MAY 2004 PART 1:
DRAMATIC GUST-FRONT ACCOMPANIES Cb NEAR
LLWYNGWIRIL (04/05/04)

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On the afternoon of Tuesday 4th May I decided to get out there to check out some shower activity crossing the Irish Sea. Often at this time of year the sea is as cool or colder than the air passing over it, which does little to assist convection (in early winter the sea's often much warmer than the air passing over it which generates widespread convection including winter thunderstorms).

So I headed for the superb viewpoints over the bay, on the Aberdyfi-Fairbourne coast road....

A distant Cb with a dark base is heading up in this direction....
Closer now, a long low cloud is driving along ahead of the streaks of falling rain and hail. This marks a front of gusty winds, dragged down by the downdraughts which form due to friction between the air and the falling precipitation. This one's pretty but fairly tame: ones with some of the big storms in the USA can have a terrifying appearance!
Close-up of intensifying precipitation starting to obscure the horizon...
Power-shower!
As the gust-front came overhead the descending air on the edge of the precipitation was particularly obvious, with its mammatus-like appearance making a nice image. May 2004 had a lot more in store for me as the next two pages will show.....
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