Storm Australian Severe Weather Forum

Severe Weather Discussion => General Weather - all topics not current severe weather. => Topic started by: Richary on 18 January 2009, 11:23:52 AM

Title: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Richary on 18 January 2009, 11:23:52 AM
Late notice but I just saw this on the TV Guide for 6:30pm tonight.

What happens when scientists drive a specially-designed truck with 8000 pounds of protective steel plating and bulletproof glass into the heart of a tornado? Follow a group of experts as they attempt to analyse tornadoes by getting as close to them as possible. Using state-of-the-art, high-tech equipment these adventurous twister hunters offer visual proof of how dangerous tornadoes and their work can be.
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Michael Bath on 18 January 2009, 01:42:59 PM
That was good!   Don't get to see many weather docos as I don't have pay tv.
Some very nice footage. Does anyone know what season (year) it was filmed ?

Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Mike on 18 January 2009, 08:27:48 PM
Yep the season was 2008 and they're just about to air the second series in the US.  Reed Timmer joined them in 2008.  Was a pretty good doco, pity the TIV busted a rear axle - how would you be 50km into a tornado chase and bang!  A tad poor construction there!  From what I hear the second series is even hairier! 
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Jimmy Deguara on 19 January 2009, 02:20:49 AM
The year was 2005 not 2008 Mike - of course I stand corrected if you can prove otherwise. The tornadoes and lack of tornadoes in between seem to lead to a bad season and it perfectly fits the profile of 2005. 5 weeks without tornadoes and then June 9, June 11, and June 12 tornado outbreaks followed. The June 12 2005 tornado outbreak occurred in the southern Texas Panhandle too - which fits the Turkey, Texas forecast by Josh Wurman.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Richary on 19 January 2009, 03:03:43 AM
While it wasn't quite as good as I hoped and relied a bit too much on computer graphics, it was interesting to see the workings of the DOWs. Some nice footage of tornadoes and lightning as well though. Shame the shots from inside the tornado weren't that exciting.
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Jason(pato) on 19 January 2009, 04:28:07 AM
The first episode of the second series of Stormchasers aired on Austar on 14th January at 830pm. Was basically about the new TIV (TIV-2, weighs in at 16000lbs from memory) they had built and an introduction to Reed Timmer and his chase team. Mentioned to MB on our chase on Friday what a lunatic Reed Timmer was, he gets crazy close to tornadoes (sometimes less than hundreds of metres away). But he does get the money shots which we all love to see. Not sure when the next episode is on as I don't have a guide but I'm sure that there will be another one soonish.

Cheers Jason
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Mike on 19 January 2009, 07:23:57 AM
No photographs of the new TIV were available until the start of 2008 (Nobody on his forum even saw it until then) as chasers and hangers-on followed the DOW.  Discovery may have added snippets of past chases to fill the lull and downtime for last season or in their programming style for the series.  Reed was not contracted until the start of 2008 as he was in consultation with them during 2007.  I would suspect that it's an amalgamation of post chase footage included with new season footage to complete this chapter hence those particular events you mentioned.  I can surely find out more info if you like.
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: cloudfairy on 20 January 2009, 03:58:26 AM
Does anyone taped it? I only saw the last 10 minutes :(
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Mike on 20 January 2009, 05:29:08 AM
Jimmy, this new series was filmed from April to mid-June 2008 - the other footage added are fillers - the norm with these things.  Renate, you can usually see repeats around 9am the next morning after it screens.  You'll have to check the guide for when it is on next!
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: cloudfairy on 20 January 2009, 05:32:59 AM
Renate, you can usually see repeats around 9am the next morning after it screens.  You'll have to check the guide for when it is on next!

9am next morning is over :(

But I'll try and find a guide.
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: David C on 20 January 2009, 07:16:41 AM
The year was 2005 not 2008 Mike - of course I stand corrected if you can prove otherwise. The tornadoes and lack of tornadoes in between seem to lead to a bad season and it perfectly fits the profile of 2005. 5 weeks without tornadoes and then June 9, June 11, and June 12 tornado outbreaks followed. The June 12 2005 tornado outbreak occurred in the southern Texas Panhandle too - which fits the Turkey, Texas forecast by Josh Wurman.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara



Notice that they quoted the record wind speed recorded in the vortex of the Oklahoma City tornado was 1998.  Nevermind, it was good doco.

I have to agree, Jimmy and I don't think that the episode on channel 7 was shot during the bumper 2008 season, and was probably 2007.

