Non-motoring > Thunder shower Miscellaneous
Thread Author: L'escargot Replies: 13
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 12:02 
 Thunder shower - L'escargot
I've just looked at the Met Office online weather forecast for our area and it predicts a thunder shower at 03:00 hours tomorrow. I hope it doesn't wake me up.
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 12:17 
 Thunder shower - Dog
When one considers what actually causes thunder, I wonder how 'on earth' they can predict such phenomena 15 hours into the future.
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 12:41 
 Thunder shower - Bromptonaut
I guess what they're able to forecast is a probability of the conditions for thunder existing. Whether all the bits will come together over snaily's shell at the time suggested is another thing.

They were talking weather with a meteorologist on R4's Broadcasting House this morning. Current overview is unusual with v cold air and seas still relatively warm. Can't remember exactly what was being said but possibility of thunder, and it being unusual with snow, was specifically mentioned
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 20:21 
 Thunder shower - Fursty Ferret
It's a bit complicated because this cold snap is unseasonable. Thunderstorms arise from unstable air masses fed with a lot of energy. Normally this never happens in winter, but the cold air is coming from the North East and our sea temperatures are still relatively high.

There's your energy source, though whether you'll actually see a thunderstorm is anyone's guess. It was a thundershower that dumped a foot of snow on Haldon Hill in Devon last year, trapping all the cars.
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 21:19 
 Thunder shower - Bromptonaut
Thanks AF, I think that's pretty much what they were saying on the radio this morning.

PS Am I right in thinking you posted in the other place as David Horn? If so then my fullest congratualtions on reaching the flight deck!!!
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 21:22 
 Thunder shower - Iffy
...If so then my fullest congratualtions on reaching the flight deck!!!...

Ah, jet jockey is he?

Suppose those fellas understand the weather better than most.

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 Sun 28 Nov 10 21:35 
 Thunder shower - Bromptonaut
Iffy

IIRC AF is flying scarebusesas first officer. The user name is a nod to the characteristics of their computerised 'fly by wire' control systems.
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 21:39 
 Thunder shower - Iffy
...The user name is a nod to the characteristics of their computerised 'fly by wire' control systems...

Bromp,

I take it 'scarebuses' are airbuses, but, at the risk of appearing dumb, I don't get the username/fly by wire reference.

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 Sun 28 Nov 10 21:53 
 Thunder shower - Bromptonaut
Not sure I understand it fully but Alpha = angle of attack; the wing's angle relative to airflow/horizontal. Directly related to the a/c's pitch angle (ie nose up).

IIRC Alpha floor is one of the modes the aircraft's computerised control system can engage while interpreting pilot inputs but preventing disaster!!
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 21:55
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 21:54 
 Thunder shower - rtj70
I had no idea either but maybe this is relevant:

en.allexperts.com/q/Aerospace-Aviation-2437/Airbus.htm
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 Sun 28 Nov 10 21:58 
 Thunder shower - Iffy
...I had no idea either but maybe this is relevant...

It appears to be, not that I understand a word of it.

Isn't jargon wonderful?

I suppose all of our various trades, professions or callings have it.

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 Mon 29 Nov 10 11:18 
 Thunder shower - Fursty Ferret
It's a VERY bad pun on an Airbus flight protection law (helped along by the fact I had an Alfa Romeo for a very brief period at the time).

The article linked to above explains things quite well. Below is a link to one which does a slightly better job.

flightlevel390.blogspot.com/2009/06/fly-by-wire.html
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 Mon 29 Nov 10 12:36 
 Thunder shower - Dog
We had Thunder, Lightning and Snow in Mid to West Cornwall this morning ... most peculiar!
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 Tue 30 Nov 10 18:21 
 Thunder shower - R.P.
There was something on Jeremy Vine about this yesterday- there was a meteorologist who was genuinely pleased to hear from a witness to this phenomenon apparently it was an expected weather response to the rather unusual and unseasonal snow...
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