Local Forecasts, History & Records
Lightning is one of those things that still feels like magic, even when we know the science behind it. A sudden bolt splits the sky, a rumble shakes the windows, and it’s over before your brain can fully process it. But inside that fleeting second, there’s a whole sequence of microscopic and incredibly fast steps going on. Each flash of …
What is Ball Lightning? Ball lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon that is characterized by the appearance of a luminous, spherical object that moves through the air. The exact nature and cause of ball lightning is not well understood, and it is considered one of the least studied and most enigmatic meteorological phenomena. Some theories suggest that ball lightning is created …
Flooding at Croxdale, near Durham in the phenomenally wet summer of 2012. The River Browney, a tributary of the Wear, snakes past the hotel and is prone to flooding. Flood prevention here has stopped things getting as bad as previous years. The hotel has been flooded out on many occasions in the past (see photo below). June was particularly poor. …
Amazing Storms Cause Havoc in County Durham Here is what I wrote in my weather diary on the night: There have been quite severe electrical storms in the North East of England tonight with torrential rain at times. In Ferryhill, the storms started at about 2030 GMT after the weather became very muggy and humid at the end of the afternoon. Late afternoon …