Emmapip
Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2026
- Messages
- 3
Hey everyone!
My name's Emma and I'm based in West London, UK. I've been lurking around the storm chasing world for a while now but figured it was time to actually introduce myself and get involved.
I've been fascinated by tornadoes and severe weather since I was a teenager. I sometimes feel like I was born in the wrong country — living in a place where tornadoes are statistically frequent but so brief and weak that the chances of ever actually witnessing one are almost zero. That frustration is what drives me though. I get goosebumps — literally — when a storm is approaching. My hair stands on end and I can feel the pressure change before the first drop falls. It's something I've always had and it's only made my obsession worse!
Over the past while I've been teaching myself radar interpretation using Radar Omega for US storms and Netweather V8 for UK weather. I spend my evenings tracking cells across the Plains, reading reflectivity, storm-relative velocity, and correlation coefficient. I've been learning to identify hook echoes, velocity couplets, inflow notches, and mesocyclone signatures. I also follow the SPC convective outlooks daily — both categorical and probabilistic — and I'm getting comfortable reading the Day 1 through Day 4-8 discussions.
Recently I tracked a supercell from Mullins through Nichols, Ketchuptown and Green Sea in South Carolina. I identified a hook echo developing, spotted tightening velocity couplets, and found a CC drop right at the tip of the hook — all before the NWS upgraded the warning. It started as a basic severe thunderstorm warning with half-dollar hail, and as I was calling out the signatures in real time, it got upgraded to golf ball-sized hail with a considerable damage threat. It was a great feeling to see the warnings catch up to what I was already seeing on radar.
On a separate day, we had some serious convective activity here in London — bow echo structures, multiple rounds of hail that turned our street white, shelf clouds, intense lightning, and a double rainbow to finish it off. My son and I documented the whole thing with photos. Living in what's essentially the UK's tornado corridor, I'm well aware we get more tornadoes per square mile than almost anywhere, and I know ours tend to come from QLCS events and mesovortices rather than supercell mesocyclones. But knowing that and actually being able to see one are two very different things — which is why my sights are set on the Plains.
My dream is to eventually get out there during peak season as a chase partner — not as a tourist on a tour, but as an active participant who contributes to forecasting, radar duties, and navigation. I'm happy to share expenses and eager to learn from experienced chasers. I just want to finally see in person what I've been studying on a screen for years.
For now though, I'm here to learn, contribute, and connect with the community. I'll be posting observations and radar analyses when I spot something interesting.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone!
Emma xx
My name's Emma and I'm based in West London, UK. I've been lurking around the storm chasing world for a while now but figured it was time to actually introduce myself and get involved.
I've been fascinated by tornadoes and severe weather since I was a teenager. I sometimes feel like I was born in the wrong country — living in a place where tornadoes are statistically frequent but so brief and weak that the chances of ever actually witnessing one are almost zero. That frustration is what drives me though. I get goosebumps — literally — when a storm is approaching. My hair stands on end and I can feel the pressure change before the first drop falls. It's something I've always had and it's only made my obsession worse!
Over the past while I've been teaching myself radar interpretation using Radar Omega for US storms and Netweather V8 for UK weather. I spend my evenings tracking cells across the Plains, reading reflectivity, storm-relative velocity, and correlation coefficient. I've been learning to identify hook echoes, velocity couplets, inflow notches, and mesocyclone signatures. I also follow the SPC convective outlooks daily — both categorical and probabilistic — and I'm getting comfortable reading the Day 1 through Day 4-8 discussions.
Recently I tracked a supercell from Mullins through Nichols, Ketchuptown and Green Sea in South Carolina. I identified a hook echo developing, spotted tightening velocity couplets, and found a CC drop right at the tip of the hook — all before the NWS upgraded the warning. It started as a basic severe thunderstorm warning with half-dollar hail, and as I was calling out the signatures in real time, it got upgraded to golf ball-sized hail with a considerable damage threat. It was a great feeling to see the warnings catch up to what I was already seeing on radar.
On a separate day, we had some serious convective activity here in London — bow echo structures, multiple rounds of hail that turned our street white, shelf clouds, intense lightning, and a double rainbow to finish it off. My son and I documented the whole thing with photos. Living in what's essentially the UK's tornado corridor, I'm well aware we get more tornadoes per square mile than almost anywhere, and I know ours tend to come from QLCS events and mesovortices rather than supercell mesocyclones. But knowing that and actually being able to see one are two very different things — which is why my sights are set on the Plains.
My dream is to eventually get out there during peak season as a chase partner — not as a tourist on a tour, but as an active participant who contributes to forecasting, radar duties, and navigation. I'm happy to share expenses and eager to learn from experienced chasers. I just want to finally see in person what I've been studying on a screen for years.
For now though, I'm here to learn, contribute, and connect with the community. I'll be posting observations and radar analyses when I spot something interesting.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone!
Emma xx
x
