The Power Of Nature:

[norwaytips]

I just had to write this down.

Last night, after a lovely meal of lobster, I sat, together with Toril (my girlfriend) and a glass of speyside single malt, on the balcony of her Oslo flat. We experienced the most amazing thunder storm that I have ever witnessed.
After a heatwave of over a week, with temperatures around 30 c, we watched these black clouds roll in. It wa surreal: like something from the Lord of the rings film.
Lightning flashed every 3 seconds for over two hours and the noise was unbelievable. I have seen a few storms but never one like this. It was almost worth dying for; and I almost did.
At around midnight, I turned and laughed. Toril's hair was standing straight up and all the hairs on my arms and neck were doing the same. Some primeval instinct made me get up; and grabbing her by the arm, I pulled her into the flat.................
....KRAAAASSSSHH. Lightning hit the top of the block of flats, (we are on the top floor) and blue flashes ran all the way around the balcony rail. Her hair slowly returned to it's normal position. Gandalf, my German Shepherd, opened one eye, gave a single wag of his tail and closed it again. I put the unfinished malt on the table and went to bed.
Maybe West ham and Darling were right and God was out to get me. Anyway he missed. :cool:

[west_ham]

Maybe West ham and Darling were right and God was out to get me. Anyway he missed. :cool:
Haha. God only misses deliberately mate. :rolleyes:

As a side note, and out of interest, The Bible refers to lightning as:
indicating the power of God: The power of God is shown in His command of the forces of Nature, and He is the only one who knows the secrets of Nature...

Glad to hear you survived it though. How scary was it? Was there a point when you thought your number was up? Also what caused Toril's hair to stand up? Static presumably...

[Birminghammer]

Blimey Norway.

That'll teach you to measure temperature in Celcius. Farenheit when it's warm my boy, Celcius when it's cold, otherwise Mother nature will have her say. :eek:

I am glad you are all right. I know what you mean about the primal feeling of thunderstorms. I was in one in saudi once which was fierce and magnificent. It had sideways lightning, not sheet lightening, but sideways forked lightening as it tried to find somewhere in the desert to earth itself. Apparantly there is an upsurge electrical current which attracts the lightening to discharge at a particular location, usually a tall thing. This would account for your hair, a small charge reaching upwards which leads the lightening bolt down to, in this case, your flat.

Exciting stuff.

[norwaytips]

Toril's hair was just the positive-negative, static charge thing. Luckily we now know what causes lightning, but it's bloody scary when it happens a few metres away.
I really loved the experience. I've never seen so much lightning in my life; and I've seen a few tropical storms.

[Footstomper]

Toril's hair was just the positive-negative, static charge thing. Luckily we now know what causes lightning, but it's bloody scary when it happens a few metres away.
I really loved the experience. I've never seen so much lightning in my life; and I've seen a few tropical storms.

We'll have to see if we can get Blaine to arrange another storm just like it.

[Footstomper]

Your dog is called Gandalf? What do you call the goldfish? Frodo?

[TheMobyDick]

Your dog is called Gandalf? What do you call the goldfish? Frodo?


Supper

[Footstomper]

I was once teaching at a school in Purley. It was a huge gothic pile, lots of towers and buttresses set on top of the highest hill in the area. My classroom was at the top of the highest tower. I was teaching a class of about 35 11 year olds when the thunder storm hit. One or two girls started to scream and I calmed them there was nothing to worry abou
When the entire building shook, and an indescribable sound that was more of a feeling consumed the entire room. Lightning had hit the building about six feet above our heads. Strangely, the girls stopped screaming.
I felt the need to sit down and told the kids 'See we're perfectly safe. OK lets get on with our work.' After that it was probably the queitest lesson I've ever taught, apart from an occasional squel after a load roll of thunder.

[pething101]

I just had to write this down.

Last night, after a lovely meal of lobster, I sat, together with Toril (my girlfriend) and a glass of speyside single malt, on the balcony of her Oslo flat. We experienced the most amazing thunder storm that I have ever witnessed.
After a heatwave of over a week, with temperatures around 30 c, we watched these black clouds roll in. It wa surreal: like something from the Lord of the rings film.
Lightning flashed every 3 seconds for over two hours and the noise was unbelievable. I have seen a few storms but never one like this. It was almost worth dying for; and I almost did.
At around midnight, I turned and laughed. Toril's hair was standing straight up and all the hairs on my arms and neck were doing the same. Some primeval instinct made me get up; and grabbing her by the arm, I pulled her into the flat.................
....KRAAAASSSSHH. Lightning hit the top of the block of flats, (we are on the top floor) and blue flashes ran all the way around the balcony rail. Her hair slowly returned to it's normal position. Gandalf, my German Shepherd, opened one eye, gave a single wag of his tail and closed it again. I put the unfinished malt on the table and went to bed.
Maybe West ham and Darling were right and God was out to get me. Anyway he missed. :cool:

Come live in the American South and you will get a few of those a summer. Always an awe inspiring event. After one of the last ones, we had the most amazing double rainbow either my wife and I had ever seen.

