Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any references
online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.

When you're driving across the moors late at night, and it's really dark and
there's heavy cloud clover, you suddenly see a flash in the distance. No
sound of thunder. No rain. Just a flash. It's a pretty small flash, though
bright and quite intense, which could mean it's far away. Drive a few miles
and there's another flash. And more, at intermittent intervals. That's what
we call wildfire.

I was always aware it was some sort of lightning-related phenomenon, and
this evening I found myself thinking about it, so I went online to search
for info, but couldn't find anything. I don't know the proper name for this,
so I can't look it up. Any ideas?

Thanks!

ally

On Tuesday, 13 March 2012 01:12:14 UTC, a l l y wrote:
Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any references
online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.


Websters online Dictionary appears to have it From Scots Gaelic: (roidean), teine-sionnachain (lightning without thunder - "wildfire") but I can't open the page.

Good luck.

- Tom.

"a l l y" wrote in message
...
Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any
references online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.

When you're driving across the moors late at night, and it's really dark
and there's heavy cloud clover, you suddenly see a flash in the distance.
No sound of thunder. No rain. Just a flash. It's a pretty small flash,
though bright and quite intense, which could mean it's far away. Drive a
few miles and there's another flash. And more, at intermittent intervals.
That's what we call wildfire.

I was always aware it was some sort of lightning-related phenomenon, and
this evening I found myself thinking about it, so I went online to search
for info, but couldn't find anything. I don't know the proper name for
this, so I can't look it up. Any ideas?

Thanks!

ally

I saw a similar thing walking on the moor at night a few years ago. I
thought it may have had a human origin at the time, i.e. a flare or
something? Searchlights can do strange things in darkness too, e.g. around
the prison.

Will
--

"Tom" wrote in message
news:18151497.2221.1331620921082.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@vbai14...
On Tuesday, 13 March 2012 01:12:14 UTC, a l l y wrote:
Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any
references
online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.


Websters online Dictionary appears to have it From Scots Gaelic:
(roidean), teine-sionnachain (lightning without thunder - "wildfire") but
I can't open the page.

Good luck.

Ooh, that's interesting! Thanks. As a lowlander (from Edinburgh) I never
considered a Gaelic connection. I was beginning to wonder if it was one of
those odd, "family" words, that no-one else apart from one's nearest and
dearest uses. But that sort of legitimises it.

ally

"Dartmoor Will" wrote in message
...

"a l l y" wrote in message
...
Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any
references online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.

When you're driving across the moors late at night, and it's really dark
and there's heavy cloud clover, you suddenly see a flash in the distance.
No sound of thunder. No rain. Just a flash. It's a pretty small flash,
though bright and quite intense, which could mean it's far away. Drive a
few miles and there's another flash. And more, at intermittent intervals.
That's what we call wildfire.

I was always aware it was some sort of lightning-related phenomenon, and
this evening I found myself thinking about it, so I went online to search
for info, but couldn't find anything. I don't know the proper name for
this, so I can't look it up. Any ideas?

Thanks!

ally

I saw a similar thing walking on the moor at night a few years ago. I
thought it may have had a human origin at the time, i.e. a flare or
something? Searchlights can do strange things in darkness too, e.g. around
the prison.

No prisons on our Scottish moors though! I've seen this phenomenon often
enough to be pretty certain they're a type of lightning. I now live in rural
Cumbria, and was driving home late last night across a small moorland area
when I thought I saw some wildfire in the distance. I've never spotted it
around here before, so I wasn't quite sure if that was what I was seeing or
not, but it got me thinking about it again.

ally

On 2012-03-13, a l l y wrote:
Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any references
online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.

Anything similar to heat lightning?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_lightning

Jim
--
"A few ground rules - no bombing, no running, no petting, no diving and
no inflatables. In fact, probably best to leave all swimming related
activities until later - this is, after all, an operating theatre."
Mac, 'Green Wing' Twitter:@GreyAreaUK

a l l y wrote:

Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any references
online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.

When you're driving across the moors late at night, and it's really dark and
there's heavy cloud clover, you suddenly see a flash in the distance. No
sound of thunder. No rain. Just a flash. It's a pretty small flash, though
bright and quite intense, which could mean it's far away. Drive a few miles
and there's another flash. And more, at intermittent intervals. That's what
we call wildfire.

I was always aware it was some sort of lightning-related phenomenon, and
this evening I found myself thinking about it, so I went online to search
for info, but couldn't find anything. I don't know the proper name for this,
so I can't look it up. Any ideas?

Thanks!

ally

In Orkney we called that phenomenon a "weather blink".
--
MCC

On Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:52:50 -0000, a l l y wrote:

I've seen this phenomenon often enough to be pretty certain they're a
type of lightning. I now live in rural Cumbria, and was driving home
late last night across a small moorland area when I thought I saw some
wildfire in the distance.

Other (boring) possiblities:

Lamping or even just headlights from distant traffic. Lamping is more
likely to give a "flash" than traffic as the light is swung rapidly.

Flashover on HV power distribution, you do say it's wet.

--
Cheers Dave.
Nr Garrigill, Cumbria. 421m ASL.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:52:50 -0000, a l l y wrote:

I've seen this phenomenon often enough to be pretty certain they're a
type of lightning. I now live in rural Cumbria, and was driving home
late last night across a small moorland area when I thought I saw some
wildfire in the distance.

Other (boring) possiblities:

Lamping or even just headlights from distant traffic. Lamping is more
likely to give a "flash" than traffic as the light is swung rapidly.

Flashover on HV power distribution, you do say it's wet.

--
Cheers Dave.
Nr Garrigill, Cumbria. 421m ASL.





Maybe a fanciful idea. Could it be the build up of methane from bogs in
a light / calm air, which spontaneously combusts in a highly static air?

Joe Egginton
Wolverhampton.

"a l l y" wrote:

Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any
references online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.

When you're driving across the moors late at night, and it's really dark
and there's heavy cloud clover, you suddenly see a flash in the distance.
No sound of thunder. No rain. Just a flash. It's a pretty small flash,
though bright and quite intense, which could mean it's far away. Drive a
few miles and there's another flash. And more, at intermittent intervals.
That's what we call wildfire.

I was always aware it was some sort of lightning-related phenomenon, and
this evening I found myself thinking about it, so I went online to search
for info, but couldn't find anything. I don't know the proper name for
this, so I can't look it up. Any ideas?

When there is low cloud, trains can cause bright flashes which can be seen
for miles as electricity arcs from the live rail. That can easily be
mistaken for lightning, and it fits your description of a small but intense
flash which happens intermittently (as the train travels along the track).
Is there an electrified railway line in the area that could be responsible?