WEIRD WEATHER

We get a lot of weather in Britain. But just when you think you’ve seen it all, you may be lucky enough to witness one of the strange and startling atmospheric phenomena that occur occasionally here. BBC weather experts John Hammond and Sara Thornton report

- John Hammond and Sara Thornton

Ask any weather enthusiast and they will probably tell you that there was a precise and dramatic moment when they fell in love with the weather. For many, it is an epiphany that comes during childhood. That is certainly the case for my colleague and co-writer on this feature, Sara Thornton.

Sara remembers the time she found herself in a Pennsylvania snowstorm white-out as a child. Suddenly the world was completely white and silent. There was no horizon, no distinction between ground and sky. Yes, it was disconcerting, but it was also magical.

For me, growing up on the Sussex coast, it was a night-time rumbling of distant thunder that transformed an interest in weather into an obsession. Storms developing in France and drifting across the English Channel provided the soundtrack to my summer nights, and as I lay listening in bed, I was inspired to train as a meteorologist.

DRAMA IN THE ATMOSPHERE

The lightning-bolt moments that ignite a passion for weather often come from the completely unexpected, yet grand, displays that our atmosphere can provide in unique circumstances. We often describe such heart-stopping moments as weird weather, and they can grab headlines when accompanied by beautiful and unusual photographs.

The good news is that you don’t have to travel the world to see them. There are plenty of awe-inspiring weather phenomena to see right here in the UK. If the conditions are right, just take a closer look at the skies and the air around you next time you’re in the great outdoors: you might be surprised at what you’ve been missing.

1. ROLL CLOUD