Topic: Nocturnal Severe Storms, Central Eastern NSW, 13/14th December 2006

[David C]

Just noticed a warning out (well it had actually expired but remained on the BoM site)  for Central tablelands, Hunter, Northern part of the metropolitan atc -- 4:00am!
An earlier warning was issued ato 2:00am. Did anyone of you in northern and western Sydney get anything?

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
for LARGE HAILSTONES

For people in the
Hunter and parts of the
Northwest Slopes,
Central Tablelands and
Metropolitan Forecast Districts.

Issued at 2:11 AM Thursday, 14 December 2006.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce large hailstones in the warning area over the next several hours.


One cell in particular initiated to the north of Dunedoo and tracked through to Jerry's Plains before weakening -- quite intense.

Here is the radar loop:
http://radar.strikeone.net.au/?fuseaction=loops.main&radar=042&numberofImages=10&dateStart=1166016600&dateFinish=1166038200   

If anyone wants to download this just go to the site -- this link will expire in a week or so).

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi David,

This was the area I hung around yesterday but I left and went back to Sydney arriving 11pm. Interesting it took off in the early hours! The only problem yesterday was the lack of moisture - dew points in single figures. This moisture was slowly returning wehn I was leaving but leaving in such a rush and not having access to any data I did not contemplate an overnight stay. I almost stayed the night in Coolah!

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Jeff Brislane]

When was this storm? Tuesday or wednesday?

Glen Innes storms leave damage trail
Storms which swept through northern new South Wales sparked minor bushfires and damaged businesses in the Glen Innes shopping precinct.

A total of 52 millimetres of rain and hail fell in the Grey Street area of Glen Innes, flooding four shops and causing at least one to suffer a partially collapsed roof.

Hail was thick near schools, preventing children from getting onto buses until it was shovelled away.

Another storm dropped 85mm of rain near Armidale.

One property owner, Matthew Martell, says the storm also brought up to 7.6 centimetres of hail, some the size of golf balls.

"It's done a fair bit of damage, it's washed out fences. I got bad hail damage in the Land Cruiser I was sitting in. While I was sitting in that it was shaking the Toyota sideways," he said.

Dry lightning storms and high winds sparked small bushfires in the Tamworth and Tingha district and caused some concern for firefighters battling the large blazes in the Mount Kaputar and Pilliga areas.

[Jeff Brislane]

Another report although this one is a bit more off the wall!

Storm sends shopping trolleys flying
A storm that swept through western New South Wales overnight caused significant damage in Cobar.

Police say about 6:20pm AEDT yesterday, two shopping trolleys were blown across Linsley Street and then onto the roof of the motel units at the rear of the Great Western Hotel.

As a result, several corrugated iron sheets ripped from the roof of 10 of the 19 units.

Some of the roof material then landed in the car park, damaging six cars and some also came to rest on the roof of a nearby building.

No-one was injured.

Crews from the police, fire brigade, State Emergency Service, ambulance service and Cobar Shire Council worked late into the night to put tarpaulins on the roof and clean up the scene.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi Jeff,

It seems the storm you mention of Glen Innes occurred Tuesday. I think I saw that on radar nearing the town. Other areas hit were Warwick.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Jeff Brislane]

I wish I was there, i'd love to see some serious hail drifts!

What do you think about the shopping trolleys? Dry Micro Burst? Mini tornado? Or maybe a couple of drunks on there way home from the local hotel?!

[David C]

What do you think about the shopping trolleys? Dry Micro Burst? Mini tornado? Or maybe a couple of drunks on there way home from the local hotel?!

   classic!! -- I would say equal chance of any one of the above being the culprit!