Author Topic: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008  (Read 103338 times)

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Offline Mike

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #165 on: 28 February 2008, 06:57:33 AM »
Hi all.

an update on what's been happening with our weather at the moment.  From the last post I mentioned the monsoon had arrived - well that same monsoon is still with us.  Low depression areas in the last week or two have invigorated the monsoon flow thus allowing it to maintain momentum.

Over the last two weeks we've seen three out of every 7 days with constant heavy showers and the remainder with sporadic shower activity.  Some days have caused flooding within the inner suburbs of Darwin with at least a metre of water over the highways in some areas!  Local falls have been around 20-50mm, but inland areas are benefiting with up to 100+mm.

Currently we have a low sitting just west of Katherine, which is about 100km from Darwin and has been stationary with some movement toward the N/NW.  It is intensifying gradually as it draws the monsoon into it.  The Victoria River Downs area to the NW of the NT is seeing a lot of rain and much heavier falls.  It is expected to do two things...either remain where it is or move NW into the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf on Thursday where its formation to cyclone status is moderate or a 40% chance, but if it does the BoM only expect it to become a CAT1 system, but all things being equal that may change!  This is the same ocean body where TC Helen formed this year.

There have been no storms to speak of - so chasing of late is more favorable for reading our forum threads!  If the low does not form we can expect a break period back to build up conditions which will bring back the hot/humid days and of course thunderstorms. :)

Our next monsoon is due mid-March which is the danger period for us,statistically speaking for the most number of cyclones to form within our region and at least two are expected to make landfall if they do form.  Rainfall averages are above average by about 250mm for this month which is pretty neat, so well over 1200mm.  Dam levels are at 95% and rising.

Of note, flooding has already begun at a tourist area on the Adelaide River (croc jumping thing..) and the tourist building and car park are already underwater by a couple of metres (again).  This venue always floods and I'm heading out today to take a short drive to get some photos.  Why they don't move this structure from the side of the riverbank is beyond me...but flooding is only temporary to them one thinks!  Will post some photos on my return.  The actual Adelaide River is almost full and is lapping the bottom of the highway bridge - which is a fair distance in height!

water levels were a bit lower than I anticipated when arriving at the tourist location, although the river was very high at the banks.  I would expect that with any further downpours and coinciding with a high tide this will change dramatically.



« Last Edit: 28 February 2008, 10:26:46 AM by Mike »
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Offline Adrian

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #166 on: 03 March 2008, 12:51:44 PM »
Mike - nice photos of Adelaide river.... I was out that way about a week before, but didn't even think of having a look at the river height.

Did you manage to get any shots this afternoon of the storm that came through, I was on the other side of town and couldn't get back to the house in time - the structure looked massive !

On the upside the days are getting hotter so at least we might get some thunderstorm activity... for a few weeks anyway.

p.s found that cable release; and the wife is away this week, so do you want to catch up for a beer?

Cheers,
.adrian

Offline Mike

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #167 on: 04 March 2008, 08:37:41 AM »
Hi Adrian.  I was watching the thunderstorm form from about 2pm from home before work.  There was pileus cloud at every stage of the tower's growth, very strong updrafts  I did not go outside again until around 4pm on the way to work and went Phooar!  The structure was extremely wide!  I only managed a few shots ahead of the storm, it was racing along at a decent rate of knots.  Did not take long to overrun itself.  Storms out last night to the east and west but so much low cloud that the lightning was hidden behind a veil of haze.

The weather is perfect now for storms to form, plenty of clean, crisp air, heating and moisture now that the monsoon has finally weakened.

will PM ya..
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Offline Mike

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #168 on: 06 March 2008, 07:53:53 AM »

 March 4 2008


 Cumulus clouds were showing great vertical shear at around lunchtime and it only took another 90 minutes for them to take on CB structure!  Headed into town early before work to get some photos of the fronts and structure.  The monsoon trough converged with a high pressure system from NSW and directed storm growth along that boundary - about time I say.  The storms, i thought would die out by tea time which is the norm, but they continued right up until around midnight.  Most of the lightning was confined to the outskirts of the greater Darwin area and no lightning made it to town.  If I was not working I would have definitely chased rural or coastal as there were storms both along the eastern and western boundary.

 I would guess that the sea breeze kept them at arms length from the CBD.  There was extremely low level cloud under-riding the blanket, storms were dotted all around the place.  More of the same for the next day or two while the trough weakens but remains close enough to spark storms up.

A line had converged from about 50km's from the sou'east during the day and radar showed storms definitely converging there.  A large line moved in around 4pm and actually the outflow created new cells to the left at one point to form another set over the harbour (pic displayed).  Whilst watching and photographing, the outflow borne storms were moving north and meeting the airport storms from the NE.  Once they did that there was more lightning around me, but a minute or so apart.  The latter part of the evening saw a lot more activity over near my home looking from town and heading NE to the coast.





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Offline Mike

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #169 on: 07 March 2008, 06:47:52 AM »
Wow factor for lightning last night 5 March.  As I previously posted the same scenario cooked up better this time around late in the afternoon, so by dinner time it was game on!  I cohersted the printer in charge to make sure we went to tea at the right time this time around !

Thunderstorms brewed adjacent to the wharf area.  Textbook structures.  Low flat bases, rain shafts, rainbows, big strong towers with crisp anvils - that's what I like to see as do most of you!  By 7pm the storm fronts were passing through with moderate gusts and rain, but fortunately by the time I went out the rain had stopped and the wind and nullified.  Most of the CGs were still shrouded by rain so i was not too fussed, but the crawler action was some of the best I've seen  There were three main anvils from the storms all close to each other in a 180 degree view, where to point was the problem!