[norwaytips]

It was announced on the news last night that there were 20,171 flashes of lightning during the 3 hour storm. A record, so they tell us.:cool:

I have no goldfish, but a cat that is called Bilbo. I did think of calling my daughter Gollum, but my wife said no. :p

[hammer_scout51]

Tony glad your both ok mate.

Last Sunday afternoon my daughter was playing football against a local Sydney team.
About 3.45 the sky became very dark. Within 3 minutes of the start of the 2nd half lightening was everywhere. Then it started to hail and snow. Obviously the game was called off. Within minutes everywhere was white. Lightening continued for some 30 minutes. It was the first recorded snowfall in Sydney for 113 years. All during a thunderstorm, i blame the French for nuclear testing on Muriel atol in the Pacific.

[hasselbrad]

Come live in the American South and you will get a few of those a summer. Always an awe inspiring event. After one of the last ones, we had the most amazing double rainbow either my wife and I had ever seen.

I see your "American South" and raise you a "Central Florida". :D
Lightning capital of the United States. (http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/07/me-west-central-florida-has-a-wild-streak/) You are three times as likely to get hit by lightning in Florida than you are anywhere else in the country. And, it doesn't even have to be a cloudy day. A few years ago, a couple of guys were out jogging on Bayshore on a cloudless day, and SHAZAM! one got struck in the back of the head by a bolt of lightning.
Closest I've ever been was driving one day. A bolt struck the ground about ten yards from the car. The bolt was an intense white light surrounded by what looked like a million tiny sparks.
Glad you're okay.

[Hawaiian Hammer]

I see your "American South" and raise you a "Central Florida". :D
Lightning capital of the United States. (http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/07/me-west-central-florida-has-a-wild-streak/) You are three times as likely to get hit by lightning in Florida than you are anywhere else in the country. And, it doesn't even have to be a cloudy day. A few years ago, a couple of guys were out jogging on Bayshore on a cloudless day, and SHAZAM! one got struck in the back of the head by a bolt of lightning.
Closest I've ever been was driving one day. A bolt struck the ground about ten yards from the car. The bolt was an intense white light surrounded by what looked like a million tiny sparks.
Glad you're okay.


I think Australia has you trumped, it gets hits by lightning more than any other place in the world and some of it is humongous

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/109/294390277_d0d43258f3.jpg%3Fv%3D1164522340&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/80072343%40N00/294390277&h=375&w=500&sz=43&tbnid=49AQcWQ_nm4J::&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlightning%2Bstorm%2Badelaide%2Bpictures&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image&cd=1

[pething101]

I see your "American South" and raise you a "Central Florida". :D
Lightning capital of the United States. (http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jul/07/me-west-central-florida-has-a-wild-streak/) You are three times as likely to get hit by lightning in Florida than you are anywhere else in the country. And, it doesn't even have to be a cloudy day. A few years ago, a couple of guys were out jogging on Bayshore on a cloudless day, and SHAZAM! one got struck in the back of the head by a bolt of lightning.
Closest I've ever been was driving one day. A bolt struck the ground about ten yards from the car. The bolt was an intense white light surrounded by what looked like a million tiny sparks.
Glad you're okay.

That is the punishment from God for living in Central Florida.

:)

[hasselbrad]

I think Australia has you trumped, it gets hits by lightning more than any other place in the world and some of it is humongous

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/109/294390277_d0d43258f3.jpg%3Fv%3D1164522340&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/80072343%40N00/294390277&h=375&w=500&sz=43&tbnid=49AQcWQ_nm4J::&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlightning%2Bstorm%2Badelaide%2Bpictures&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image&cd=1

Oh, of that I have no doubt. They've got the lion's share of the deadliest critters in the world swimming/slithering/creeping around their little corner of the globe. No reason they shouldn't have the deadliest weather too.

That is the punishment from God for living in Central Florida.

:)

That's the truth. Luckily, the fiancèe and I are moving to eastern Alabama soon. I actually drive through Columbus on a regular basis to get up to where my family's from.

[claret50]

Oh, of that I have no doubt. They've got the lion's share of the deadliest critters in the world swimming/slithering/creeping around their little corner of the globe
And that's just the Aussies, you should see some of the wild life out there!;)

[Hawaiian Hammer]

Careful there Claret, living in New Zealand there is always a chance some rapist ram might come after you!