Topic: 21st December 1991 Kempsey region record hailstorm - hail to 14cm

[Jimmy Deguara]

Although the 14th April 1999 was supposed to have produced the most costly hailstorm in living memory, the size of the hailstones although beyond 10cm in diameter, there are other storms that have produced very large or giant hailstones. In recent years there have been the Muswellbrook event 24th October 2004 that produced hail to at least 11cm in diameter. Some of you may recall the following hailstorm:



Michael Bath coincidently was in Kempsey when these hailstones fell. This hailstorm is set as having the largest hailstone ever recorded in Australia reported in the Bureau of Meteorology severe weather database as 14cm.



Well now we have had access to video of part of the storm where even larger hailstones fell - absolutely awesome to see the size of these giant chunks of ice! WOW!!!!

I am attempting to obtain permission to place it online obviously with some form of copyright notice.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi guys,

It has been some time since I have wished to get permission to post this online. Some of you have read the statistics of the largest ever hailstone recorded in Australian history. It may have come from the storm in Kempsey - a video showing some of the hailstones falling during this storm are shown in thi video:

 http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1892229/incredible_footage_massive_hailstones_australia_hailstone_monste/

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Michael Bath]

Great to see the video online Jimmy - thanks for organising that.

Here's the MSL situation and Newcastle sounding. There was a significant upper trough/low crossing NSW during the afternoon and evening.



Newcastle 00z


This day my wife Alison and I drove from Sydney to Kempsey on our way to Ballina for holidays. I noted that it was a warm and mostly cloudy day with some isolated showers. There was large cumulus along the coast, though given the MSL most likely Sydney to Southern parts of the Mid North Coast.

The storm which produced the gorilla hail approached South Kempsey at 3.30pm. Lightning was frequent. The huge hail hit ahead of much in the way of rain. I recall a whip cracking sound as the isolated giant hail ripped through leaves on nearby gum trees. Heavy rain soon followed.

A second storm hit at 4.15pm with more hail, but "smaller" and heavy rain. The rain persisted until 5.45pm - then it was sunny

All photos for 21st December 1991

Michael

[Macca]

All I can say is...that is BLOODY AWESOME.  Some of those stones are MASSIVE...absolutely MASSIVE.  Incredible stuff. 

In terms of the sounding, to have -16C on the Williamtown sounding in December is impressive - especially if that (or even -15C) extended up north into the warm sector.  Mid level shear is quite nice too and I think with the strong upper trough appproaching, the low level shear would've increased during the day.

Macca

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi guys,

It has been documented that hail size estimates vary between people but particularly at the smaller end and the larger end.

I want people's opinion's as to the size of the hail in the Kempsey hailstorm event.

http://www.metacafe.com/f/channels/hail_australia/private/

Direct link here:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1892229/incredible_footage_massive_hailstones_australia_hailstone_monste/

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Peter J]

Jim,

It was certainly, according to the video, some of the largest hail i've seen in Oz, but the storm that I remember from 1983 or 84 that hit Croydon, and parts of Mooroolbark, Mt Evelyn and Montrose VIC, the hail may have been slightly smaller, but hit with more verocity and speed than this storm - my biggest problem has been trying to find any data (video or written) of this event - I know the storm lasted 45 mins, and intensity of the hail almost broke windows at the school I was in.

But I will still say, this video may well contain the largest recorded stones dropped in the southern hemisphere.

Big Pete

[Michael Bath]

The one he's holding looks to be about 10-11cm. Some on the ground about 12cm but hard to tell without some stills. The pause button on the video obscures things.

[Peter J]

Correction to my last post - the Vic storm event was November 11, 1982 - occurred between 1:45pm and 2:30pm.

Big Pete

Append:

Also note, I was only commenting on SH hailstorms, I know there are massive storms in the NH that can easily topple our SVRSTMs

Big Pete

[Jimmy Deguara]

Big Pete,

John was referring to the Southern Hemisphere in South America - such as places like Argentina. They have some ferocious supercells and some giant hail events however, this hailstorm in Kempsey would be of that ferocity and size.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara