Is this La Gota Fria?

What glorious days we had at the end of the week, clear blue skies, sunshine and temperatures reaching 36C in Alzira.

Then the rains started on Friday evening, buckets and buckets of the stuff, Saturday was intermittent and we thought we were over the worst.

We really should know better! The heavens opened today (Sunday), our covered courtyard was flooded, the storm lasted 5 hours, with deafening thunder and lightning so bright it surpassed any firework display I have ever seen.

Our three cats decided they were having none of it, and were last seen heading to all four corners of the house.

I'm not sure if this was La Gota Fria or if we still have that dubious pleasure still to come?

La Gota Fria - The Cold Drop, occurs every year, the cooler air coming from Northern Europe meets the warm sea of the Mediterranean, the sea warms the air which rises higher and higher to form cumulus clouds, warm updrafts carry the water droplets even higher forming thunder clouds, these clouds can often reach 20000 feet. When the droplets become too heavy they fall as heavy/torrential rain and hailstones.

This is a link to a video I found on YouTube, showing the destructive power and sheer volume of water, it was taken on the coast at Moraira in October 2007.

It's now 11-30pm and the rain has finally stopped, the thunder can just be heard in the far distance, and it would be nice to go to bed after writing these notes, however there is the small task of finding three cats, no doubt curled up somewhere safe and warm, and with no intention of letting me know there hiding places. Here kitty kitty!