Oh no...thunder!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:26 pm

It's your tummy growling, you need a snack!

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:28 pm

Pinky wrote: Ohohohohohohohhhh...it's started!

I can hear it rumbling away...I'm going to try and stay here with the headphones on instead of running away. The other half is asleep, and he'll be annoyed if I wake him up because I'm being silly!:rolleyes:

It's OK Pinky...just the angels moving the furniture around as my Mum used to say

Post by **Betty Boop** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:31 pm

Hang on in there Pinky, I'm wimpy just like you when it comes to thunder. I hate the fact I have to be big and brave for the sake of the children whilst inside I'm a quivering wreck!

Touch wood, we haven't had much down this end.

theia · Post by **theia** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:33 pm

Bez wrote: It's OK Pinky...just the angels moving the furniture around as my Mum used to say

..or playing marbles

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:37 pm

theia wrote: ..or playing marbles

Bloomin' big marbles then !:)

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:38 pm

It's all gone quiet here....a few spots of rain and that's it....I'm off to bed while the goings good....nite nite all :-4

theia · Post by **theia** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:42 pm

Bez wrote: Bloomin' big marbles then !:)

Perhaps it wasn't marbles, might have been rocks :-5 ...or maybe it was those really big ones, what were they called? I know the little metal ones were ballbearings, weren't they? Who's a marble expert round here?

theia · Post by **theia** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:43 pm

Bez wrote: It's all gone quiet here....a few spots of rain and that's it....I'm off to bed while the goings good....nite nite all :-4

Night night, Bez, sweet dreams :-6

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:43 pm

theia wrote: Perhaps it wasn't marbles, might have been rocks :-5 ...or maybe it was those really big ones, what were they called? I know the little metal ones were ballbearings, weren't they? Who's a marble expert round here?

Maybe they were attempting the Riverdance world record !

minks · Post by **minks** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:44 pm

theia wrote: Perhaps it wasn't marbles, might have been rocks :-5 ...or maybe it was those really big ones, what were they called? I know the little metal ones were ballbearings, weren't they? Who's a marble expert round here?

Marbles were the dull clear ones with colored swirls inside

Creamies were the rare cream colored ones

Stealies were the ball bearings

And Boulders were the big ones.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:44 pm

Bez wrote: It's all gone quiet here....a few spots of rain and that's it....I'm off to bed while the goings good....nite nite all :-4

Ooooo....spoke too soon.....storms come back...

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:45 pm

Oh, you have to sing, Rain, Rain, Go Away...............

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 3:47 pm

I tell my kids this

rain is God's way of washing the dust off plants.

Lightening is his light to make sure everything is getting neat and tidy.

Thunder is he dropped the mop on accident.

seems to work.

dubs · Post by **dubs** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:01 pm

I love a good storm, especially at night. Check this site out girls, click on run at the top and it will update every minute.....

www.upminsterweather.co.uk/test/live_lightning.htm

annabelle · Post by **annabelle** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:39 pm

dubs wrote: I love a good storm, especially at night.

www.upminsterweather.co.uk/test/live_lightning.htm

Ditto dubs , provided I'm not outside in it.

Interesting link ...

Hugh Janus · Post by **Hugh Janus** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:17 pm

I just love to watch a good storm.

Crashing thunder, bright white lightening. It has to be the best free fireworks display ever. You never know what will be next.

I like to stand in the open doorway and feel the air change. Feel the cool air and the slight splash of the rain.

As an afterthought. Don't you feel that the whole area has been given a good wash down with a celestial power hose?

The next day, the grass looks greener, (Apart from the bits that the lightening hit.)

The roads look cleaner, the trees seem to have bucked up from some apathetic slumber.

Yes!

The place looks more alive and vibrant after a good storm.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:19 pm

The lightening is always fun to watch, it makes a spectacular show in the sky. We have fierce thunderstorms here, and the flashes go on for a long time. I am inside, and can look out the window at it, I think it is really cool to watch it.

theia · Post by **theia** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:47 pm

Hugh Janus wrote: As an afterthought. Don't you feel that the whole area has been given a good wash down with a celestial power hose?

