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
Super typhoon near the Philippines. Gusts of up to 155 mph. . . Tuesday, 23 June 2026
WindRadar showing Typhoon MEKKHALA east of Taiwan. A clearly visible eye, surrounded by areas of extremely high wind speeds.
Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Gusts of up to 155 mph

Super typhoon near the Philippines
New record June temperature in the UK. Likely to be broken again. . . Thursday, 25 June 2026
Heat map of southern England on 24.06 showing extreme temperatures across Hampshire, with Gosport highlighted at 36.1°C and nearby Portsmouth around 35°C amid deep red heat zones.
Thursday, 25 June 2026

Likely to be broken again

New record June temperature in the UK
A varied week of heat and rain. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday, 21 June 2026
Split image showing a stone cottage glowing in warm sunset light beneath dark storm clouds on the left, and a lighthouse silhouetted against a a golden seaside sunset with reflections on calm water on the right.
Sunday, 21 June 2026

Your weather - Your shots

A varied week of heat and rain
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
Flooding, gales, and heavy snow. Storm Chandra. . . Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
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