I decided to focus on a more active anvil and for the next 30 minutes i was like a kid in a lolly factory.  Here's some of the shots captured.  One especially was great as it grounded with a CG at the same time - Overall a wonderful half hour's work!

An active low pressure system to the east of Darwin and moving westward over the coming week is the cause for firing up storms to the max at the moment. Significant moreso because it will add to the 680mm we've had for the month of February which is a record for us.  Here's the reason for all my excitement with the convergence area mmm well, smack bang over the city!

http://australianweathernews.com/charts/DARMET-0.GIF






« Last Edit: 07 March 2008, 07:51:48 AM by Mike »
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cloudfairy

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #170 on: 07 March 2008, 08:29:43 AM »
Hi I'm new here.
I took some pictures before the lightning. It was about 6pm when I wanted to go to the beach (Casuarina, I stay at NFIH) to watch the sunset. I looked up and saw this big Cb's. So I hurried to beach and enjoyed the great view and took some pics I really like.
(I'm from Germany, studying Meteorologie in 5th year, and do a work experience at the Bureau of Meteorology at the moment)
























Offline Jimmy Deguara

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #171 on: 07 March 2008, 10:31:53 AM »
That is a great sequence of sunset and shelf cloud structure pictures. Great stuff and welcome to the forum.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara
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Offline Mike

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #172 on: 07 March 2008, 10:39:32 AM »
Indeed, Jimmy you beat me to the welcome whilst I was typing it!  Wonderful structure and colours.  You would have had some excellent views from that area.

Storms are currently building at the moment.  A large group of cells off to the west and already there is a lot of low deep convection.  Several have already anvilled out.  I'm just watching a line to the sou'east of us at this time....it's looking good thus far.  Port Keats on the western NT coastal area (zillions of miles away) is getting smashed by lightning - WZ tracker a blob of white!

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Offline Shaun Galman

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #173 on: 07 March 2008, 12:47:52 PM »
Hi guys,

It's great to finally see some form of decent storm structure, the sunset really done the shelf wonders! Nice work cloudfairy, definitely nice to have you here :)

Those lightning photos from 5th March are stunners Mike, love the colouring! No such luck for us, it's been a bit dry lately to say the least! (got about 4mills of dust in the 'ol rain gauge lol)

Also, I haven't been on in a while due to a lack of weather and the result of organising the massive undertaking of selling-up & moving towns! We're possibly headed to the southern highlands otherwise second choice would be the upper hunter region. All in all a bit exciting and scary at the same time! The opal industry has pretty well collapsed & finished so the poor old Ridge has had it! Turns out a sad ending after 40yrs mining here for my family. It's on to greener pastures and the possibility of finally being able to photograph a supercell or two - so it's not all bad I guess? ;)

Cheers guys and take care!
Shauno 
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cloudfairy

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #174 on: 07 March 2008, 12:57:02 PM »
thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!! You make me blush.

I am off now to go to the beach and watch the squalline coming :)

Offline Adrian

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #175 on: 07 March 2008, 03:02:11 PM »
6 March 08

Managed to get a few pic's, before being interrupted with work......

A real shame, as the light show was spectacular with a huge amount off CC and the odd CG.

A few photos, the first was about 1 hour before the main light show started.

p.s. Welcome to the forum cloudfairy, and thanks for the photos.


cheers,
.adrian

cloudfairy

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #176 on: 07 March 2008, 05:51:38 PM »
I like your lightning pic!!!! I really need a SLR!!! But they are so expensive :(

How does it work to post thumbnails with link to the big picture?

Till I've figured that out, here some from today.
The first one was this afternoon about 3pm? The storm went through and grew larger in the SW.
The others were this evening at Casurina beach. With the first, I don't know what these things are, but they look interesting.
As I looked at the radar before, it seemed to be a realy great  squalline, but it sprinkled out (I'm not sure if that is the right expression in english) till it arrives in Darwin.

[img width= height=]http://www.drakenskepp.de/ext/75k.jpg[/img]

[img width= height=]http://www.drakenskepp.de/ext/76k.jpg[/img]

[img width= height=]http://www.drakenskepp.de/ext/78k.jpg[/img]

[img width= height=]http://www.drakenskepp.de/ext/79k.jpg[/img]
« Last Edit: 08 March 2008, 04:48:07 AM by cloudfairy »

Offline Mike

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #177 on: 08 March 2008, 05:16:53 AM »
 Hi all.

Here's some photos from the two large storms that converged on Darwin yesterday as per the other posts above. 

This is the mid-arvo storm on the other side of the city prior to the evening sets. 





This one was severe warned around 6:30pm as a squall line that came through the rural area.  It started to break up and weaken when it reached the 20km 'barrier' surrounding Darwin - totally useless!  I intended to chase it rural where it was flanging by the second - but had to be at the airport..



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Offline Adrian

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #178 on: 08 March 2008, 11:16:21 AM »
Hi Cloudfairy,

Not sure what application you are using in your photography work flow - I either use Digital Photo Professional or PS - Bridge and just reduce the file size to 800 x 533, and drop the quality down to 7 and then upload and what you see is what you get.... no special tricks.

Best of luck with it,
.adrian

Offline Mike

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Re: Darwin Storm events 2007/2008
« Reply #179 on: 09 March 2008, 09:23:49 PM »
Hi Adrian, I note you captured the same lightning also - has anyone noticed how the lower part of the streamer lightning looks ironically like the map of Australia, but with the NT, Cape York not complete!!!  I noticed it yesterday looking at it again - man, would have been a classic !
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