Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Look at the WeatherRadar: What is a squall line?

10:30
5 October 2022

Look at the WeatherRadar
What is a squall line?

Squall line visible on the WeatherRadar this morning, October 5th 2022
Check out the squall line on the WeatherRadar, October 5th 2022

On the WeatherRadar there was a narrow, darker line of rain within the wider band. 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.

If a squall line forms in arid regions, this can result in a haboob, as explained here.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Equinox marks the start of autumn. Days start to get shorter. . . Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Split image showing Stonehenge in warm sunlight beside a tree-lined park glowing with vivid orange, red, and golden autumn leaves.
Wednesday, 23 September 2026

Days start to get shorter

Equinox marks the start of autumn
Colourful skies and scenic clouds cover. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday, 20 September 2026
Split image showing a golden sunset over the sea beneath layered clouds and a pink-purple sunset reflected across calm riverside water.
Sunday, 20 September 2026

Your weather - Your shots

Colourful skies and scenic clouds cover
First autumn views of the season. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday, 27 September 2026
Split image showing a vivid double rainbow over green fields beside a sunny marina filled with boats beneath blue skies.
Sunday, 27 September 2026

Your weather - Your shots

First autumn views of the season
All weather news
This might also interest you
Historic Storm Éowyn arrives. On this day.... . . Saturday, 24 January 2026
Split image showing a person in a yellow jacket struggling against strong winds and heavy rain on a street at night on the left, and an Irish wind forecast map on the right with red and purple shading, gusts up to 75 mph, and a wind warning icon, divided by a curved white line.
Saturday, 24 January 2026

On this day...

Historic Storm Éowyn arrives
A stormy week in the skies above. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday, 30 August 2026
Split image showing lightning branching beneath dark storm clouds above rooftops on the left and an orange-pink sunset over a calm sea on the right.
Sunday, 30 August 2026

Your weather - Your shots

A stormy week in the skies above
New records for England and Wales. Broken again tomorrow?. . . Thursday, 25 June 2026
Temperature map of southwest Britain on 25.06 showing extreme heat across southern Wales and southwest England, with Bute Park in Cardiff highlighted at 34.2°C and Yeovilton at 36.4°C amid widespread deep red heat zones.
Thursday, 25 June 2026

Broken again tomorrow?

New records for England and Wales
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList