel at a creation so enthralling, yet not done by man?

[Thunderblaster]

I believe that there was some cracking thunder on Thursday. I heard that Claremorris in Co. Mayo got flooded, that there was hail between Swinford and Charlestown, Ballinrobe got it bad, Galway was hit and places like Mullingar and Kells came in for a mention. Any thunder reports out there that I would be interested to hear?

[atfconline]

Yeah, nice storm over Athlone on Thursday afternoon. Best I've seen in a long time, particularly during the day. Plenty of forks through the sky and hitting the ground. Lasted an hour maybe.

[Thunderblaster]

I since found out that the Laois/Kilkenny region got a hammering on Thursday and Friday. I think around Abbeyleix that there was lightning every couple of seconds at one stage.

[Dazzy]

got off the bus to drain the alcohol on the way to Pats game and when i got out it was a bit windy and then all of a sudden i seen a flash and a roar was a nice little storm nothing too big, the lighting was cool, i loved it when i was in Florida 6 years ago driving into a big storm, was pretty cool, but my mother was freaked out big time becuase lighting was hitting the ground a few metres away:eek:

[Babysis]

I was staying out with my grandad in Autumn 2003. Coming back from the pub about 10pm and the sky was the most amazing pupley black blue, really weird. When we got up to his house, we stood for ages and watched a huge thunderstorm out over the sea.I hadnt seen anything like it.Found pu the next morning it had casued the landslide at Polathomas.

[Thunderblaster]

I was staying out with my grandad in Autumn 2003. Coming back from the pub about 10pm and the sky was the most amazing pupley black blue, really weird. When we got up to his house, we stood for ages and watched a huge thunderstorm out over the sea.I hadnt seen anything like it.Found pu the next morning it had casued the landslide at Polathomas.

That was the Great Erris Thunderstorm of the 19th September 2003. Famous for its landslide. Still local folklore to this day....:D

[Magicme]

We had some thunder at CHP yesterday afternoon about 2.30/3pm

[Thunderblaster]

I discovered that the most famous thunderstorm to strike Rome was the night when The Exorcist was being premiered. Lightning struck the church next door to the cinema and the Crucifix came crashing down onto the street.:eek: :D

[Thunderblaster]

Check out this on http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=51523914&postcount=60. This picture was taken in Cork on the night of 9th June. Is that dahamsta's house in the line of fire??:eek: :D Another lightning classic was taken in Wexford on the evening of 2nd July on http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=51654342&postcount=316. If you were out to sea with that lightning, it would be a case of three strikes and you are out!!:D

[Thunderblaster]

As the Spanish Plume moves northwards over Ireland, get your cameras ready to take pictures or record the potential storm of the century. If it is hot today, there is the possibilty of real booming thunder and in yer face lightning of the 25th July 1985 mode!!:eek: :D

[pineapple stu]

My mum has a story from when she was growing up in Tipp Town of heading down to Mass one day and a ball of lightening rolled down the street. Said she'd never been so frightened in her life!

Had a massive thunderstorm when I was over in Canada last month. Four of us were camping in the Rockies and were woken up at about 1:00am by a massive peal of thunder. The storm lasted for about three hours, and all I could think of was that I was in a tent which would burn down in about ten seconds in the middle of a forest.

Was on holidays in Germany in 96 heading around the country in a camper van. A lamp-post a couple of yards from the van was hit by lightening - massive crack out of it. The car park cleared out fairly quickly! We stayed in it - in the empty middle obviously - and ended up having a local in for a cup of tea because she was so scared.

Think I vaguely remember the '85 storm - or at least, I remember drawing a picture of lightening from a storm I saw at about that age.

[Metrostars]

We had some great thunder and lightening last night from about 7-8pm and again 10-12. Check out this pic from my local newspaper:
http://www.norwalkadvocate.com/news/local/scn-weather,0,7752751.photo?coll=nor-top-headlines

[Thunderblaster]

As the Spanish Plume moves northwards over Ireland, get your cameras ready to take pictures or record the potential storm of the century. If it is hot today, there is the possibilty of real booming thunder and in yer face lightning of the 25th July 1985 mode!!

