Home / Editor's Pick /

Look at the WeatherRadar: What is a squall line?

16:00
24 November 2022

Look at the WeatherRadar
What is a squall line?

Check out the squall line on the WeatherRadar today.Check out the squall line on the WeatherRadar today.

On the WeatherRadar there was a narrow, darker line of rain within the wider band today. This is known as a squall line, but do you know what it indicates?

A squall line is a narrow, linear band of thunderstorms, as seen on the WeatherRadar, that produce particularly heavy and intense downpours. Though narrow, they can extend over hundreds of kilometres long.

It can often be associated with hail, frequent lightning strikes and gusty winds as it passes through, which is often at quite a rapid speed, although they can still last several hours.

Squall lines most commonly form along or ahead of cold fronts, in highly unstable environments. As the cold air advances, it forces warmer, moist air in its path to rise, condense and form clouds, with continuous updrafts along its leading edge encouraging growth.

They tend to begin as a narrow band of convective cumulonimbus clouds, evolving into a broader system over time, thriving in conditions of strong updrafts, strong vertical wind shear, and strong low-level winds.

Make sure you keep one eye on the WeatherRadar today, and the other on our brand new, live LightningRadar!

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Tuesday 1 July 2025

Captured by you

June in pictures
Friday 4 July 2025

Across UK and Ireland

Gusting winds prompt warnings
Saturday 28 June 2025

Grab the sun cream

High UV levels to end the week
All weather news
This might also interest you
Thursday 26 June 2025

Breakfast brief

Gusting winds return with bands of rain
Friday 27 June 2025

Breakfast brief

Rain for some, heat returns elsewhere
Friday 4 July 2025

Breakfast brief

Gusty and wet end to the week
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement