Arizona lightning season begins!

[Greg Campbell]

Looked out the window around 2pm today and saw...CLOUDS!
Glorious, poofy, white clouds; blowing north.
WEATHER!, any weather, is more than welcome after the long, hot, tirelessly Sunny and Bright days of May, June, and early July.

By 4:30 it was raining.

Later this evening, on the way home from shopping, there was a modest thunderstorm afoot. Not far from home, I saw a big CG come down less than a mile in front of me. "Wow, I hope I have a home to return to." I thought to myself. :roll:

About a block from home, I came upon this scene.

Also http://members.cox.net/geonerd/images/4.jpg
and
http://members.cox.net/geonerd/images/8.jpg

OK, so the 'monsoon' hasn't officialy started, and what did develop barely inched as far north as Tucson; but for this unfortunate palm tree it was more than enough.

-Greg

 

[David Wolfson]

I lived for many years on 9th Street in Tucson. During times when I was at home bolts hit the house next door, the power transformer on the pole outside, and most impressive of all, the twin palm trees across the street while I was stormwatching in front of the house. The trees got the full charge. It was like an artillery shell going off. The tops of both trees were completely blown apart and fiery debris rained down in a hundred foot circle. I called the fire department to put out the flaming torches that were left.