Lightning strikes eight times across Sussex (From The Argus)
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Lightning strikes eight times across Sussex
11:30am Wednesday 29th June 2011 in News By Siobhan Ryan
Lightning struck at least eight times as severe storms swept chaos across the county.
Several buildings were hit by bolts of lightning while torrential rain and heavy thunder caused major disruption on trains and the roads.
Drivers found themselves struggling to cope as the treacherous conditions reached their peak yesterday afternoon.
There were also cases of flash flooding and some homes in the Brighton area reported temporary problems with their TV reception.
Many homes and businesses suffered power cuts, including some buildings at the University of Sussex, although power was quickly restored.
The weather was at its worst between 2pm and 3pm but had begun to improve by the early evening.
Firefighters were working at full stretch with two of the most serious incidents in Culpepper, Burgess Hill and Lyric Close, Crawley.
A tree was struck by lightening fell in Maresfield recreation ground. No injuries were reported during the incident at about 3pm.
Lightning hit the control tower at Gatwick Airport at around 2pm causing delays to some flights.
Other lightning strikes were reported in Bracklesham, Chichester, Three Bridges and Forest Row.
Fire crews were also forced to deal with a glut of fire alarms sparked by the lightning.
Train services were disrupted on the Brighton mainline between the coast and Gatwick after a bolt of lightning near the airport.
Houses in Cambridge Road, Hove, were among those without power.
A bolt of lightning also caused a power cut at Southlands hospital in Shoreham, but the emergency back up generator immediately started up.
Customers shopping at Marks and Spencer, at the Holmbush Centre in Shoreham, were told the tills were out of action because of the weather.
A spokesman for the Met Office said: “It was very active in the Brighton and Hove area and parts of East and West Sussex which caused a lot of disruption yesterday afternoon.
“We did forecast a severe weather warning ahead of it and we hope that helped reduce the number of incidents that happened.”
Comments(26)
leedsnowfan
says...
12:24pm Wed 29 Jun 11
sec word: loud-bang
chrisinbrighton
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12:26pm Wed 29 Jun 11
thats a new one on me
does anyone know what light thunder is ?
AngelicDevil
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12:39pm Wed 29 Jun 11
Spx
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12:46pm Wed 29 Jun 11
Poccypoc
says...
12:54pm Wed 29 Jun 11
PaulOckenden
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2:28pm Wed 29 Jun 11
The headline makes the journalist that wrote this look rather silly. Are they not based round here? Did then not phone the Met Office prior to writing the story?
monkeymoo
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3:02pm Wed 29 Jun 11
brightonian57
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4:15pm Wed 29 Jun 11
PaulOckenden wrote:You heard further nearby strikes?? Thunder isn't the noise lightning makes when it strikes
EIGHT? It struck a heck of a lot more times than that. I saw a good 20 flashes during a 20 minute drive from Brighton to Shoreham, and then I heard further nearby strikes for at least an hour. The headline makes the journalist that wrote this look rather silly. Are they not based round here? Did then not phone the Met Office prior to writing the story?
Cabin fever
says...
4:47pm Wed 29 Jun 11
AngelicDevil wrote:I think what the article is suggesting is that many people were on the road when it was nice and sunny and shortly afterwards, the thunder and lightening started and the heavens opened.
Drivers struggling to cope?!?! Ridiculous, people shouldn't be on the rode if they can't cope with driving in a down pour!
And also, the lightening strike was in Maidenbower, not Three Bridges - the house hit caught fire, it was on the evening news.
And yes, people do struggle to cope in that sort of weather.
Say you were on a motorway, or A23, the rain is coming down faster than your windscreen wipers can clear it, and there are people driving as they would in the dry. In that case then yes, I think it would be a little unsettling...
Sometimes it is little to do with their own ability, more that of others, or the severity of the weather.
Cabin fever
says...
4:49pm Wed 29 Jun 11
Cabin fever wrote:As illustrated by monkeymoo's example above...
AngelicDevil wrote:I think what the article is suggesting is that many people were on the road when it was nice and sunny and shortly afterwards, the thunder and lightening started and the heavens opened.
