There's no thunder and lightning this time, but we have quite a torrential downpour going on here in the north of Edinburgh with some very intense bright echoes associated with that, showing up on the latest radar maps. This is coming from a very heavy thundery shower, ahead of another more organised band which is approaching here from the south, but is completely separate from that.

The rain is so heavy just now that it has actually reduced the visibility to less than about 100 yards and at the moment, this is more something from the wet Indian monsoon season, than anything which you would typically see here in Scotland.

Looking at rainfall figures from yesterday the heaviest rain was initially further east then seemed to be further west and my area missed out on anything really torrential.

First figure is for Nigg, 3 miles to my east, 2nd is my recording and third is Westhill, 4 miles to my west.

5-6pm: 8.6mm, 1.4mm, 0mm

8-9pm: 11.8mm, 2.4mm, 0.8mm

10-11pm: 0mm,0mm, 8.2mm

The most I recorded in any hour was 2.8mm although the rate did briefly touch 162.2mm/hr.

Nigg's total for the calendar day yesterday was about 27mm and Westhill's 15mm compared to 10.6mm here.

We had that one drummed into us aged nine at Primary school.

We had no thunder & lightning at all here last night (at least that I was aware of) despite the sky going very dark grey from the south/south-west as we approached 9pm. We did end up getting a heavy shower from that but there was little further rain during the remainder of the night.

I just hope the rest of summer isn't going to become a damp squid 😁

Someone posted on my daily timelapse that I have a rotating cell at 3.11 or 17.15 on the clock. That cell did rapidly develop into a thunderstorm cell I know that and it did catch my attention at the time that I took a photo of it. Someone else has mentioned that they think they can see rotation in a cell at 3.00 or 16.45 on the clock

Original timelapse

Cut out and slow down timelapse of the cell in question

I can hear rumbles to the west currently.  Gone very overcast. Warm 21c. 

Friday is storm day 

Heavy rain and a few flashes and rumbles here.

And the MetO do finally release a warning:

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings#?date=2018-08-03

Tomorrow brings the potential of storms into the SE (expect a warning from the MetO tomorrow morning). Although parameters in situ over the SE aren't earth shattering, there's some meaty potential over the Channel, and so the risk of Imports from the south for Kent/Essex later on tomorrow, as well as a lower risk of homegrowns more generally in the SE.

There's also the lower risk of some storms over N England (E.Yorks favoured) later tomorrow, but it's fleeting at best.

That warning is out now as expected:

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings#?date=2018-08-07

Some showers crossing the south coast and into more central southern counties now . Were not forecast this morning.

Some light rain not too far from us according to the radar. 

It would be interesting to have the first thunderstorm of the year and not a distant rumble.

Edit. That's what I thought too. Maybe I heard misheard the forecast.  

But this current batch near us seem to be fizzling out although wider in area? 

(Much earlier than expected, UKV had showers here this evening and the storm warning doesn't start 'til 4. I note the very latest UKV run now shows showers at 3 PM here.)