Thunderstorms: questions and Band 8 answers

Not very often, actually. In my hometown, we might get a couple during the peak of summer when the humidity builds up. I remember last August we had a sudden cloudburst with intense lightning, but generally, our weather is fairly mild and settled.

Yes, I find them quite mesmerising, as long as I'm safely indoors. There is something really dramatic about seeing dark storm clouds roll in and flashes lighting up the sky. I usually stand by my living room window with a cup of tea to take it all in.

To be honest, I was terrified of them as a child. Whenever there was a loud clap of thunder, I'd immediately dive under the duvet or hide behind the sofa. It wasn't until my early teens that I stopped seeing them as scary and started appreciating the spectacle.

My first instinct is to double-check that all the windows in the flat are shut tight so the rain doesn't get blown inside. After that, I usually unplug sensitive electronic devices just in case there's a power surge, and then I just relax and listen to the rumble.

I suppose it has, slightly. We seem to get more extreme downpours nowadays compared to when I was growing up. Just a few months ago, a heavy gale and storm caused minor flooding on our high street, which rarely used to happen in the past.