So this is a ‘Spanish Plume’
No – it doesn’t refer to a large feather on the hat of a Spaniard, rather a catchy name for a rather complex set of meteorological conditions. It involves very warm and humid air moving up from the Spanish plateau to the UK. If this meets cooler area of air from the
Atlantic, the warm air can be forced rapidly upwards to produce thunderstorms. And that certainly is what hit my house last night. In fact one our team’s homes got a direct hit and she was lucky she only got a small jolt off the radiator she was leaning against.
What it has made me think about at home is the suitability of my blinds to block out heat and light, but allow air flow. My heavy curtains contribute to a stifling room, but the Rhino Shutters in particular allow me to leave my doors and windows open without any concerns regarding intruders (luckily more likely to be the local feral cats than burglars in our area).
My top tip in this sunshine though is to join in with your kids’ water-fight.