Author Topic: Brisbane Tornado 4 November 1973  (Read 10420 times)

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Offline Michael Bath

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Brisbane Tornado 4 November 1973
« on: 20 October 2007, 12:10:45 PM »
The footage of the Brisbane Tornado has been placed on YouTube - though the date mentioned in the clip is wrong - the tornado was 4th November 1973 not the 3rd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP0nUCo8TkU

I remember seeing this a few times over the years in various documentaries. According to the Wiki the tornado had a 51km track and damaged or destroyed 1,400 buildings.

I'll dig up the GFS archives and place those weather maps online shortly.

Michael
Location: Mcleans Ridges, NSW Northern Rivers
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Contact: Michael Bath

Offline Michael Bath

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Re: Brisbane Tornado 4 November 1973
« Reply #1 on: 21 October 2007, 03:35:57 AM »
Link to archived article by James Chambers

Another very impressive setup ...

GFS run 04/11/1973 06z

Instability: Lifted Index

Relative Humidity: 0300 / 0500 / 0600 / 0700 / 0850 / 1000

Temperature: 0300 / 0500 / 07000850 / 1000

Winds (knots): 0300 / 0500 / 0600 / 0700 / 0850 / 0925 / 1000
Location: Mcleans Ridges, NSW Northern Rivers
Australian Severe Weather:   http://australiasevereweather.com/
Lightning Photography:   http://www.lightningphotography.com/
Early Warning Network: http://www.ewn.com.au
Contact: Michael Bath

Offline Macca

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Re: Brisbane Tornado 4 November 1973
« Reply #2 on: 12 November 2007, 05:13:45 AM »
Hi Michael and others. 

I think I've already mentioned how much I love looking back on the data for these events.  It is so obvious that something big was going to happen on these days.

One thing I want to point out with regards to this data set is the low level winds.   From 1000mb up to 850mb, there is some nice strength in the low level winds (25-35knts) but they are from the NW or even WNW.  Although I wasn't there at the time, I would strongly speculate that these wind directions had a much more northerly component closer to the coast.  It is something I've noticed here in SEQ over the last 2 years in that on days when the trough is forecast to be close to the coast with NW'ly winds pushing in behind it (or even SW'lys), GFS tends to "blend" these westerly component winds with the northerly or even north easterly winds which occur closer to the coast giving this model perception that the low level winds are NW'ly.  So how do we overcome this?  Two ways.  1.  Look at the soundings - they will show whether there really is NW'ly winds throughout or if there is a more northerly component.  2.  Look at the sky.  Get your bearings and determine which way the low level cloud is moving.  On days like this, you would expect some low level cloud to be visible at least in the morning (before it burns off) and you can see whether there is a northerly component to the low level winds.

(Can you tell there has been no storms for a while?  And none on the horizon - at least for us here in SEQ/NE NSW).

Macca

Offline Michael Bath

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Re: Brisbane Tornado 4 November 1973
« Reply #3 on: 12 November 2007, 11:48:56 AM »
Plus I assume the horizontal and vertical resolution of the dataset for 1973 to be much less than the current GFS output? 
Location: Mcleans Ridges, NSW Northern Rivers
Australian Severe Weather:   http://australiasevereweather.com/
Lightning Photography:   http://www.lightningphotography.com/
Early Warning Network: http://www.ewn.com.au
Contact: Michael Bath

Offline Colin Maitland

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Re: Brisbane Tornado 4 November 1973
« Reply #4 on: 16 January 2009, 03:37:52 PM »

On the afternoon of 4 November 1973, intense thunderstorms built up west of Brisbane. One particularly active storm generated several funnel clouds, at least one of which touched down as a strong tornado west of the city. At one house in its path only the water pipes remained! The tornado continued through Brisbane’s western and southern suburbs, damaging nearly 1,400 buildings. No deaths occurred, but many were injured. This tornado had a path length of 51km, with peak wind-speeds estimated at over 250km/h; however American meteorologists studying the event concluded that the wind-speeds could have topped 300km/h. This tornado remains the most damaging in Australia to date. (© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2009, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532))


When I was a kid we lived at Rainworth in Brisbane near the western suburbs, my dad was working around Jindalee and Kenmore areas building new homes, he told me of this tornado that hit the western suburbs. While driving home, he saw how it had chopped all the tops of the trees off along the western freeway, Dad reckoned it was like someone had a giant mower and mowed a path right through the area. I was always fascinated about that one.
 I finally tracked down old footage by someone with an 8mm camera.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=HURlLa1CFWo

just a nostalgic moment.

Offline Michael Bath

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Re: Brisbane Tornado 4 November 1973
« Reply #5 on: 16 January 2009, 03:45:05 PM »
Awesome we can now look up old events and have some weather data and videos on the net for it.

MB
« Last Edit: 18 January 2009, 07:53:01 AM by Michael Bath »
Location: Mcleans Ridges, NSW Northern Rivers
Australian Severe Weather:   http://australiasevereweather.com/
Lightning Photography:   http://www.lightningphotography.com/
Early Warning Network: http://www.ewn.com.au
Contact: Michael Bath

Offline Colin Maitland

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Re: Brisbane Tornado 4 November 1973
« Reply #6 on: 16 January 2009, 04:02:02 PM »
I thought that someone would have seen this.  It is amazing you can back and get relevant data for those storms. ( thanks)

 I have only upgraded my internet provider and get to watch the you tubes properly, a lot of catching up to do.
Iam amazed his camera picked the screaming wind up so well for.

I was always told  " if you hear a freight train comming and you dont live near a rail road, take cover or run like hell." ( Except for the stop to take a quick photo,).

cheers.
« Last Edit: 16 January 2009, 04:07:23 PM by coltan »