It was a dark and stormy night…

We turned ours off when the storm seemed to be overhead.

Callistemon21

We turned ours off when the storm seemed to be overhead.

I forgot you’re supposed to do that. ?

Apparently you can buy a surge protector to prevent that.
I should think it's a very rare occurrence, though.

I missed the end of Simon Reeve in America.

Simon Reeve was awful. It showed the worst side of America around California and Los Angeles. I wonder what would happen if he made a similar program about the UK.
We have thunder and lightning tonight. So far the dog doesn’t seem to be bothered but you never know.

Simon Reeve always shines a light on the underbelly, finds out what is going on beneath the veneer, the gloss.

California - a place of sun, surf, show biz, glitz, glamour, falseness, $66 million mansions and 150,00+ homeless. A woman living in the void under a bridge.

We’ve had more rain here in mid Wales in the last two days than we’ve had for the last two months at least, which is a relief on the garden watering front - but no thunder or lightning at all.
I’ve been racking my brains regarding the title of this thread, and it’s just clicked where I’ve heard it before - there was a whole series of Peanuts cartoons with Snoopy at the typewriter, and ‘It was a dark and stormy night’ was the first line of his novel.

Casdon My dad used to tease us with this as a bedtime story

T’was a dark and stormy night
and the rain came down in torrents,
and the children said to Antonio,
Antonio tell us a tale
and the tale began as follows . . .
T’was a dark and stormy night . . .

It's been a very popular opening line for many years, now a cliché, setting the scene!

Edward Bulwer-Lytton coined the phrase:
It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness

Edgar Allan Poe:
It was a dark and stormy night. The rain fell in cataracts; and drowsy citizens started, from dreams of the deluge, to gaze upon the boisterous sea, which foamed and bellowed for admittance into the proud towers and marble palaces

Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Madeleine L'Engle A Wrinkle in Time

And Snoopy!!

?

Lots of very loud thunder and lightening flashes here in Warwickshire. Bucketing down too, my almost empty water butt is full to overflowing. It went on for a couple of hours and even after the storm died away the rain carried on. More forecast for the rest of the week so the garden will get a much needed drink.

Callistemon yes! It was definitely my hero Snoopy that I was thinking of
This is an interesting read
ronaldbrichardson.com/metafiction/the-worlds-shortest-novel-snoopys-it-was-a-dark-and-stormy-night/

???
I enjoyed it!

We had really torrential rain here on the island this morning, so heavy we couldn't see the garden from the house. It lasted a couple of hours. Unfortunately the drainage gully outside the patio doors couldn't cope with the volume so it seeped in under the doors and flooded the diner. We had to grab every towel we possessed to soak it up! I wouldn't have minded but I only finished washing them all two days ago after a family visit. Well at least the floor got a wash. But the garden did need some rain and all the water butts are full to overflowing.

Thunder and lightening, plus heavy rain, happening here in Seaham, Co. Durham for the last three hours! Had a storm through the night, too!

Thunder, lightening and heavy rain here but my Mum's partner didn't hear a thing and he wonders why I worried about him listening out for my Mum at night.

We have a new puppy so I found myself standing out in the vile weather 2 nights in a row. Fortunately, because I didn't show any anxiety over the weather, the puppy was quite happy too. Hopefully she will stay that way!

BlueBelle

Still not a drop of rain in East anglia and still very warm
Nothing here it’s missing us completely at the moment
sun our already

We had plenty in Essex so should have reached you by now hopefully. I feel fully respsonsible for the rain we've had as I finally gave in and bought a weed burner, which of course you can't use when it's wet!

After more than two months woke to find the ground wet. Norfolk.

Here we go again ,Fourth very heavy shower today, with thunder and lightening .

From what I've heard, the heat and lack of rain has been quite hard for the UK this summer. So, I am very happy for all of you for whatever moisture you have gotten. Hope there is more to come because I know you are behind.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.