Really dissapointed that it did not happen at home.:( However, in Counties Louth, Down and Antrim, I heard that it was a spectacular lightning show all night last night and there were 1,000 strikes recorded from the storm.:eek: :D I heard that there was some very good footage taken in Lisburn.


We had some great thunder and lightening last night from about 7-8pm and again 10-12. Check out this pic from my local newspaper:
http://www.norwalkadvocate.com/news/local/scn-weather,0,7752751.photo?coll=nor-top-headlines

Yum Yum!!:D I'm sure that bolt of lightning put some manners on the scallywags!!:p :D

[Magicme]

Really dissapointed that it did not happen at home.:( However, in Counties Louth, Down and Antrim, I heard that it was a spectacular lightning show all night last night and there were 1,000 strikes recorded from the storm.:eek: :D I heard that there was some very good footage taken in Lisburn.


We had some too....I hardly slept coz had been joking all week that due to the metal rod newly inserted into my ankle that I was a walking Lightening Rod...then I got scared when the lightening started!

It was only a small storm tho.

[Thunderblaster]

Really dissapointed

Disappointed!!:eek: Doh!!:confused:TB, get your spellings right!!:p

[Docboy]

[QUOTE=dahamsta]Glastonbury in June. Words fail me, it was just incredible.

I'd back up that one Adam. Lying in my tent dying for a p**s waiting for the storm to disipate until finally I had to open the zip and hope for the best. Unforgetable!

[Thunderblaster]

Anybody check out the front page of the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Express yesterday? Class lightning picture taken over Eastbourne in Sussex!!:p :D

[Thunderblaster]

Anybody check out the front page of the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Express yesterday? Class lightning picture taken over Eastbourne in Sussex!!:p :D

There was a better picture in the Daily Mail of HMS Victory in Portsmouth and spectacular lightning in the background!! Pretty cool!!:D

[Thunderblaster]

The atmosphere was electric, literally, over the last couple of days. Thursday afternoon was a thunderstorm classic in Repton, Derbyshire while the Mayo Schoolboy Academy side were playing Derby County. The thunder started to rumble in the first half and as it got nearer, it was constant claps and rumbles. First flash of lightning was observed at half time when we were giving the half time team talk. The thunder grew louder in the second half and about ten minutes in there was this tremendous bolt of fork lightning, and I shouted "Wow-Wee" followed by a clap of thunder. Moments later came the next bolt and the game got abandoned. One stupid wag started to shelter underneath a bush. We got our stuff and ran for the house. As we were running alongside the tennis court, it got hit by a bolt; just as well I told the kids to keep away from the trees and the rain started to cascade down. There was one particular incident when the lightning and the (very loud, explosive) thunder came together. Each bolt of lightning was greeted with a cheer. Word came through that a house was hit by lightning close to us and falling masonary flattened a car:eek:. That thunderstorm was my worst experienced outside of Ireland and the second worst after the Aughrim Street storm in 1990. Went to Burton on Trent in the evening and there was some lightning again. Passing through Stoke on Trent yesterday morning, the bus lit up with the lightning and there was this almighty bang of thunder. That was not the end of it, back on Irish soil, there was lightning in North Kildare/South Meath last night. Cool stuff!!:p

T-12:D

[Thunderblaster]

Had a bit of thunder and a bit of lightning yesterday evening. Apparently, a lady got some lightning pics, so it would be interesting to see.

If you are looking for some lightning fun, then check this out!!:p :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkaS7mf2hrI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jhjIdbg73w

[Thunderblaster]

We enjoyed some thunder on Sunday December 3rd, Friday 29th December in Liverpool, a right display of thunder on Saturday 20th January and again on Thursday 15th February.