Date: 22-04-1998
Time: 21:15 BST
Location: Macclesfield, Cheshire UK
Type: Multicell
Documented by: Mark Seltzer
Equipment: Samsung VP-H65 Video Camera
Footage Quality: No footage kept

Storm Statistics: PS0002.doc
Event Timeline: PS0002events.xls

This was a highly active storm cell passing up the eastern side of the Pennines and was spotted directly east of Macclesfield. Because it was dark you could see the distant continuous flickering with the naked eye (often referred to as “Heat Lightning”). I made an attempt to capture it with the camera but it didn’t show up very well as it was too faint. Only one brighter flash was caught but even that wasn’t impressive. The discharge rates were so high it sometimes flickered every 5 seconds. It was coupled with another cell to the NE which discharged about once every 2 minutes, however every time it did the high-powered cell to the east flickered in return, so it looked like they were communicating with each other.

There was obviously no thunder as it was so far away. If I wasn’t as impressed as I was with the discharge rates, especially given the time of year, I wouldn’t have put this storm in the archives. It was worth noting in case someone else remembers experiencing it that lives on the other side of the Pennines.

DUNDEE SATELLITE IMAGES (CREDITS)
COLOUR 22.04.1998 17:39 + GRID
COLOUR 22.04.1998 17:39
INFRARED 22.04.1998 17:39 + GRID
INFRARED 22.04.1998 17:39
INFRARED 23.04.1998 03:10 + GRID
INFRARED 23.04.1998 03:10
VISIBLE 22.04.1998 17:39 + GRID
VISIBLE 22.04.1998 17:39