The next day, the grass looks greener,

The roads look cleaner, the trees seem to have bucked up from some apathetic slumber.

Yes!

The place looks more alive and vibrant after a good storm.

Your description reads like a metaphor for when you've really let go emotionally, maybe cried your socks off...the world always seems fresher somehow

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:44 am

For us here in Bedford, the storm clouds finally reached us at about 8:30pm. My tent was up and I was still loading my gear into it. I just got the last gear in when the rain started.

The storm approached from the south and the lightning mostly occurred along the eastern edge of the cloud. My tent opening faced NNW, so I didn't get a good view initially.

After 5 minutes, the rain stopped. So I climbed out of my tent so I could see the lightning better. Gradually, more neighbours came out and so did the beers as we watched nature's light show.

Unfortunately, as the lightning was off to the east, buildings and trees obstructed a lot of our views. As far as I remember, there was not a single shot of lightning aimed at the ground. All the activity occurred above and between the clouds. Stupendous, though. What a show. Many gleeful shouts of "wicked" were heard from the young boys that were with us.

The storm turned as it reached us and headed off east.

But I slept in my tent overnight because it was still too hot in my flat. I could see the flickering of lightning of to the north for a long while until I finally fell asleep.

It hadn't cleared the air that much at that time, and even in the tent it was warm. I dozed off at first but was awoken becaause it was too warm. I was sweating profusely and I had to get out of my sleeping bag and lie on top of it.

As the eastern light grew, a rain fell quite heavily for a while. This woke me up again. The air cooled some more and I had to get back into my sleeping bag.

I was awoken by the sun on my tent. Then my upstairs neighbour started his car and sounded his horn before driving off to work. He does this for the benefit of his family, a tatty-bye from him.

Finally, climbing out of my tent, I perceived first the amazing heat of the early sun. As I stood up, I noticed that the air was cooler, but that sun is already so hot.

My flat was still like an oven when I stepped into it. I have opened some windows now, and it has cooled down a bit.

Yesterday, I had problems with my computers overheating. I had to switch them off about three times to allow them to cool down. After one hour's cooling, the temperature still read as high as 33C. The caddy alarm goes off at 50.

I foresee similar problems today. Fingers crossed it doesn't occur again.

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:46 am

theia wrote: cried your socks off...

What a metaphor, Theia.

cars · Post by **cars** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:47 am

Bez wrote: It's OK Pinky...just the angels moving the furniture around as my Mum used to say

My Mom used to say: Don't be afraid, It's just the Angels Bowling!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 4:52 am

Oh, I like that one, cars!

Thunderstorms expected here for 3-5 days, I will think of that!

Strike!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:10 am

Yes, Snooze, we didn't have those thunderstorms in the West like they do here. The first time the kids and I saw one, we were on the second floor looking out the window. We were amazed at the lightening and how many times it flashed and lit up the sky. We still run to the window to watch it-and snow. We are suckers for snow. All those years without it, we watch it come down, and go out and play in it.

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:19 am

I have watched lightning all my life. And I love the strange hues that come with the clouds tinting everything around you.

I remember watching a long one in December 1962, just before Christmas. That was a bad winter that year. I was living in Torquay then. I didn't know then that thunder and lightning rarely occurs in the winter. But it was forking all over the place just the same.

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 7:22 am

I absolutely love storms. Most of our storms come from the north west or south west direction. However occasionally we have one come from the east, and when they do we know it'll be a good one. Lot's of lightening, thunder and rain. But my favorite ones to watch are the ones with lots of rotation within them, always made me think of a witch stirring her bubbly brew.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 7:31 am

cars wrote: My Mom used to say: Don't be afraid, It's just the Angels Bowling!

Those Angels sure do enjoy themselves 'up there' !:)

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:48 am

I am one of the wierdos who actually really likes thunderstorms. The bigger the better. As long as I am inside and not driving in it.

