With the start of the storm season came our first real chance this year. We had been keeping an eye on the possibility of chasing on Sunday since half way through the previous week! With CAPE expected to be around 1000J/Kg and a lifting index of -3C everything was primed and ready to go. However dewpoint were predicted to reach 16C which seemed very high given the setup and so we were cautious to believe the GFS model. However come late afternoon a cumulus field had been spotted over Salisbury Plain and so being storm deprived we decided to give it a go!!

We loaded up the car with kit including a cigarette lighter socket inverter so now we can charge the laptop and cameras on the road! We left Winchester at 3:30pm and headed north to Andover then on to Devizes on the A342. We tried to get some Wi-Fi internet but were again stumped being only able to find charging networks, unlike the marvellous free American networks. So we had to relying on 3G on our mobiles to get radar, satellite and keep track on what spotters and fellow chasers were seeing with the forums.  Around devises our hopes were rekindled by a scattered small cumulus field, and after stocking up on food we headed towards the River Severn, hoping that the NMM predictions of a late evening initiation would come to fruition but at about 7pm with evening drawing in and not a smidgen on radar in we reluctantly decided to call the chase a clear air bust and turned for home.

On the way back we decided to take a detour to see the source of the Thames which is next to Kemble, just outside Cirencester. It turned out to be surprising illusive with no signs or roads leading to it. Eventually we discovered the Sapperton Canal Tunnel which is on the Thames and Severn canal. As the name says, this connects the Severn River to the Thames and is 4km long. It has been disused for ages and is only filled with a foot or so of water. Spooky in the dwindling light I can tell you!