Reading the Sky.

I went for a walk just after lunch today. There was a mild breeze blowing and the sky was a bit glowering, but the weather was dry so it seemed right to take a pleasant perambulation. As I came around by the pub, however, I looked at the western sky and changed my mind. I decided to head home at a brisk pace.

I counted the delay between the first lightning flash and its peal of thunder: four miles. A few minutes later I counted the next one: two miles. The storm was coming quickly. As I walked up my path, the most deafening clap of thunder I think I’ve ever heard struck right overhead and the wind rose to gale force. The hailstorm began literally as I opened my door. It couldn’t have been more perfectly timed, which makes a change.