August 2008- ex tropical storms cause unseasonable weather
http://www.ukweathershop.co.uk/articlelive/articles/87/1/August-2008--ex-tropical-storms-cause-unseasonable-weather/Page1.html
Dave Wiseman
By Dave Wiseman
Published on 20th Jul 2008
Mid August 2004 saw some very unsettled weather across much of the UK. In particular the 18th August saw heavy showers, thunderstorms and flooding.
Initially a wrap around occlusion with associated heavy rain swirled around a low pressure centred over Northern Ireland during the day and left those to the south of it, in England and Wales, in a very showery regime. The heavy rain associated with the occlusion barely moved throughout the day and causing flooding across the south of Shetland and the NE of Scotland with a total of 75mm recorded at Lerwick in the 24 hours to 12Z on the 19th. The storms also left over 25,000 homes in the NE of Scotland without power.
To the south, in England and Wales, widespread heavy showers and thunderstorms developed during the day, and during the afternoon these cells became more potent giving some torrential downpours and atrocious conditions in many areas. More flooding occurred and some of the worst areas affected were much of Northern Ireland (including Londonderry from the previous evening), North and West Cornwall (from the morning) and much of Central Scotland.
In Central Scotland several hours of torrential rainfall caused several landslides in Stirlingshire. The RAF and emergency services were called out to rescue trapped motorists on the A85 after thousands of tons of debris were swept down the hillside and onto the main road, dragging a mechanical digger down with them.
In the Atlantic a week earlier Tropical Storm 'Bonnie' had been lashing the Florida Panhandle with wind and rain, and during the following days the energy from Bonnie moved northeast and merged with a north Atlantic depression.This was steered east and lay in the east Atlantic by 00Z on 18th with a lot of moisture and heat energy associated with it. During the day the low drifted ENE towards Brest and by evening though, this small low pressure area developed further SW of Brest, with an estimated central pressure of about 979mb by 18Z and the tightly wrapped isobars around its southern flank produced, at times, severe gales across Northern France which then moved up through the Channel Islands, and across exposed southern coastal regions. Gusts recorded were in excess of 60 mph in a few places (Langdon Bay, near Dover reported 63mph) and, in the English Channel the Sandettie Light Vessel recorded gusts up to 85 mph. The low quickly filled as it moved ENE, to eventually lie in the Thames estuary with central pressure 993mb by 06Z. A yachtsman was rescued in the Channel Isles and the cross channel ferries were disrupted but generally any damage was limited due to its sea passage. A very heavy pulse of rain was associated with the small low, which crossed the south and southeast of England bringing some high totals to these areas between 00Z and 06Z. Andrewsfield (Essex) saw 24mm fall, Larkhill (Wilts) 21mm.
Certainly, if this had had a track just 50 miles further north, the south could well have seen quite a lot of damage so it was a lucky escape for many in the south.
The remnants of Tropical storm 'Bonnie' in 2004 brought unseasonable weather to the south of England during mid August
18th Aug 2004 saw very unsettled weather as a deep Channel low gave the southern UK a near miss
Mid August 2004 saw some very unsettled weather across much of the UK. In particular the 18th August saw heavy showers, thunderstorms and flooding.
Initially a wrap around occlusion with associated heavy rain swirled around a low pressure centred over Northern Ireland during the day and left those to the south of it, in England and Wales, in a very showery regime. The heavy rain associated with the occlusion barely moved throughout the day and causing flooding across the south of Shetland and the NE of Scotland with a total of 75mm recorded at Lerwick in the 24 hours to 12Z on the 19th. The storms also left over 25,000 homes in the NE of Scotland without power.
To the south, in England and Wales, widespread heavy showers and thunderstorms developed during the day, and during the afternoon these cells became more potent giving some torrential downpours and atrocious conditions in many areas. More flooding occurred and some of the worst areas affected were much of Northern Ireland (including Londonderry from the previous evening), North and West Cornwall (from the morning) and much of Central Scotland.
In Central Scotland several hours of torrential rainfall caused several landslides in Stirlingshire. The RAF and emergency services were called out to rescue trapped motorists on the A85 after thousands of tons of debris were swept down the hillside and onto the main road, dragging a mechanical digger down with them.
In the Atlantic a week earlier Tropical Storm 'Bonnie' had been lashing the Florida Panhandle with wind and rain, and during the following days the energy from Bonnie moved northeast and merged with a north Atlantic depression.This was steered east and lay in the east Atlantic by 00Z on 18th with a lot of moisture and heat energy associated with it. During the day the low drifted ENE towards Brest and by evening though, this small low pressure area developed further SW of Brest, with an estimated central pressure of about 979mb by 18Z and the tightly wrapped isobars around its southern flank produced, at times, severe gales across Northern France which then moved up through the Channel Islands, and across exposed southern coastal regions. Gusts recorded were in excess of 60 mph in a few places (Langdon Bay, near Dover reported 63mph) and, in the English Channel the Sandettie Light Vessel recorded gusts up to 85 mph. The low quickly filled as it moved ENE, to eventually lie in the Thames estuary with central pressure 993mb by 06Z. A yachtsman was rescued in the Channel Isles and the cross channel ferries were disrupted but generally any damage was limited due to its sea passage. A very heavy pulse of rain was associated with the small low, which crossed the south and southeast of England bringing some high totals to these areas between 00Z and 06Z. Andrewsfield (Essex) saw 24mm fall, Larkhill (Wilts) 21mm.
Certainly, if this had had a track just 50 miles further north, the south could well have seen quite a lot of damage so it was a lucky escape for many in the south.