Boom

A rude awakening this morning about 5 a.m.  Woken by several loud booms, just like the sound a heavily laden artic makes driving over an uneven road surface. It didn't sound anything like thunder I had heard before but that's what it must have been as it heralded the arrival of a band of storms which stretched from London through to the east of Lincolnshire. We were on the edge of it and so far have only had 5mm of rain in three short outbursts.

Needless to say we didn't get our usual early morning walk. Penny was in her safe space as she hates thunder. It will be at least a couple of hours after the last thunder heard, even if it is miles away, before she will show her nose outdoors. The passage in my home has no windows, no natural light except some light spilling from the kitchen at one end so she goes to the far end in the darkest part.

Looking at the Blitzortung live lightning site it showed in excess of 20,000 strikes mainly over the UK in two hours. Things should be clearing out to the North Sea soon so we will get a break from storms until the next batch which seem to be forecast for 6 p.m. onwards today.

To end on a brighter note, Yucca flowers seen in a local front garden: