BoM sends out the spotter's report at the end of each season and I did mention in previous posts that I'd list the type/severity/damage of thunderstorms that we had during that season. So herewith is a list of the storms of significance that BoM recorded from their own observations and from spotters running around the traps here. BoM's severe weather warning only extends roughly 60km from Darwin so any storm events past that are out of the warning boundary. Katherine seems to have a keen number of spotters out there.
Dates are from inclusive 12 Oct '07 to 22 March 08 and OOWA means out of warning area. Hope you all find it of interest.
12 Oct Adelaide River OOWA - Multicell complex with 46kt winds.
12 Oct South Alligator River OOWA - Continental squall line 44kt wind gusts.
16 Oct Litchfield OOWA - Pulse severe.
23 Oct Sw of Yulara OOWA - High based splitting cell with right mover persisting.
25 Octo Douglas-Daly OOWA - Multicell with strong updrafts. Overshooting tops visible 90kms away when observed.
31 Oct Kings creek near Watarrka OOWA - Large storm with golf ball hail, damage to helicopter, trees striped of foliage.
1 Nov Alice Springs - Squall line 34 kt winds.
2 Nov Yulara - Cont squall line large hail, gusts to 17kts with 17.4mm falling in half an hour.
3 Nov Alice Springs - Cont squall line, hail.
8 Nov Cox Peninsula - Large cells moved into Darwin.
11 Nov Darwin rural - large storm produced gusts to 60kts, localised flooding and fallen trees.
13 Nov Darwin large cell with 44 kts, Doppler showed 49 kts.
13 November Katherine - Large storm, strong winds, very heavy precip and multiple lightning strikes reported by spotter, fallen trees. Storm came in from the south and intensified as it moved over Katherine.
14 Nov Borroloola - Trough linked from a low over the northern VRD (Victoria River Downs) 50 kts gusts.
15 Nov Palmerston (my home area) Flash flooding from slow moving thunderstorm - 24hr rainfall 289mm total from four nearby areas.
22 Nov Darwin - Multiple cellsfrom the east. SSW issued trees fallen in rural area.
27 Nov Rural area. Strong updrafts SSW issued - trees downed.
6 Dec Darwin - Large scale severe squall line from SE. moving at 35kts, Noonamah 50kts, Darwin 47 kts and 40+ reported at Middle Point. Gates torn off and sail shade torn from poles at suburban public swimming pool.
7 Dec Yulara - Active storms with 50kt wind gusts, reported gale strength winds persisted for more than 20 minutes.
14 Dec far southern Alice Springs - Intense cell north of a squall line (85km east of Giles) moving at 23-30 kts. 2-3 cm hail.
23 Dec Dundee Beach - (this area to the NW of Darwin receive many storms that reintensify once encountering the seabreeze) Storms reformed and an intense echo visible on radar. Weak meso located on Doppler - (an area also renowned for water spouts by the way....)
4 Jan Tiwi Islands - Microburst damage 10-20ha of trees felled in the same direction, little is known about this event.
6 Jan Katherine - two lines of storms moved through the region, second line of storms produced damage to trees.
9 Jan Dundee Beach - Squall line with 30kt gusts, Batchelor reported 40kt gusts.
13 Jan Darwin - thunderstorms produced 211mm of rain.
14 Jan Borroloola - Thunderstorms forming in association with a high pressure ridge and strong westerly winds sharpened a trough through teh Gulf country, storms produced 51kt gusts.
18 Jan VRD - trough moved through inland areas. Gusts to 49kts, pea sized hail, large limbs torn from trees. Most limbs aligned in a west to east direction suggesting microburst. Intense lightning reported by spotter and chook shed blown over, transformer struck.
20 Jan Gulf Ccountry - Strong storms with 60kt gusts.
18 Feb Cox Peninsular/Dundee - line of storms with heavy precip. Monsoon laying south of the Top End. 260.2mm over 24hr period at Cox Peninsular area and gauge overflowed with an extra 40-60mm missed. Charles Point recorded 226.8 for same period (174mm fell in 210minutes!) Dum-in-Marie recorded 308.6mm from 8am-1pm. Several other areas recorded falls over 150mm in 24 hour period.
19 Feb Dundee Beach area - 256mm between 9am - 11:30am.
2 Mar Darwin - Squall line produced flash flooding in Palmerston, boy drowned in flooded culvert. Gusts to 39kts, damaged yacht.
6 March Darwin, rural - Squall line from the SE assocaited with low in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
12 Mar Darwin harbour - Slow moving storms associated with monsoon. rainfall of 191mm at Wagait Beach, 111 at Channel Pt and 96 at Cox Pen.
18 March Batchelor OOWA Gulf line, raifall of 91.2mm in an hour!
22 Mar Darwin and rural - small scale squall line.
* many squall lines that head to Darwin often die out due to the sea breeze interaction cooling the air but once the lines reach the ocean they seem to reform once out to sea. Sea breezes are quite a pain, they either help or hinder. Most often they hinder these lines.
