Translation: Meteorological aerodrome report, Hamilton, Valid on the 19th at 10:00zulu (6:00 local), Wind from 280 at 24 knots, visibility one and a half statute miles, Heavy Thunderstorms with Heavy Rain and Heavy Hail, Overcast Cumulonimbus at 4500' AGL, Temperature 17, dewpoint 16.
This morning had the most severe weather I have ever seen. I was at work at the airport. Around 5:30am there were thunderstorms to the north, west, and south of us, with very impressive lightning strikes shooting all over the place. Our immediate vicinity was a bit more clear, so our next 757 landed on schedule.
As I was marshalling it in (guiding it with lighted wands), it happened suddenly. The wind started to pick up at an alarming rate. Then the rain hit, not normal rain, but heavy, thick rain. as the jet turned off the taxiway and toward my gate, the hail struck, heavy, thick hail just giving me a beating. By now, the wind is howling like crazy! All of the pylons flew away, the one that marks the gate just takes off and flies right by me. My hat goes, my hood blows off, and I can barely see in front of me. I seriously thought it was a tornado. people were stranded out on the ramp, and our tug drivers did a great job getting them back to the building. I looked back and saw the people behind be hiding behind some ground support equipment. By the end of it, the ground was flooded with several inches of water.
I dont know exactly what that was, but it felt like a funnel cloud or a microburst of some sort. Lightning was streaking across the sky in a way i've never seen before. I t only lasted about three or four minutes, and it was gone as quickly as it came. Fucking wierd. I think it was localized too, because when I got home, no one knew what happened.
Dave
p.s. even my underwear is soaked.
