Lightning show

chris · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 8:48 pm Post subject: Lightning show

Some great lightning going on tonight. We don't really get that many night storms so this one was quite a treat. Did anybody take some photos they can post up? Smile

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chris · Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 9:07 pm Post subject: Re: Lightning show

Probably some of the longest horizontal strikes I have seen in quite some time. Seems like they are stretching for miles.
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jimp · Advanced Member Joined: Jun 28, 2007 Posts: 40

We tried to get photos, but weren't successful. Two notes of interest. One was the Mamma clouds observed over the Cape. Second was the dark purple color south of the Cape. I saw some green indicating hail, but the dark purple was very unusual. Nexrad radar didn't show any hail.
Jim

CONVECTIVEMIKE · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 9:38 am Post subject: Re: Lightning show

They were wicked. As you Know Chris I was a good 80 miles from you in the Loxahatchee and what an awesome show. Got to se your stuff the biggie over South Lake O and also some stuff way down the keys were visible. I just love an environment free from city light with low terrain.

CONVECTIVEMIKE · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 9:40 am Post subject: Re: Lightning show

how much rain did you guys get finally ??? I was hearing rainfall rates of 3-4 per hour on the NWS radio

Weatherman911 · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject: Re: Lightning show

I watched the lightning show last night also. It was amazing! I have not seen crawler lightning in a long time, especialy that intense. We usually see the typical cloud to ground strikes. There is a diagram near the bottom of the site that shows where the crawler lightning is located under the anvil cloud. I even watched a bolt of lightning that traveled from the west over the Gulf eastward toward Ft Myers just a few thousand feet above the ground. I'm sure anyone flying into and out of the airports got a real good show and I'm also sure it put the pilots and passangers on edge. I found a site that shows many photos of the different types of lightning. You may find it interesting.
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From StormscapesDarwin.com
LINK:
http://www.stormscapesdarwin.com/page6.htm

Crawler Lightning (across the sky)

ANVIL CRAWLER OR SPIDER LIGHTNING

Anvil lightning happens during the dying or dissipating stage of the thunderstorm. As the updraught pushes the cloud top to the upper regions of the atmosphere the cloud cap spreads out laterally and discharges 'crawl' underneath the anvil.

This lightning is also called 'spider' or 'crawlers' and is excellent to view as it is a lot slower in motion compared to single bolts. Anvil lightning can still be dangerous as there is the potential to have a cloud to ground strike from this area.

You should avoid taking photographs from underneath the anvil.

This type of lightning can stretch the full length of the spread anvil taking up over 50-200kms! Often I stay until the anvil lightning fully disappears if there is nothing else around to chase, some beautiful images can be caught - so don't discount their potential once the storm stops spitting out ground strikes.
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I also watched a bunch of strikes like this one over the Cape / Ft Myers area. These stikes can also be produced from the anvil cloud.
Photo from StromscapesDarwin.com
LINK:
http://www.stormscapesdarwin.com/page6.htm

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CONVECTIVEMIKE · Posted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:30 pm Post subject: Re: Lightning show

Thats a friend of mine"s site. Name is Mike O Neil. I've chatted with him in the chatroom on TornadoVideos.NET. We have shared stuff back and forth on FB too.