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:49 am

Along with the bowling angels, the lightening was God taking thier pictures.

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:08 am

Marie5656 wrote: As long as I am inside and not driving in it.

The car acts like a Faraday's Cage. This means that you are quite safe in a car because the electricity will pass around you.

cars · Post by **cars** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:37 am

OpenMind wrote: The car acts like a Faraday's Cage. This means that you are quite safe in a car because the electricity will pass around you.

It would be prudent for one not to touch any "metal" parts in the car, during a strike.

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:46 am

Thunders just started here .:rolleyes:

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:05 am

In fact, I was slightly wrong. It is not the effect of the Faraday Cage that keeps you safe. See below.

Touching Lightning

During part of our regular lightning shows the demonstrator raises the cage so that it will be struck by the sparks. We do this to demonstrate why it is safe to be in a car during a lightning storm. Most people believe that the reason has to do with the rubber tires, rubber being an insulator. Air is also an insulator, however, and almost as good a one as rubber! If a lightning bolt has just travelled two or more miles through air, an inch or two of rubber will not make much difference. Indeed, it has been calculated that you would need solid tires about a mile thick to be safe!

However, that is not needed as there is a more effective protection involved. In a car you are sitting in a metal box (this is not true in a convertible or plastic/fiberglass car, and these are not safe). That is the source of your safety. Many people who know that it is the metal not the tires assume that the car forms a Faraday Cage, but that is also not the reason. Faraday Cages work with static electricity, lightning bolts are anything but static! The real reason is something called the skin effect.

In fact, not only are you safe inside the car, even the inside of the metal car BODY is safe, a fact we demonstrate by touching the inside of the cage bars while it is being struck. The outside is not safe, however, so if your hand were to go through the bars you would get struck (something that has happened to several of us at one time or another--it hurts a lot, like hitting your funny bone but about ten times worse--though the current is so low that there is no permanent damage. The hardest thing for the demonstrator in such cases is to remember not to say something bad since the microphone is still on!

-- http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/cage.html

The Faraday Cage.

Faraday stated that the charge on a charged conductor resided only on its exterior, and had no influence on anything enclosed within it. To demonstrate this fact he built a room coated with metal foil, and allowed high-voltage discharges from an electrostatic generator to strike the outside of the room. He used an electroscope to show that there was no electric charge present on the inside of the room's walls.

If there is no electrical charge inside the box, then by Gauss's law and the divergence theorem, there should be no electrostatic field inside the equipotential surface, regardless of what the field is outside the box.

Since the electrostatic field equations are linear, even field-generating charges in the box will not be affected by any fields outside the box.

-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_ca ... 7s_finding

Some real-world structures, such as automobiles, behave similarly to Faraday cages.

If lightning hits near a car, it does not affect the people sitting in the car. If lightning strikes the car, people inside will likely be unaffected so long as they are not in contact with metallic surfaces. The partial Faraday cage effect may not be exhibited by cars made of fiberglass or convertibles.

-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_ca ... aday_cages

venus · Post by **venus** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:10 am

pantsonfire321@aol.com wrote: Thunders just started here .:rolleyes:

yep its rumbling away and l love it and the rain....

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:26 am

venus wrote: yep its rumbling away and l love it and the rain....

It's still t'wot and muggy, though. We've had thunder, lightning and rain all afternoon.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:21 am

Take that !

Attached files

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:37 am

Nomad wrote: Take that !

That was kind of soft and wet and cold.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 3:30 pm

theia wrote: Perhaps it wasn't marbles, might have been rocks :-5 ...or maybe it was those really big ones, what were they called? I know the little metal ones were ballbearings, weren't they? Who's a marble expert round here?

Uhh yea thats me. Nomad the marble ball bearings metal thingy falling from the sky expert.

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:42 pm

A pitifully small thunderstorm passed through a few hours back. Hardly worth the effort to go to the window to watch.