Storm Hits Leicester!

So Leicester was hit by a tremendous storm between 1:15pm and 1:45pm today. I don't think Leicester has ever witnessed a storm this big. I wasn't able to capture any of the lightening strikes mainly because they were quite close in my area, and I wasn't going to brave it as one hit just round the corner. 

When the storm started I was in the middle of processing some recent photos, when my brother left out I heard the thunder. I stood with my mum for a good 15 minutes watching the lightening strikes, I counted 23 before one hit just round the corner near where I live. Both me and my mum jumped right out of our skin, well not literally but I'm guessing it hit something as several car alarms went off. Then the rain came.

Closing all doors and windows we took ourselves up to my bedroom window. Many plants and objects blew around in our garden as the incredible wind blew. I could hear rain dripping from somewhere and it happened to be that my parents bedroom window had blown open. Rain was poring in and then the hail came. I watched the traffic build up as a huge puddle was causing a hold up at the end of the street. Looking down I noticed our dustbin had blown over and the road was beginning to look like a river.

When the storm passed I went out the front to take these shots, walking down the street and around the corner the puddle had extended onto the next street. The river-like-puddle had leaked into the first two houses. The owner was upstairs on the phone, my neighbour also at the scene asked the owner how ground floor was. He replied that the whole of the ground floor was flooded, he had rang the fire services but they couldn't come due to the weather. But since then the sun has come out and the water has drained away, not sure how the houses are round the corner but every thing else seems to be fine. 

I love a good storm, I've always said if we're going to have rain or a storm let it be a good one and let me be indoors whilst it happens. Enjoy!

Parents bedroom window view

My bedroom window view as the wind picked up

Hail stones bounce off my parents window

Traffic begins to build up

Cars try to turn around

Our dustbin blows over, lid unhinged

Road looks like a river as the water...

...runs high over the curb

Neighbour walks through puddle retrieving a young relative on the opposite side of the road

Whilst that's happening I find this little guy and...

 ...a rubbish bag floating down the road

Just round the corner neighbours garden and ground floor flooded

Passenger side walk disappeared under the water along with the road

Neighbours flooded garden

Hail stones the size of golf balls

British weather has truly struck this year.