Some say it was 11Feb, but sources from work tell me it was 14thFeb, I did some hodograph simulations from the soundings from both days and the 11th was just rubbish...the 14th shear was speed orientated and not directional. Winds were from 24-37kts from Sfc to 700 with no directional shear. The plotted hodograph did not support supercell or meso set ups - which most here in Darwin swear to that it was a supercell. The hodograph just does not support it. It was linear and curved but pretty erratic akin to mutlicell storm structure with steering of no value. I would think it was a non-supercellular funnel given the speed shear, but lack of data for that day is a headache.
I can't find a radar or doppler loop for the day which is frustrating, but given the Carlos factor I would not disprove some kind of vorticity as per the winds in that region. The sounding only gives Darwin's shear, which only gave it to 700hpa. The surface winds were around 24kts and up to 700 reached 37kts but non-directinal..they were all NW given the monsoonal flow dominating and the position of the developing cyclone over Darwin at the time. GFS indicated 30-40kt winds in certain areas of inland KaKadu during the model run.
Either way it was impressive and even it was an EF0 the funnel was very cool! The tourists would have gone nuts over it.
I'll try and hunt down some radar loops from BoM as they archive that stuff....might prove me wrong, but hodograph plot did not support supercell storms in that area.
