Spring storm hits Willesden

At 7 p.m. last night thunderclouds swept in driven by Britain's prevailing south westerlies. Forked lightning and loud thunderclaps were followed by a downpour, which turned into a torrent of wintry hailstones that briefly dappled the ground white, and piled like crushed ice on window sills and car windscreens.



The shower stopped as the storm passed over, leaving rooftop aerials to gleam with droplets under the low cumulonimbus. Within an hour our sky was left with only scars of pink stratus and the streets dried as if nothing had happened, while the storm could still be seen settled on Dollis Hill and Gladstone Park blacked out in the distance.

Ossian, what has all this got to do with news? Ed.