While the turnaround to stuff going free-to-air is getting faster, I very much doubt this would go to free to air in Australia within some 6-7 months of being filmed.
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Peter J on 20 January 2009, 10:57:12 AM
It is a pity, coz it never aired in Melbourne - coz of the tennis.
Unless one is rich enough to afford HD.

Big Pete
(begging on the streets for 2 more weeks)

Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Richary on 20 January 2009, 11:45:09 AM
Well Big Pete, you don't need a HD set to watch the HD channels. And a HD box is <$100 these days and quite happily talks to my 7 year old cathode ray SD TV.
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Jimmy Deguara on 20 January 2009, 12:27:44 PM
I still stand by the year 2005 - please alert me with any evidence of the tornadic events associated with the tornadic events in question.

Was Reed Timmer in the program? If he was, I did not recognise him there. I know there was a cable network documentary that involved the DOWs and Redd Timmer which was aired recently.

The DOWs have worked in close association with the special chase tornado vehicle for a few years at the least. I still believe it to be the year 2005 given the June 12 event. That same year there was an outbreak of tornadoes in the Nebraska panhandle and that coincides with the first event discussed.

Nothing happened in between besides the May 12 event which only those willing to get the cars demoloished by 5 inch hailstones got to see the tornado. I don't think the DOWs could make a move quick enough to get that event.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Mike on 20 January 2009, 01:45:16 PM
You guys must have the old series airing?  Reed is def in this one and the footage of him is 2008 as I saw the preview trailer from him.  I can't help further on this if I'm not viewing what series you are!
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Michael Bath on 20 January 2009, 02:59:08 PM
Mike - this thread is relating to the show which aired on Channel 7 / Prime 630pm Sat 17th Jan - not any recent ones on pay tv.

I would have assumed the program to be a couple of years old which is why I asked. Definitely no Reed Timmer in it. 2005 seems right from the footage and the lack of tornadoes during the time they chased.

MB
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Chris_M on 20 January 2009, 03:09:10 PM
The program showed on Channel seven was an older episode where the TIV 1 was getting built in the start of it, what is confusing is that a few days earlier on Discovery (pay tv) they showed a later one where they where building the TIV 2
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Mike on 21 January 2009, 07:25:46 AM
Oops - sorry I overlooked the thread title - 'channel 7'  Apologies everyone - I suffer from tunnel vision at times. 

Yes, I have seen that old series aired here with the old TIV and the like so totally agree with your assessments of dates.  The new series has only arrived on pay-tv.   I say no more for my part with fear of mucking things up again....:P

Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: FindTheTornado on 05 February 2009, 10:35:23 AM
Just to add a little to this to maybe help, the new TIV 2 broke down right away, so they had to revert back to the old TIV. Word on the street is there is a TIV 3 in the works now for 2009. Also there isn't just one and only TIV... www.tornadoattack.com is a seperate entity who also has a tornado intercept vehicle if you will... it looks much like a race car, the man behind the machine used to build NASCAR chassis in the US for use in NASCAR
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Robert1984 on 05 February 2009, 04:16:58 PM
I saw the new episode tonight on channel 610 being Austar and surprisingly enough the TIV crew tried to chase a storm system to the east of them but it was going to fast so they went back to Josh and the DOW crew for forgiveness just for chasing the system on their own   ::)
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Mike on 05 February 2009, 10:12:43 PM
There's been a bit of angst amongst the teams as to which way they should intercept.  Sean is desperate for some footage, Josh wants the data, the scouts need to deploy the probes and well, Reed is getting all the action...the season gets better I have read so keep watching!
Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Robert1984 on 14 February 2009, 10:04:58 AM
I watched the latest episode and after so many breakdowns Sean and the TIV crew put TIV2 out of commission for an undefined period of time and bring back the original warhorse a.k.a TIV1

Even though Josh lead the team to New Mexico only to find out that where the crew were the night before got smashed by tornados the scouts,DOW and TIV1 bit more off more than they could chew being chased by menacing F4 Tornado of which TIV1 managed to score an intercept and Josh got very valuable data



Title: Re: Tornado Intercept - Channel 7 tonight
Post by: Colin Maitland on 19 July 2009, 11:54:23 AM
They replayed tornado intercept this afternoon in Brisbane at 4.30pm on channel 7.
Everyone has 2005 and a funnel printed on their T shirts. When one of the chaser child is born they have 2005 tornado outfit for him.

Those DOW trucks were awesome, A couple of million dollars worth of equipment. I wonder if the doppler radar sitting on the back of the trucks and that close to the chasers would cause any sort of damage to their bodies. I missed the first ten minutes and dont know if the cabs were lined or what.