Thunderstorm

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As I left work yesterday evening (actually, shortly before I left), it started raining heavily - you know the sort, whether you walked or ran to the car, you were going to get soaked.

When I got outside, I simply listened to the thunder. It was fantastic. It wasn't the Crack! Boom! type, it was a continuous rolling thunder which swirled around you in all its audiophonic glory.

The lightening was also quite spectacular. There were plenty of beautiful jagged bolts coming down directly ahead of me as I drove home (no, not right in front of me, but far enough on the horizon that I didn't have to be dangerously looking for them instead of paying attention to the cars on the highway).

Of course, to top it all off, there was a rainbow. Actually, two. One very bright one and another dimmer one. They were full and complete arcs. Given the position of the sun, almost behind me, there were some pretty specatular optical effects with water spray from the cars around me, making it seem at times that the rainbow was actually in the car.

Image nabbed from here.

I did take some pictures of the rainbow, but I could not fit the whole thing in. I wish I had a wider angle camera.

Comments

my imperfect offering said…
Your description is wonderful, I could practically imagine myself right there with you. I always love catching a glimpse of a rainbow...there's just something magical about it that takes me right back to my childhood.
June 20, 2006 7:20 PM
ghee said…
Oh,I dont find lightning and thunder fascinating...

but the rainbow is wondeful,when i was a kid,a always anticipated it after the rain.

nice descriptions :)
June 20, 2006 7:23 PM
sereneannabelle said…
wow that's really amazing. i love driving down the countryside. it's so beautiful i cannot describe. it simply takes away all worries, no?
June 20, 2006 8:18 PM
Cavalock said…
its been ages since i saw a rainbow. lucky u! hah
June 21, 2006 3:24 AM
vina said…
that was a great shot just the same "tito" richard!

i also love rainbows and lightnings, the latter being both beautiful and dangerous. what an awesome combination.
June 21, 2006 6:21 AM
Lunafish said…
I took a photo of a rainbow when I was in Tucson. It was small, like a wee bit of rainbow. The camera caught very little of it and I wondered if it was the light and the distance. Rainbows seem to bring out the kid in grown-ups.
Nothing like a good thunderstorm.
June 21, 2006 8:59 AM
Grumpy but sweet said…
What a fabulous experience. You made it so vivid too. Thank you.
June 21, 2006 5:02 PM
Richard said…
MIO: Thank you. The conditions were almost perfect darkness ahead of me, a low bright sun behind me.

ghee: I love to feel the raw power of nature. Nothing better than bundlin gup and going for a walk in a snowstorm.

serendipity: Thanks for dropping by. Canada has lots of beautiful countryside. I see about 200Km of it every time I drive between Ottawa and Montreal.

cavalock: need to be outside when it is sunny and raining to see them

vina: thanks, but that is not my picture, I only managed to grab the left side of the rainbow. It was a very nice tight rainbow with ends over either side of the highway.

lunafish: rainbows are hard to film well. There is an almost perpetual rainbow over Niagara Falls because of teh mist, but it doesn't come out that well in a photo. I think any storm is good. Mind you, in Canada, at least were I live, it is rare to get winds above 90Km/h (55mph).

Ingrid: thanks! One never knows what will inspire people (at least I don't).
June 22, 2006 8:25 AM
Kay said…
Hi Richard,

Hope u did not catch a cold or fever in the rain...

U know, I've always been afraid of the thunder and lightning eversince I was a kid..and when now I have my own kids..I would cuddle them up and in bed till the thunder and lightning stops..hee

Like cavalock mentioned..cant remember the last time I saw a rainbow..maybe because we are surrounded by high rise building no matter where we drive or stay..our view are blocked..so chances of seeing one is very likely..

Anyways the pix has the similarity of ur description..take care fren
June 22, 2006 11:54 AM
Richard said…
sassy lady: don't worry, I didn't catch anything from the rain. Rainbows are pretty tricky to produce, you need rain (or mist in the air) and you also need direct sunlight (to be refracted by the water droplets).

Maybe if you took more walks along the coast?
June 22, 2006 1:40 PM
j said…
I love rainbows! For me, a rainbow is a sign that says everything will be alright.
June 22, 2006 2:14 PM
Richard said…
jairam: rainbows are beautiful and something about them makes you want to chase them.
June 30, 2006 8:40 AM
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