A special footnote appears in my deceased father's weather diary on this
date for the RH1 3DT location(about 2/3 miles from Reigate,Sy.)The day
before the temperature reached 88F courtesy a thermometer fixed to the
property's N.E.facing wall.
"Woken up about 5.00 a.m.by thunder rumbles and a penetrating brilliant
yellow ethereal glow.Very black high stretch of cloud in the South,the
temperature 66F at this time.Gangs of white cumulonimbus beneath the high
black cloud announced the arrival of high winds and moderate then heavy
rain.The white clouds were racing in what appeared to be a squall line and
their bases were black too right to the end of the horizon.Dangerous
lightning accompanied the start and middle of the thunderstorm with frequent
cloud to ground strokes.During that time much of the lightning was
continuous,spectacularly brilliant and with exceptionally loud peals of
thunder.Rainfall for the event was a modest 0.56",pressure 29.7"having
fallen a good deal.The thunderstorm proper ceased at 5.36 a.m.when the
temperature was 63F.
This thunderstorm was the most violent since 5 September 1958 when the rain
intensity,hail content,high level lightning and wind strength were far more
severe.The forerunning sky colour overhead was similar however."


Does anyone else in that area recall this thunderstorm?