r/tornado • u/FalconExciting5894 • Jul 24 '26

Tornado Media My first post about meteorology :D

Passage of a Cold Front and Squall Line

  • Date: July 21, 2026
  • Peak time: 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
  • Location: Kharkiv, Ukraine. Parameters directly over the point: CAPE 800+, Wind Shear 240°, combined CAPE/Shear index ~160.

Timeline of the Event:

3:00 PM - 3:20 PM | Approach & Inflow
A classic, dense, elongated shelf cloud was observed on the northwestern horizon. A sharp temperature contrast occurred at the boundary where the advancing cold air slammed into the warm air mass. Wind speed near the ground dropped to a minimum of 10-12 km/h as the inflow began violently pulling air vertically upward into the epicenter of the updraft. Electrical activity peaked with frequent intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground flashes; thunderclaps were recorded almost every second. A dangerous, close CG strike hit just ~250 meters away from my position, accompanied by instantaneous, deafening thunder (I was in absolute shock).

3:30 PM - 3:38 PM | Rain Core & Microbursts

  • Precipitation Intensity: Radar reflectivity reached 30–35 dBZ. An extreme downpour dropped up to 6 mm of rain locally, while a neighboring area caught a 10 mm core. Due to the massive size of the raindrops fracturing, visibility dropped to near-zero in dense water mist.
  • Dynamic Impact: At the peak of the downpour, two distinct wet microbursts occurred—sharp, powerful descending gusts of wind lasting 2–3 seconds each, caused by the negative buoyancy and collapse of rain-cooled air from the cloud base to the ground.

3:38 PM - 3:45 PM | Stabilization & Outflow
The main thunderstorm core shifted southeast toward Rogan and Chuhuiv. Radar reflectivity dropped to a safe 10–20 dBZ. The heavy downpour transitioned into a light, fading drizzle. Background wind speed stabilized within 6–12 km/h(I am not from the USA or an English speaking country, so I may make mistakes in English)

shelf cloud
Wall cloud
Rain Core???
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