Ripples in the heavens: Glowing 'fingers' appear across a Texan sky as storms sweep the area

Clouds 'line up' in rows as a week of turbulent weather engulfed the area north of McAllen Texas. The brooding skies over the area have showered Texans with hail and violent thunderstorms over the past week. Locals reported roads swimming in water and violent hailstorms and thunder sweeping the area Sited five miles from the Mexican border, McAllen is near the Rio Grande - and is not normally known for dry weather. Last year, the area suffered a severe drought - and this year's storms have been so spectacular, locals are trading pictures and stories via The Monitor's website. In August 2011, Texas State Climatologist John Nielson-Gammon said 'Texas has seen the driest nine months in its history, and many areas are 15 inches below where they would usually be this time of year.' Last year's drought was disastrous for the cattle industry in the area.