Topic: Melbourne Severe Thunderstorm Jan 20 - daytime chase pics added

[Brad Hannon]

Yes it is 4am, and yes I am dead tired!

I was woken by distant rumbling at 2.50am and sure enough the BOM had issued a severe thunderstorm warning.  Considering the lack of activity down here of late I jumped in the car.

Just returned from a vantage point not far from home (Mt Cooper which is the highest point in suburban Melbourne) where I viewed a great lightning show from a storm moving across Melbourne's north.  Powerful CG's and some very interesting green flashes associated with several strikes at ground level, in what I estimate to be the Coburg area.

I will post some video stills when I review the footage during the day (Friday).

I hope you all had a wonderful sleep!

[Brad Hannon]

I have awoken this morning to here the classic media line of a "mini-tornado" linked to this storm that apparently caused substantial damage to property near Ararat at about 11pm.  Jimmy, we should've been there because wheat silo's were damaged beyond recognition according to locals!  It then moved into Melbourne with some fantastic bolts and thunder and then dissipated to the NNE.

I will post some video stills here soon.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi Brad,

You are making me jealous already! Glad you enjoyed the event and it has broken up the drought. Melbourne, and Victoria, really knows how to turn it on for surprise events!

I'll await the stills!

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Brad Hannon]

Here are some video stills of last nights storm as it moved over NE Melbourne between 3am and 4am.  Note the nearby power flashes from strikes in the Coburg area I estimate.  These lasted well after the bolts had ceased pulsing and made in impressive sight.

[David C]

Good stuff Brad!

Check the radar out now (3:00pmish)  - very intense cells wsw Melbourne and looks like a split pair!

[Brad Hannon]

Thanks for the heads up David.  I was actually out chasing with Megan at the time, with some nowcasting from Jimmy

I watched from the North as an intense squall passed through Melbourne with clear CG's and impressive mammatus.  Further to the west several cells were moving NE.  We intercepted a storm near Macedon and experienced an impressive microburst (as predicted by Jimmy) with horizontal wind, rain, small hail and debris from trees crossing the road and reducing visibility enough for us to pull over until it passed.  I found out later that Castlemaine and Bendigo suffered damage from high winds.  I estimate that this storm was the culprit as it was heading in that direction and it fits with a description from a friend in Castlemaine.

Some picturesque photos from the day: