Last night on a quiz show (Eggheads) the question was asked, 'What is
an anvil crawler?

During my 30 years plus working for the Met Office, I have never heard
'Anvil Crawler' before. Just reading about it now and it's an American
term to describe lightning forks travelling across the underside of
the thundercloud. Has anybody in UK ever heard this term mentioned?

On 2008-08-13, Pete L wrote:
Last night on a quiz show (Eggheads) the question was asked, 'What is
an anvil crawler?

During my 30 years plus working for the Met Office, I have never heard
'Anvil Crawler' before. Just reading about it now and it's an American
term to describe lightning forks travelling across the underside of
the thundercloud. Has anybody in UK ever heard this term mentioned?

New one on me.

Jim
--
http://www.ursaMinorBeta.co.uk http://twitter.com/GreyAreaUK

I'm seriously considering a sticker for my car's back window
that reads "I brake for tailgating bampots".

On 13 Aug, 09:30, Jim wrote:
On 2008-08-13, Pete L wrote:

Last night on a quiz show (Eggheads) the question was asked, 'What is
an anvil crawler?

During my 30 years plus working for the Met Office, I have never heard
'Anvil Crawler' before. Just reading about it now and it's an American
term to describe lightning forks travelling across the underside of
the thundercloud. Has anybody in UK ever heard this term mentioned?

New one on me.

Jim
--http://www.ursaMinorBeta.co.uk*http://twitter.com/GreyAreaUK

I'm seriously considering a sticker for my car's back window
that reads "I brake for tailgating bampots".

I've heard that expression quite often. The visual effects can be
quite stunning. Plenty of photos and videos available on various
storm chasing sites, and U Tube.

CK

On 2008-08-13, Pete L wrote:
Last night on a quiz show (Eggheads) the question was asked, 'What
is
an anvil crawler?

During my 30 years plus working for the Met Office, I have never
heard
'Anvil Crawler' before. Just reading about it now and it's an
American
term to describe lightning forks travelling across the underside of
the thundercloud. Has anybody in UK ever heard this term mentioned?


.... caught me out too. Because of the 'anvil' reference, I thought
vaguely
about thunderstorms, but couldn't place the exact definition (before
the
answer was given!)

Mind you, there are a lot of terms that the severe convective
community use
in the US that aren't well know over here.

Martin.


--
Martin Rowley
West Moors, East Dorset (UK): 17m (56ft) amsl
Lat: 50.82N Long: 01.88W
NGR: SU 082 023

"Martin Rowley" wrote...
snip
... caught me out too. Because of the 'anvil' reference, I thought
vaguely
about thunderstorms, but couldn't place the exact definition (before
the
answer was given!)

Mind you, there are a lot of terms that the severe convective
community use
in the US that aren't well know over here.

as here ....

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/severewx/glossary.php

"Anvil zits", "Knuckles"!

Quite a few here I wouldn't recognise.


--
Martin Rowley
West Moors, East Dorset (UK): 17m (56ft) amsl
Lat: 50.82N Long: 01.88W
NGR: SU 082 023

"Martin Rowley" wrote :
On 2008-08-13, Pete L wrote:

Last night on a quiz show (Eggheads) the question was asked, 'What is an
anvil crawler?

During my 30 years plus working for the Met Office, I have never heard
'Anvil Crawler' before. Just reading about it now and it's an American
term to describe lightning forks travelling across the underside of
the thundercloud. Has anybody in UK ever heard this term mentioned?


... caught me out too. Because of the 'anvil' reference, I thought vaguely
about thunderstorms, but couldn't place the exact definition (before the
answer was given!)

Mind you, there are a lot of terms that the severe convective community
use
in the US that aren't well know over here.

Did the contestant get it right? Presumably it was one of the
non-multiple choice questions. Given plenty of time and head-
scratching I might have bluffed "a specific meteorological
feature of some cumulonimbus clouds."

Speaking of which, there was extensive and long-lived
anvil cirrus here yesterday during the late-afternoon and
evening with an excellent and long-lasting display of mamma,
latterly lit by the setting sun. Sadly no pics as I was
travelling and hadn't pocketed my camera.

Philip
(S.Beds)

On Aug 13, 8:19*am, Pete L wrote:
Last night on a quiz show (Eggheads) the question was asked, 'What is
an anvil crawler?

During my 30 years plus working for the Met Office, I have never heard
'Anvil Crawler' before. Just reading about it now and it's an American
term to describe lightning forks travelling across the underside of
the thundercloud. Has anybody in UK ever heard this term mentioned?

I'd asked a question relating to this on the ng last week (6th August)
about a storm near me in Essex:

"It's just to the south & SW of me, Dave but I'm getting an excellent
view of the lightning - the best I've seen for a few years. Frequent
very intense CG & CC strikes and some of the "crawler variety" that
you see abroad, with a lot of branches off the main stroke, running
along the underside of the clouds, parallel to the ground. Saw
quite
a bit of it in Florida but not in UK. Any idea what causes it?"

- Tom
Blackmore SW Essex.