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Thunder and lightning


GUMPY

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5 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

Ah now THAT is one of my minor life ambitions, to see a fireball, or ball lightning. 

 

I am totally unconvinced it exists except in the imagination of us human beans. Has anyone here seen it for real? 

 

 

I've seen ball lightning over a house and the ball went slowly down the chimney pot, no bang and the house didn't seem to suffer any damage. A friend of mine who was a senior BA training captain told me once that he had ball lightning appear in the cockpit whilst flying. The plasma ball floated around for about 15 seconds then disappeared, no damage was caused.

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16 minutes ago, Flyboy said:

I've seen ball lightning over a house and the ball went slowly down the chimney pot, no bang and the house didn't seem to suffer any damage. A friend of mine who was a senior BA training captain told me once that he had ball lightning appear in the cockpit whilst flying. The plasma ball floated around for about 15 seconds then disappeared, no damage was caused.

Is that not St Elmo's Fire. perhaps different from Ball lightening.

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Fire alarm standards! I remember them well, painted red, with a  button you had to.press (I think after breaking the glass cover) to summon the fire brigade.  Lots of them in my part of East London well into the late 1960's when I moved away.  Not too many telephones in the area then, either private or as call boxes.

Edited by Ronaldo47
typos
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6 hours ago, bizzard said:

I didn't google it like IanD probably did.  I've been up to the top viewing platform of the Telecom tower twice. Incredible view. The lifts are a bit frightening especially coming down, feels like it just drops with wind rushing past and you go all lightweight almost of your feet. It's closed to the pubic now.

I didn't "Google it", I happen to know it was the iconic central feature of the Festival of Britain.

 

And I don't think the Festival of Brexit which harks back to those golden days will come up with anything as memorable... 😉

Edited by IanD
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I remember from a long long time ago, when I were just a lad, all asleep in bye byes when there was an almighty bang. Seems we were, or our home was, struck by lightening. It obviously struck the Ariel and blew the telly up. Cleared the chimney of soot as well. Made a bit of a mess.

 

Now I always unplug the ariel when there’s lightening in the area in which I am situated. 

Edited by Nightwatch
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The US military extensively investigated ball lightning in the 60 and 70s.............seems the balls are produced regularly by high power radars during fog.......the findings on the benign light ball type were released,no doubt the  fireball and explosion type is still classified.

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17 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

Ah now THAT is one of my minor life ambitions, to see a fireball, or ball lightning. 

 

 

I used to see Fireball every week when I was a lad...

Screenshot_20220721-122215.png

17 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Edited by cuthound
To remove a duplicate post.
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12 hours ago, bizzard said:

I didn't google it like IanD probably did.  I've been up to the top viewing platform of the Telecom tower twice. Incredible view. The lifts are a bit frightening especially coming down, feels like it just drops with wind rushing past and you go all lightweight almost of your feet. It's closed to the pubic now.

 

When  was a lad my parents took me up to the public viewing platform of the Post Office Tower when it first opened.

 

Later I took my girlfriend (now wife) for a meal in the Butlins Restaurant in the Post Office Tower. Strange experience as the rotation was so slow and quiet that it wasn't apparent until you looked up from your plate to find the view had changed.

 

Then In the late 80's I designed a replacement standby generator system for "the Stick" as it was known in BT, but a major reorganisation and promotion put paid to me delivering the project.

Edited by cuthound
Phat phingers
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