Australian Severe Storms, Weather Events and Storm Chasing

[Michael Bath]

Bit of action over the NW of NSW this afternoon with some very strong gusts reported at Bourke.

From Weatherzone News

A severe thunderstorm generated wind gusts of 124km/h at Bourke this afternoon, the strongest recorded anywhere in western New South Wales in three years.

The storm hit at about four o'clock this afternoon and also brought 25 millimetres of rain and caused the temperature to plummet from 36 degrees to 19 in just 20 minutes.

This thunderstorm grew several kilometres into the air where winds were very strong and transferred these winds to the ground in an almighty gust. For about 10 minutes winds gusted more than 90km/h (a strength which can bring down trees and powerlines and cause damage to roofs).

The inch of rain which fell is the highest daily total recorded at the airport in six months and may at least help a little with dam and soil moisture levels. The storm area did not spread much beyond the Bourke area. By 6pm Cobar, Walgett, Wanaaring or Lightning Ridge had not received any rain from today's storms.

On Tuesday the storms area will move a bit further south and east towards to slopes, ranges and coast as the trough deepens and edges east. Some storms may bring more than 20mm and are still a chance to become severe with damaging winds and flash flooding.

[Big Pete]

There has been a few storms to the south of my position in VIC too. Wind gusts here did reach 80kph before settling once the first storm developed - the humidity was unbearable for some time today too. Glad the change is on its way in.

Also large raindrops fell here too, once I normally associated with thundery showers - only 1.4mm in the gauge though.

Big Pete

[Harley Pearman]

I have been viewing some early weather models for Friday and Saturday and there seems to be opportunities for thunderstorms over large areas of eastern NSW on both days not too far from Sydney.

The fact that I will be travelling back from Batemans Bay to Sydney on Saturday 27/12/08 may provide opportunities for some chasing. The area around Goulburn to Canberra appears to have some promise for Saturday and if it fires and all goes well, then I will certainly be in that region for any activity.

I have been viewing CAPES as high as 2,000 J/KG but with fluctuations and a Lifted Index as high as Minus 6 on the GFS as at Monday. Assuming the models maintain this for the week and all goes well, then this will provide an opportunity for some chasing and photography in this area.

Harley Pearman

[James]

Tomorrow and Wednesday have the aid of stronger shear however after then it looks like pulse city till the weekend. Having Christmas witht he family in Dorrigo so hoping for some serious action on Wednesday followed by some pulses over the following days.

Another interesting vis sat pic series this afternoon from NW NSW/SW QLD. Some serious outflow boundaries from earlier storms seemed to make a perfect circle of cloudless skies with storms firing on the boundary. Pne storm north of Bourke seems to be heading more north than the others, perhaps interacting with an outflow boundary.

[Richary]

Possible storms forecast for Sydney tomorrow and Friday. Fingers crossed.

Tomorrow will be stuck at work for a fair part of the day so chase opportunities will be limited to local. If Friday looks good happy to head out with others though if conditions look particularly good somewhere.

[dann weatherhead]

The current satpic is enought to warm the cockles of a storm deprived NSW chaser. Late firing storms lined up throught central NSW has been infrequent of recent. Here's hoping for more :)

[Richary]

Nasty looking severe warned storm west of Bega at the moment, building quite nicely on the radar loops.

[Ursula]

The storm cell is most likely hitting the outskirts of Cooma right now and missing Bega, doesn't look good. I just rang my daughter she is in the firing line in about 2 hours give or take and maybe me a bit 15-20 minutes later, they usually move fast at this time of the day, it is overcast and sticky here, I had some activity a bit earlier NW<N<NW of me, the thunder was very, very loud and things where shaking around the place.

[Shaun Galman]

Hi guys,
Yesterday's (22nd Dec.) storms at Bourke were fairly decent from what I've heard, particularly in the wind gust department. I heard a radio report from a Bourke local this morning that sounded interesting, he thought he was going to lose his roof! So the stats posted by MB above would be pretty accurate I'd imagine.

We had a nice pulse storm pass us by around 3:30pm yesterday (I didn't get a chance to see this cell on radar) the overshoot was enormous and towered well above the forward shearing anvil. I could not see any lower level structure due to it being (possibly) 30k's to our NW on the bottom edge of the line that went through the Warrego area. I think it blew itself out after an hour or so.

Later on after a rather large orphan anvil from another dying cell to our West cleared away, I could see the cells sitting out to our near Brewarrina at around 8pm. These were anviling to the North of the main updrafts so the upper winds must have been pushing from the south (this is noticeable on the VIS image posted by James) while the storms were traveling E - ESE. These small cells were also overshooting a lot more than I've seen recently? I guess the CAPE would've been very favourable yesterday as it most likely is again today.

Definitely feels more humid out today and we already have a Cu field above. I'm hoping it's primed and ready to fire today, we'll be ready and waiting! :D

Kindest regards,
Shauno  

[Richary]

That's a particularly nasty looking left mover just north of Cooma at the moment. Pretty impressive on the satpic as well with the anvil covering a huge distance.

[Ursula]

Hi,

I agree, but it most likely past Cooma, just about to hit Bredbo and then Michelago will most likely move up the great Divide and join the one W of Yass around Collector/Lake Bathurst (between Goulburn-Braidwood, I think, anybody out there chasing them?

[Ursula]

Hi,

the wind has changed to a strong easterly seabreeze, just now and the mist is rolling in from the coastal ridge, it is quiet cool and not sticky anymore, thunder is on the great divide in the distance, on the radar it looks like the system is splitting.

[Michael Bath]

Been a few stand-out cells this afternoon so far. The Southern Tablelands one which has looked the most impressive on VIS for hours. The Cootamundra to Young cell and continuing.... and the Gunnedah to Barraba cell.

[Ursula]

I looks like the storms are on their way out, but Captains Flat will get a less severe form of it, it is geting quiet cool here now.

[David Brodrick]

From the 4:54 pm STW:

A Tornado was reported earlier this afternoon near Nimmitabel in the Southern Tablelands.
Golf ball sized hail was reported from Manilla, and wind gusts of 91km/hr at Walgett.