Topic: NSW / QLD Severe Storms and Lightning: 2 - 8 Dec 2008

[James]

Sorry about the lateness of posting pics from yesterday. Good old internet problems has meant no access till now.

Went for a chase after work yesterday afternoon. Started off at the lookout halfway along the Tenterfield-Casino Road. Incredible views up there! Managed to get a nice base letting go with a barrage of CG's.





From there I headed east anticipating development closer to the coast. Sat at Lismore and watched two nice looking updrafts go up around North Casino/Bentley. Headed west and core punched the southern most cell of the two. 2 - 3cm hail and winds around 70 - 80km/h.







Headed home to Mcleans Ridges before hearing distant thunder. Jumped in the car and watched the same lightshow, MB, Roddy , Pato etc got. Some of the lightning was incredible. Such strong bolts piercing the valley floor below. I love watching lightning from up high!










James

[leo76]

Great photos!! Some of those CG look HUGE.

Apparently the Cape Byron Lighthouse got hit last night aswell

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/04/2437450.htm

The lights have gone out at Cape Byron Lighthouse at the easternmost point of the Australian mainland.

The lighthouse's massive bulbs blew about 8:00pm last night as a spectacular electrical storm swept through the region.

Staff from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority say they believe that the lighthouse itself took a direct lightning strike.

Authority spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins says staff are on their way to fix the problem.

"The lantern controller has been damaged," she said.

"Until we get people onsite and do an assessment we're not sure of what other damage may or may not have been done but there haven't been any reports of damage to the lighthouse itself."

Ted Taylor with the Cape Byron Coastal Patrol says the lighthouse's 1,000-watt halogen lamps aren't working.

"The light's revolving. It's got two bulbs inside but it looks like they've blown," he said.

"We've got no computers or nothing up here too. So it's blown everything up here too.

"It's just a waiting game until maritime services come down and fix it up."

[vrondes]

James, Michael, Kane, Rod and Jason, Exceptional  photos of the lightning from those high based afternoon storms from Northern NSW
Cheers, Con.

[Shaun Galman]

Hi guys,

James, Michael, Kane, Rod and Jason, Exceptional  photos of the lightning from those high based afternoon storms from Northern NSW
Cheers, Con.

I couldn't agree more Con!
What a ripper RFB on the front of that storm!

*I should ring the bureau and order a nice storm like that for our area lol.
Take it easy,
Shauno

[Steven]

Action has kicked off with a vengeance this afternoon. Severe severe cells are lashing west of The Gold and Sunshine Coast hinterlands as well as Brisbane (and somewhat decent for northern parts!). Something big is coming towards my location, the thunder is very audible. The western sky is extremely dark and ominous looking.

Regards, Steve

[leo76]

Looks interesting. Is that 3 cells there? The bottom one looks like its heading down towards the NSW border. Kyogle might get some of that.


MB edit: Leo - feel feel to attach an image to your posts

[Steven]

It keeps hugging the ranges. Once it comes off them, it seems to hit a wall of some kind and the rain rates drop like buggery! It's spitting here now but it doesn't seem to know when to make its mind up ha!

I'm now contemplating whether I should disconnect or keep reading the forums for updates?

[Antonio (stormboy)]

Hey guys i am from Ballina in the northern rivers. On the 3rd of December, we experienced just the outer part of those storms mainly a lot of lightning and light rain. I have a few pics over here and a video on my comp that i am trying to find out how to post it.

[Steven]

She's firing. Off the ranges seem like good triggering points as the humidity is insanely high (Logan had 86% with 30C dewpoint!). There was a strong cap present today which inhibited the development of storms locally, but we should see that changing later on (i.e more rain tonight with embedded cells). That cell nearest to me is putting out a fair bit of lightning and thunder but nothing photogenic.

[Jeff Brislane]

I love all thos lightning shots from around your place Michael. You are blessed with that valley! I'd hate to live down there and be under attack like that.

James, your bolts looked rather skinny for a digicam and you got several on one frame which is impossible in daylight unless it's a multiple strike. Are you using a ND or polarizor filter to cut down your exposure? I've used one (ND) several times and found it does the same thing to the lightning unless it's really close and bright.

Regards Jeff.

[James]

Your right about the multiple strikes Jeff. I was using a Canon 5D with a 24-205L lens with an aperture of 22 and exposure of 2 seconds at the start, increasing to 3 seconds as teh storm got closer and darkness started to creep in. I normally use a polarising filter when attempting daylight lightning shots however I left it at home that day so had no filters on at all.

As to why the strikes look skinny, I thought about that when looking at MB and Rod's images. Perhaps mine were taken earlier when there was more light around? I have noticed lightning can look a little skinny with plenty of light around. Having said that I drove over to MB's street as the storm hit and got one strike near his house which looked different to all the other ones ... I will try and upload it in the next day or two.

[Michael Bath]

The rest of my photos for 3rd December are available here. That close staccato was F22, 2 seconds, 28mm focal length, 200 ISO


Some high based activity passed through the Northern Rivers later yesterday afternoon (6th Dec). The cells were quite lightning active at times.







A cell to the north into the evening gave a nice show though not many visible bolts - mostly in-cloud from my vantage point.



This morning from just before 5am, we had a number of embedded thunderstorms with very heavy rain - received over 40mm in under an hour.


All pics for 6th December 2008

[Jimmy Deguara]

Sunday December 7 2008

Perhaps a surprise packet for some - the Sydney area and the Central NSW are in for some storms. There is the possibility of at least marginal severity. The first lot of storms have already proceeded across western Sydney and mone cell is moving towards the northeast.

More cumulus developing to the southwest in the sunshine.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Richary]

Interesting the current storm on the radar. Lots of rumbles in the sky but no lightning seen. The storm did a split just before reaching Parramatta and the right half died off, but the left hand one has headed off to Glenorie and is intensifying and up to red on the radar loop.

Nasty little severe warned storm NW of Brisbane at the moment as well.

[Michael Bath]

QLD Bom have just noted two dangerous cells:

For people in parts of the MORETON BAY, DALBY, SUNSHINE COAST, SOMERSET and SOUTH BURNETT Council Areas.


Issued at 4:10 pm Sunday, 7 December 2008.


The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 4:05 pm, very dangerous thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Beachmere, Bribie Island and northern Bribie Island. These thunderstorms are moving towards the east. Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Deception Bay waters, northern Moreton Island, Comboyuro Point and waters off Bribie Island by 4:35 pm and the area west of Kingaroy, Tangalooma, Cape Moreton and the area southwest of Kingaroy by 5:05 pm.


Other severe thunderstorms were located near Mount Mee. They are forecast to affect Caboolture, Burpengary and Wamuran by 4:35 pm.


Destructive winds, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones are likely.