Looks like we may get the first hot weather of 2016 in large parts of the southern UK this weekend.
But consider operating early and be prepared to pack up in the afternoon as there is a significant Lightning risk starting to develop.
I’ve had a couple of close calls with lightning, in the UK and elsewhere. It’s not much fun I can tell you.
Stay safe folks.
Indeed. I well remember an occasion a couple of years ago on The Begwns when I watched blue sparks jumping across the PL259 on the end of my 10m dipole feeder! And that was before the thunderstorm started. I was amazed that such a small antenna would pick up so much static electricity. I had the presence of mind to lower the mast to ground level before touching the feeder and beating a hasty retreat to safer levels.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Sometimes it is difficult to decide where safety lies. There are cases on record of people being struck by lightning a number of miles outside a thunderstorm, I remember one case where the storm was four miles from the victim! It is essential that all activators should be aware of the do’s and don’ts of being outdoors in a thunderstorm, since a thunderstorm can brew up in a matter of minutes.
Brian
This is the advice from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. The advice below is taken from the book ‘Hillwalking’, published by Mountain Leader Training UK
http://www.mcofs.org.uk/lightning.asp
Stay safe!
Like sticking a 6m plus pole in the air ! 
A perfectly sound stratagem as long as you are a long way from it - if it attracts lightning then you won’t!
The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in the US has several publications about lightning safety. They do most of their teaching on month-long treks in the mountains of the western US, so lightning is a big issue for them.
A good video: NOLS MythCrushers Episode 3: Lightning - YouTube
Nine page paper on lightning safety:
https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/upload/Lightning-Risk-Management.pdf
A 144 page book about it:
wunder
Real Time Lightning Map :: LightningMaps.org;
This is well handy
Should seen it to east of Italy yesterday afternoon
KARL
I use our met office:
The map as given shows the rain radar - Wales doesn’t look too good today! - but the menu can bring up a lightning map and satellite images of the clouds.
Sudden mountain storms can be scary - I well remember being halfway along Striding Edge when one suddenly appeared from behind the bulk of Helvellyn, at one point I looked down on a horizontal bolt of lightning in the valley, and there is no safe descent from the sides of Striding Edge!
Brian
Good one
Hurry up rain, rape seed doing me a good un
man that stuff is in major flower at moment
Karl