PICTURE-PERFECT SUPERCELL OVER CSOKAKO, HUNGARY! (credit: Krisztian Kiszely)

DISCUSSION: As strong to severe storms fired up within the warm-front sector of an intensifying low-pressure system across portions of Western Europe (just 3 days ago), some of these storms developed within regions characterized by particularly high convective instability as well as strong vertical wind shear.  For those who are unaware, vertical wind shear is the scientific term used to reference the presence of winds which change with direction and/or speed with height.  As a result of this change in the direction and/or the wind speed (i.e., between the surface and points well-above the surface), this can sometimes bring about the generation of rotation in the lower to middle portions of the atmosphere.  As a result of these storms encountering stronger vertical wind shear, storms often tend to develop a rotating updraft core which is capable of producing strong downbursts, tornadoes, heavy rainfall, and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning.  In the video below (courtesy of Krisztian Kiszely), you will denote the photogenic time-lapse footage of a supercell which developed in portions of Western Hungary on Wednesday afternoon (local time).  

Note how in the time-lapse video below, you can clearly see the developing feature known as the "beavers tail" on the right side of the video as it evolves.  This "beavers tail" is a consequence of the complex processes defined primarily by low-level convergence of both moisture and air-stream flow which results in rapid condensation of water vapor in the lowest levels of the atmosphere.  Additionally, upon looking even closer (near the center), you can identify the episodic development of the wall cloud near the center which forms as a result of a number of complex processes (i.e., within the supercell thunderstorm); facilitating the lowering of the cloud base near the southwest portion of the supercell thunderstorm (i.e., near the feature known as the hook echo and statistically is the most probable location for tornadic development).  Therefore, this is just one example amongst thousands of others which prove how even the most photogenic of time-lapse videos contains a multitude of interesting features and can often pose a significant threat to both life and property.  For that reason, it is always critical to keep your eyes to the skies when severe weather is threatening.  To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here!