Australian Severe Weather Forum

Today and the next few days will deliver thunderstorms over many areas as a trough persists through NSW.  Some severe weather is likely in NE VIC and the SE third of NSW today - with some lightning on tracker already west of the ACT.

MB - Looking at current WZ radar, there is a mass of storms building thru the Southern Alpine region NSW - close to Albury.

BoM issued severe t-storm warning (damaging winds & large hail) - the radar at 2pm looks absolutely spectacular!

Big Pete

Just checking latest obs:-

Falls Creek in Vic - had 36.2mm in 60 mins. (between 1pm and 2pm) from a ferocious storm.

Big Pete

A few cells have passed through the Canberra area. The airport site measured a gust of 106km/h and 15mm of rain in under 10 mins. Temp dropped below 17 from an earlier afternoon high of 34. Some reports of hail in the ACT too.

Quite an impressive line of storm activity through SE NSW - aiming for the ACT again.

Wagga Wagga recorded gusts to 115km/h 4.45 to 4.50pm with 16mm of rain.

Powerlines have been brought down in the Griffith and Wagga areas.

We have gotten a few spits of rain here, and a VERY close lightning strike in the paddock near our house. Our lounge room flashed bright pink and the crack was so loud I nearly jumped through the roof! Also copped a pretty strong downburst with lots of dust and a few small branches down. Thankfully it has cooled down a bit but we are a bit worried about fires as there were a lot of CGs flying around and It's pretty dry and windy. Beautiful big anvils on these storms. Tomorrow and Thursday look promising for storms here again.

Wagga Wagga Thunderstorm - 20/1/2009

The Wagga Wagga thunderstorm appears to be interesting as I have printed off some data that shows it from the Bureau of Meteorology radar observation (Wagga Wagga) site.

Time                Temperature               Peak Wind gust    Rainfall

4.12 pm            32.3C                        48 km/h              Nil
4.19 pm            26.8C                        63 km/h              Nil
4.30 pm            25.9C                        50 km/h              Nil
4.39 pm            24.3C                        50 km/h              0.6 mm
4.42 pm            16.8C                        104 km/h            5.2 mm
4.45 pm            18.1C                        115 km/h            9.4 mm
4.50 pm            19C                          115 km/h            14.2 mm
4.52 pm            19C                           52 km/h             14.8 mm
4.55 pm            19.1C                        76 km/h             16 mm
5 pm                23.8C                        76 km/h             No further rain fell - 16 mm being the amount.
5.06 pm            29.2C                        24 km/h

Data from the Bureau of Meteorology (Wagga Wagga radar site) 20/1/2009.

The thunderstorm hit at 4.39 pm and was over by 4.55 pm being 16 minutes. In that time top wind gusts for at least 5 minutes were 115 km/h and rainfall appears to be close to 16 mm in 16 minutes (give or take a couple of minutes). Temperature fell from 32.3C before the event to as low as 16.8C before climbing back to 32.7C at 5.30 pm. What makes this event unusual is that at 2.30 pm the top temperature for Wagga Wagga was 39.4C (103F) and was 38C (100F) even at 3.28 PM. A fall to 16.8C (62F) during this thunderstorm is amazing.

Top wind speeds (I assume average unless someone corrects me) was 72 km/h at 4.42 pm and 43 km/h at 4.45 pm but increased to 53 km/h at 4.50 pm before tapering away thereafter.

Relatively humidity went from 29% at 4.12 pm to a peak of 100% at 4.50 pm before settling back to 32% at 5.06 pm.
 
It was obviously a significant thunderstorm considering the peak wind gusts and wild temperature fluctuations.
   
There were other thunderstorms across the inland south west slopes and southern ranges but I have not seen these to be as dramatic. Then again, the storm at Wagga Wagga passed over a weather station that recorded it. Other storms passed over rural areas but hit and miss. Albury 130 km SW of Wagga Wagga scored less than 1 mm from a shower or storm cell while parts of Canberra scored 17 mm from another storm.

Harley Pearman

A friend in Bombala said there was a nice buildup but then they only got a brief shower. Very hit and miss, like it looked on the radar. Small cells. Unluckily the ones developing west of Sydney hit the mountains and died from the sea breeze as usual.

Apart from wanting to see some, the lawn could do with a nice 20mm dump of rain! Tomorrow looking better though, fingers crossed.

Report January 20 2009 Storm Chase

Headed south after 3:30pm more in readiness to be in position for any lightning show and also to make it easier to be in position for storms today 21st January down south. Of course the instability has shifted northwards!

Here are some pictures from January 20:
















All photos for 20 January 2009

hi all,

   a couple of small cells passed over the Sydney basin last nite between 0030 and 0100Hrs EDT.   Went down to
the wharf at the end of the street and saw/photo'ed a number of good CG's and CC's  many others hidden in the
clouds.   
    The one that passd over the Sutherland Shire area was the most active.   Got a brief burst of rain at home ~
0100hrs

cheers
Dave N

We had a ~ 4mm and a fair amount of flash and bang just before midnight, Dave.

Just went outside for a look and from here at North Ryde, I can say that Sydney looks strongly capped at the moment. The morning's sounding shows a formidable inversion, so unless that is eroded, it is unlikely that it'll be overcome given we are already at 36-37C across the metro area. The mid-level flow, already poor up here compared with areas further south, gets worse through the evening. As I type, I see some weak echos are just showing up on Sydney radar out over the west suburbs. It might be now or never!

I was feeding the animals and noticed the clouds and went back inside to take a few pic's, outside that is, but obliviously have a lot to learn about cloud pic's, it is very hot 34 at the moment, strong westerly winds, and the clouds are building rapidly, the moisture is high but not oppressive.

The storms yesterday where all around me but not to close, for which I am grateful, got about 5mm out of them.

Ursula, not knowing if the mountains block your view there could be some pretty impressive cumulonimbus tops to your southeast.  That area bounded by Cooma, Bombala, Bega, and Narooma has had over 2.5 hours under a severe thunderstorm warning. Certainly the area to be this arvo - though I have no idea of views and vantage points.

MB

Hi MB,

I have a good look over the Shoalhaven valley, I am about 700m up, I would know of good vantage points, but I am a bit short of money for petrol and my big boy Marvin(dog ) is scared of storms, so comes inside under the bed, yah. I just took some more pic's, there are a bit better, it is just so hot out there. I can see the Canberra radar from the back, Ballalaba is about 23km from Braidwood, I am a further 3km from the Bridge as the crow flies. I can hear distant thunder as well now, I have to be careful and turn elec off at certain points, even if far away it goes through the system, I don't like another lot killing my new freezer.

Hi,
I just took some more pic's towards the coastal rigde, Batemans Bay will get it for sure, it shouldn't be far from it and it is moving north along the coast, it is spectacular you are right there, I will have a go in the morning and send the pic's then.