Drivers struggling to cope?!?! Ridiculous, people shouldn't be on the rode if they can't cope with driving in a down pour!
And also, the lightening strike was in Maidenbower, not Three Bridges - the house hit caught fire, it was on the evening news.
And yes, people do struggle to cope in that sort of weather.
Say you were on a motorway, or A23, the rain is coming down faster than your windscreen wipers can clear it, and there are people driving as they would in the dry. In that case then yes, I think it would be a little unsettling...
Sometimes it is little to do with their own ability, more that of others, or the severity of the weather.
Baldseagull
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6:01pm Wed 29 Jun 11
brightonian57 wrote:Really? What is it then, smartarse?
PaulOckenden wrote:You heard further nearby strikes?? Thunder isn't the noise lightning makes when it strikes
EIGHT? It struck a heck of a lot more times than that. I saw a good 20 flashes during a 20 minute drive from Brighton to Shoreham, and then I heard further nearby strikes for at least an hour. The headline makes the journalist that wrote this look rather silly. Are they not based round here? Did then not phone the Met Office prior to writing the story?
MikeyA
says...
7:24pm Wed 29 Jun 11
Baldseagull wrote:To be exact, the sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave which produces the sound of thunder!
brightonian57 wrote:Really? What is it then, smartarse?
PaulOckenden wrote:You heard further nearby strikes?? Thunder isn't the noise lightning makes when it strikes
EIGHT? It struck a heck of a lot more times than that. I saw a good 20 flashes during a 20 minute drive from Brighton to Shoreham, and then I heard further nearby strikes for at least an hour. The headline makes the journalist that wrote this look rather silly. Are they not based round here? Did then not phone the Met Office prior to writing the story?
AngelicDevil
says...
7:44pm Wed 29 Jun 11
Cabin fever wrote:Funnily enough I was on the road at the time and had no issues driving, neither did those around me, must be a Brighton thing.
AngelicDevil wrote:I think what the article is suggesting is that many people were on the road when it was nice and sunny and shortly afterwards, the thunder and lightening started and the heavens opened.
Drivers struggling to cope?!?! Ridiculous, people shouldn't be on the rode if they can't cope with driving in a down pour!
And also, the lightening strike was in Maidenbower, not Three Bridges - the house hit caught fire, it was on the evening news.
And yes, people do struggle to cope in that sort of weather.
Say you were on a motorway, or A23, the rain is coming down faster than your windscreen wipers can clear it, and there are people driving as they would in the dry. In that case then yes, I think it would be a little unsettling...
Sometimes it is little to do with their own ability, more that of others, or the severity of the weather.
Baldseagull
says...
10:59pm Wed 29 Jun 11
MikeyA wrote:In other words then, it is the sound lightning makes?
Baldseagull wrote:To be exact, the sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave which produces the sound of thunder!
brightonian57 wrote:Really? What is it then, smartarse?
PaulOckenden wrote:You heard further nearby strikes?? Thunder isn't the noise lightning makes when it strikes
EIGHT? It struck a heck of a lot more times than that. I saw a good 20 flashes during a 20 minute drive from Brighton to Shoreham, and then I heard further nearby strikes for at least an hour. The headline makes the journalist that wrote this look rather silly. Are they not based round here? Did then not phone the Met Office prior to writing the story?
Clueless Constable
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11:21pm Wed 29 Jun 11
vive_et_vivat
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11:58pm Wed 29 Jun 11
oldwalbertonian
says...
12:03am Thu 30 Jun 11
Baldseagull wrote:The reason why you can't have thunder without lightning is because lightning makes thunder. When lightning flashes, the air heats up approximately 40,000 Celsius. The heat is immediately cooled and the air contracts. When the air contracts the air molecules begin moving back and forward making sound waves that create thunder.
MikeyA wrote:In other words then, it is the sound lightning makes?
Baldseagull wrote:To be exact, the sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave which produces the sound of thunder!
brightonian57 wrote:Really? What is it then, smartarse?
PaulOckenden wrote:You heard further nearby strikes?? Thunder isn't the noise lightning makes when it strikes
EIGHT? It struck a heck of a lot more times than that. I saw a good 20 flashes during a 20 minute drive from Brighton to Shoreham, and then I heard further nearby strikes for at least an hour. The headline makes the journalist that wrote this look rather silly. Are they not based round here? Did then not phone the Met Office prior to writing the story?
