Storm Amy Arrives with a Bang: Rochdale Rocked by ‘Unprecedented’ September Thunder
Rochdale, Greater Manchester – The relative calm of an early autumn afternoon was shattered across Rochdale today as the skies unleashed a dramatic and powerful thunderstorm, marking the official arrival of Storm Amy. Residents were sent scrambling indoors as midday skies, although partially cloudy and not extremely dark, were illuminated by sudden, brilliant flashes of lightning, followed by some of the most powerful crashes of thunder heard in the region for a September month.
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The storm and it's thunder, although not incredibly rainy, rolled in shortly around 12:30 PM, and was characterised by the sheer volume of the thunderclaps that reverberated through the borough. Many locals took to social media to describe the, "window-rattling", and, "almost deafening", noise, with some longtime residents claiming it was the loudest thunder in the month of September, in recent memory.
"I was just taking a nap when the first clap of thunder hit. It didn't just rumble, it really boomed right overhead", said a resident from the Queensway area. "You expect a bit of a storm in the height of summer, but to have something this powerful now,in September, feels extraordinary".
Meteorologists explain that the storm’s strength is a direct symptom of the full and lengthy summertime the UK has experienced. The prolonged period of warmth has allowed a significant amount of warm, moist air to build up in the atmosphere. The arrival of Storm Amy, a cooler and more unstable weather front, has acted as a trigger, forcing this energy-laden air to rise rapidly and violently.
"What we're seeing today is the result of a classic atmospheric clash", explained a spokesperson for Rochdale media. "The warm, humid air mass that has defined our summer is finally meeting the cooler, more dynamic air of autumn. This confrontation can release a tremendous amount of energy, which manifests as the intense lightning and thunder Rochdale has just experienced".
The storm caused temporary disruption, and drivers were urged to exercise caution due to the potential to be startled by lightning and strong thunder.
As Storm Amy continues to move across the North West, forecasters are warning that it is possible that further showers, potentially heavy and thundery, could continue into the evening, although this is being observed as a flash afternoon storm. As the most dramatic part of the storm passes, the weather is expected to settle a little over the next 24 hours, marking a definitive and noisy end to the summer season.
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The storm and it's thunder, although not incredibly rainy, rolled in shortly around 12:30 PM, and was characterised by the sheer volume of the thunderclaps that reverberated through the borough. Many locals took to social media to describe the, "window-rattling", and, "almost deafening", noise, with some longtime residents claiming it was the loudest thunder in the month of September, in recent memory.
"I was just taking a nap when the first clap of thunder hit. It didn't just rumble, it really boomed right overhead", said a resident from the Queensway area. "You expect a bit of a storm in the height of summer, but to have something this powerful now,in September, feels extraordinary".
Meteorologists explain that the storm’s strength is a direct symptom of the full and lengthy summertime the UK has experienced. The prolonged period of warmth has allowed a significant amount of warm, moist air to build up in the atmosphere. The arrival of Storm Amy, a cooler and more unstable weather front, has acted as a trigger, forcing this energy-laden air to rise rapidly and violently.
"What we're seeing today is the result of a classic atmospheric clash", explained a spokesperson for Rochdale media. "The warm, humid air mass that has defined our summer is finally meeting the cooler, more dynamic air of autumn. This confrontation can release a tremendous amount of energy, which manifests as the intense lightning and thunder Rochdale has just experienced".
The storm caused temporary disruption, and drivers were urged to exercise caution due to the potential to be startled by lightning and strong thunder.
As Storm Amy continues to move across the North West, forecasters are warning that it is possible that further showers, potentially heavy and thundery, could continue into the evening, although this is being observed as a flash afternoon storm. As the most dramatic part of the storm passes, the weather is expected to settle a little over the next 24 hours, marking a definitive and noisy end to the summer season.
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