Date: 13-05-2003
Time: 16:27 BST
Location: Reading, Berkshire UK
Type: Convectional Multicell squall-line (2 cells)
Documented by: Mark Seltzer
Equipment: Samsung VP-H65 Video Camera
Footage Quality: VHS

Storm Statistics: T0045.doc
Event Timeline: T0045events.xls

CELL 1
Shortly after T0044 rumbled away this absolute monster was born directly overhead, still in Reading. There was some rapid development in the form of a convergence line, with dry thunder sounds (no rain sounds) one after another as it rolled in. A call and response discharge characteristic occurred between two parts of the storm cell next to each other, as one popped off so did the other.

Trying my best to position the camera sensibly on the balcony of my halls of residence, I was already impressed with what the storm was doing.

The intensity just got greater and greater as it rolled over giving continuous thunder for a time for up to 5 minutes at one point. Discharge after discharge with only seconds between them. They were low-amp C-Cs just behind the southward-advancing leading edge. There were one or two large C-Cs with stronger thunders occurring as the hail-core set in. 7-9mm pea sized hail started lashing down against the balcony I was filming from. It was actually quite difficult to keep the camera dry at this point. Luckily the balcony from the floor above was keeping the shelter.

The storm rolled south eastwards swiftly revealing some long upper-anvil C-C streamers at the back end, before finally disappearing into the distance and falling silent.

CELL 2 (1 shot of C-C)
There were a few trailing cells an hour or so later (which I have decided to call Cell 2). I trained my camera on one cell for a shear pot-luck shot, and I captured an enormous C-C with hundreds of branches. Just the one though!

DUNDEE SATELLITE IMAGES (CREDITS)
INFRARED 13.05.2003 13:37
INFRARED 13.05.2003 13:37 + GRID