I enjoyed reading your article on Thunderstorms and of your personal experiences – Harry was very special indeed (smile).

Thank you for sharing your story, and also to those of the Weather Watch readership who contributed their Thunderstorm stories, AWE some.

I have an absolute, robust respect for these powerful elements of nature (Lightning – Thunder) when in such a violent storm – everything come’s into perspective – natural laws take over – natural cycles – the meaning of life and death, chaos and order – creation – destruction, everything comes into perspective – it is humbling and beauty all in one – AWE some.

On Thunder and sound (smile) I share a few of my favourite quotes by John O’Donohue.

It is strange to be here. The mystery never leaves you alone. . . . We take each other’s sounds and make patterns, predictions, benedictions, and blasphemies.

Each day, our tribe of language holds what we call the world together. Yet the uttering of the word reveals how each of us relentlessly creates.

Everyone is an artist. Each person brings sound out of silence and coaxes the invisible to become visible.

Thank you for the great website and weather updates, greatly appreciated – take care.

I didn’t form the NZ Thunderstorm Society in the 1980’s for no particular reason!

JohnGaul
NZThS

As long as I’m tucked up somewhere safe, that is! While in the Sunshine Coast last November we were treated to some spectacular lightning storms – one where there was a flash every two to three seconds, and it lasted several hours. It looked like someone had filmed a storm and sped up the footage. One of the great highlights of my holiday, because I know it’s something I would rarely see here.

I managed to film a couple of them and they are available to view here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZNw0hpKIgE

Love thunderstorms, but here in Wellington they are a rare treat. I understand that overseas the storms may be more intense and dangerous (my parents have told me stories about the tropical kind from when they were living in Singapore for example) but I can’t get enough of the local variety, especially since I started trying to take lightning photographs.

In response to a previous comment, I’m guessing the difference in feel from 30deg in London to 30deg here may have something to do with humidity. The more humidity the more you feel temperature extremes in my experience.

It isn’t nice.. I remember as a child quiet vivid memories, of my uncle be struck by lightening on the Bombay’s in Auckland.. that memory just has not gone away.. lightening scares the life out of me even now, I am am in my late 40’s. Thunder is OK.

Having lived in the states watching the tornado’s in (tornado alley) and the lightening there. Its also something you dont forget in a hurry..its nasty, us
NZ er’s really have no idea of a full blown real lightening storm unless you’ve lived through it in the USA

love them, the power, the noise, its just awesome. Don’t know that I could handle the ones in the states, they seem to be non stop in the summer time.
Off the subject, I was reading the weather news in the U.K and they’re calling 28c – 31c a heatwave again? This frustrates me as I was over there last year and they were saying it was 33c in London, last summer, I don’t know what it is but why does 30 here feel hotter than 30 here? It feels like the sun melts your skin here in the uk 30 I thought was very pleasant. What do we class extreme, or a heatwave?