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Offline Antonio (stormboy)

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Weakening storms
« on: 25 July 2009, 12:28:25 PM »
ok now i have noticed since moving here (Ballina NSW) that in November to February months we do get some awesome storms. although i have paid attention to them last year and noticed on the radar/Doppler that they get near the casino/lismore regions from moving west to east but then al of a sudden move north or northeast along the border range and sadly most of them barley get us. now is this to do with temperature changes once leaving the border ranges and the cooler sea wind collides with the warm air? or is it that the shape of the border rangers causes the storms to move northwest even?

just would like to know especially from Micheal bath as he lives fairly close to Ballina and would have experience i dare say.

storm boy.
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Offline Jason(pato)

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Re: Weakening storms
« Reply #1 on: 25 July 2009, 01:02:09 PM »
Stormboy:

I think its more a case of what windshear is present in the low to mid levels. Storms may be in a shear environment that is Westerly in nature west of the Casino/Lismore area. It maybe that the cells then encounter a more NE to Nthly steering influence which then causes the cells to move more towards the Border Ranges. Also stronger storms tend to follow a more N-NE path. Generally a low level sea breeze can be helpful to storm development as it can provide the extra moisture required to make storms explode. This is a simplistic explanation and I'm sure that others can elaborate to explain my points a bit better, but I hope that it gives a rough of idea of why storms tend to follow certain paths.

Cheers Jason
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South Lismore, Northern Rivers NSW.....Supercells are us!!

Offline Antonio (stormboy)

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Re: Weakening storms
« Reply #2 on: 25 July 2009, 01:05:51 PM »
jason thank you for your nicely detailed short report i do think it is to do with the wind also because i notice that when the winds are W to SW or NW the storms tend to hit us but when they are ES to NE they seem to pass by a mile away. but thanx

storm boy
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Offline Jimmy Deguara

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Re: Weakening storms
« Reply #3 on: 25 July 2009, 02:21:01 PM »
Hi,

Storms often try to ride boundaries if they find them. Sea breeze fronts/boundaries often enhance development - yes increased moisture, lift, instability and sometimes localised shear enhancement. However, if the storm crosses that boundary, the storm can weaken or even day within a few frames on radar. A classic interaction occurred on November 3 2000 near Wentworthville when a supercell became tornadic as it interacted with the sea breeze boundary. Once it crossed it, it was virtually gone within 30 to 40 minutes! A cooler boundary really causes a storm to become elevated and thence cut off from its energy supply.

Obviously on a case by case basis, this is somewhat more complex and there are some conditions that may enhance intensity and development or perhaps act as a desctructive influence.

Regards,
Jimmy Deguara
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Offline Antonio (stormboy)

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Re: Weakening storms
« Reply #4 on: 25 July 2009, 03:44:00 PM »
ok thanks jimmy i do however have another question. sometimes you look on the satellite and grouped clouds develop etc and you look on the radar say the clouds are moving west to east you tend to see cells developing 10 to 20 mins of the coast but they didn't develop over land? so i was just wondering do they also develop ocean first from humidity? cause here in the northern rivers sometimes 1 am you see lightning from ocean storms that looked like they were over us but developed in front of us. sorry for all the questions but as a new storm chaser and very  young i am preparing for the next storm season.
 
i also follow this GLOSSARY http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/severewx/glossary.php
don't know if its good tho

storm boy
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Offline Richary

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Re: Weakening storms
« Reply #5 on: 26 July 2009, 04:28:03 AM »
Hi Stormboy

I spent 3 years living in Coraki and we used to get some fantastic storms coming over us from a westerly direction. However as this was around 30 years ago it was before the days of online radar (or online anything!) so I can't really say what was happening to storm tracks in terms of the development and change of direction once they hit a possible seabreeze.

I remember from out small farm we could look across the valley at the range of hills which seemed to act as a lightning rod some nights with strike after strike hitting there. Wish I had been into the photography side of it back then as a kid - and had the equipment to do it.
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Offline Antonio (stormboy)

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Re: Weakening storms
« Reply #6 on: 30 July 2009, 04:51:14 PM »
Speaking of weakening storms don't you just love it when an afternoon storm has just passed and it has turned into evening and as the sun goes lower the whole sky glows pink to red. And if you are lucky you will also get a rainbow in there.

Storm boy.
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