Sometimes lightening is so high up in the atmosphere covered in clouds or so far away you can't see it with your eyes, but it's there. Lightning does not always strike the ground, cloud to cloud lightening exists, so it's quite common to have a thunder clap without lightning actually striking the ground.
So you can have thunder without a lightning strike, but not thunder without lightning.
Maybe this is where you two are not seeing eye to eye.
papa_melons
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12:58am Thu 30 Jun 11
MORK&MINDY
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4:08am Thu 30 Jun 11
MORK&MINDY
says...
4:16am Thu 30 Jun 11
thanks oldwalbertonian for your explanation. My mum used to say that it was God far rr ting, but your version seems equally believable.”
monkeymoo
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6:01am Thu 30 Jun 11
Clueless Constable wrote:Why is it for members of the public, the use of a mobile phone whilst driving is against the law. The police can use their hand held radios (which are also phones) whilst driving!!?
I am a serving Police Officer and I can tell you Lightning NEVER strikes TWICE let alone8 times. I wish to re assure members of the public that although Sussex Police were wrong about the Heat/Famine/Flood warnings, lessons will be learned. In addition, ALL Speeding Police Officers whether on duty on call or on the way home are like cyclists, exempt.
Also interesting how they can drive home after a long night shift, have an accident and kill someone. Then get away with it (not even charged with dangerouse driving!).
Clueless Constable
says...
8:47am Thu 30 Jun 11
oldwalbertonian wrote:It is the Lord that maketh the thunder, moving furniture around.
Baldseagull wrote:The reason why you can't have thunder without lightning is because lightning makes thunder. When lightning flashes, the air heats up approximately 40,000 Celsius. The heat is immediately cooled and the air contracts. When the air contracts the air molecules begin moving back and forward making sound waves that create thunder.
MikeyA wrote:In other words then, it is the sound lightning makes?
Baldseagull wrote:To be exact, the sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave which produces the sound of thunder!
brightonian57 wrote:Really? What is it then, smartarse?
PaulOckenden wrote:You heard further nearby strikes?? Thunder isn't the noise lightning makes when it strikes
EIGHT? It struck a heck of a lot more times than that. I saw a good 20 flashes during a 20 minute drive from Brighton to Shoreham, and then I heard further nearby strikes for at least an hour. The headline makes the journalist that wrote this look rather silly. Are they not based round here? Did then not phone the Met Office prior to writing the story?
Sometimes lightening is so high up in the atmosphere covered in clouds or so far away you can't see it with your eyes, but it's there. Lightning does not always strike the ground, cloud to cloud lightening exists, so it's quite common to have a thunder clap without lightning actually striking the ground.
So you can have thunder without a lightning strike, but not thunder without lightning.
Maybe this is where you two are not seeing eye to eye.
withdeanwizzard
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10:05am Thu 30 Jun 11
tyekkonderoga
says...
12:51pm Thu 30 Jun 11
PaulOckenden wrote:AT LEAST eight, old chum. It has to be said a headline can't be kept too long if it has to catch the eye (: that being said, get your facts right before you start slating people.
EIGHT? It struck a heck of a lot more times than that. I saw a good 20 flashes during a 20 minute drive from Brighton to Shoreham, and then I heard further nearby strikes for at least an hour.
The headline makes the journalist that wrote this look rather silly. Are they not based round here? Did then not phone the Met Office prior to writing the story?
niggle123
says...
5:13pm Thu 30 Jun 11
Poccypoc wrote:Thanks for the lecture on allegory, much appreciated. I doff my cap to you!
No, you can have heavy thunder. Although you can't measure sound in weight, you CAN use it as an adjective in metaphor. It's like when someone says "I have a heavy stomach," as in a stomach ache, it doesn't mean they've put on weight, but that they are feeling a bit sluggish.
AngelicDevil says...
12:12pm Wed 29 Jun 11
And also, the lightening strike was in Maidenbower, not Three Bridges - the house hit caught fire, it was on the evening news.