Topic: NSW / VIC / QLD Storms 20-26 January 2009 and whinge thread

[Dave Nelson]

hey Gang,
                  i have just got home from an awesome storm chase to the sth of Sydney.
  As commented in an earlier post it was the region I targeted and for once it paid off handsomely!!  although for
a while I was getting a bit disappointed.  I got down to the Mittagong area ~ 1400hrs EDT and kept an eye on a
few small dark cells trying to get their act together.  They never really did.... produced a few flashes and rumbles
 and some heavy bursts of rain.
   I headed back towards Sydney mumbling to myself about the way they teased me    .   getting back towards
Campbelltown, I could see a large cell to the north over the Penrith area and went up onto Narellan Rd to park
and check it out.  My interest in it died rapidly when I looked south from whence I had just come from and was greeted with a large cell and a wallcloud starting to form.  Getting back in the car and headed south yet again and
found a clear place to stop and watch this awesome sight......

[James]

Great catch there Dave! Some really nice structure in those photos. Was it in the Sydney basin or Southern Highlands?

[Dave Nelson]

Hi James,
    thanks,   I was parked ~ 10k S of Campbelltown  the cell core another maybe 5k south of me.
  I guess it would be the nthrn edge of the Southern Highlands.


  Ok.... to continue the story  ...   I had to head back north as this thing was getting too close to photo it easily
and was putting out large CG's.   I retreated back to Narellan Rd for a few more pix. Then on to the Appin Rd to
clearly view a second decent cell forming behind the big one.  Today was one of the few times where I have heard
a BOM severe thunderstorm warning being broadcast over the ABC AM radio station.

here's some pix of the second cell plus a funnel cloud.

[Harley Pearman]

Sydney basin storms 23/1/2009

I have some photos of the southern Sydney storm I took from Auburn. The thunderstorm was actually just to the south of the city.

It was one of two thunderstorms that developed in the Sydney Basin late in the afternoon. A small northern storm moved through Baulkham Hills dropping 4 mm of rain maximum at Baulkham Hills but that storm had a fairly short life, quickly becoming outflow dominant then collapsing.

The southern storm was much stronger and lasted longer than the northern storm although after 6 pm that storm also started to weaken. I did notice further smaller storm cells over south west Sydney following the main storm cell.

The storm dropped 30 mm of rain at a place called Reverces and 26 mm at Appin. Mostly that storm stayed just outside the Sydney built up area.

The photos below have been obtained from my short video clips I took looking south. The time is from 5.20 pm to 6.20 pm at Mona Park - Off Mona Street Auburn 23/1/2009. The last photo was taken just as the cell started to weaken.

Further comment on the Albury Thunderstorm 22/1/2009:

Further to my previous post 22/1/2009, I found out in the Border Mail 23/1/2009 that the suburb of Lavington experienced 20 mm of rain in 12 minutes, trees were brought down in West Albury and winds of 100 km/h occurred in the city including some outlying rural towns as well. The SES were called out to a number of jobs relating to trees being brought down and power lines damaged.

Harley Pearman

[Dave Nelson]

Sydney basin storms 23/1/2009

I have some photos of the southern Sydney storm I took from Auburn. The thunderstorm was actually just to the south of the city.

It was one of two thunderstorms that developed in the Sydney Basin late in the afternoon. A small northern storm moved through Baulkham Hills dropping 4 mm of rain maximum at Baulkham Hills but that storm had a fairly short life, quickly becoming outflow dominant then collapsing.

The southern storm was much stronger and lasted longer than the northern storm although after 6 pm that storm also started to weaken. I did notice further smaller storm cells over south west Sydney following the main storm cell.

Harley Pearman

The photo's and time you related in your post were for the second cell just on the south side of Campbelltown, as seen
closer up in my second set of pix.  It was interesting watching the cell form- die off - reform cycling a number of times over
a period of an hour as it moved towards the coast.   My last pic of that cell was a little further south than Auburn ... namely
the rooftop carpark of the centro shopping centre in Bankstown....

Its a pity you missed the BIG one it really was a monster.... it rates as one of my best cells ever seen/photo'ed  if not 1st
then 1st = 

[Jimmy Deguara]

Dave,

What a beauty! Awesome structure and contrast. Is the inflow coming from two directions? You deserve the success of that storm chase as you were out there!

I was awaiting a developing storm that dumped heavy rain on Schofields when I photographed the developing storm down south near Camden area. It did not look that impressive at that point. The curtain of rain from the Schofields storm then hid it from view for a little while. Just prior to the commencement of the rain, I decided to have a look and my eyes popped out of my head! I had not expected updrafts so crisp. Not even 5 minutes passed after the rain and I was off! Oh and my wife Imelda reminder me of the low fuel level!

I know it was too late to be in position but I utilised whatever I could from the M7 to get down there as soon as I could. Then it suddenly occurred - double demerits! I needed spikes to lift my foot off the accelerator! Anyway, the updrafts were rather impressive and finally the structure began to come into view as I approached the M7 toll gates near Hoxton Park.

My mistake likely occurred when I took the Ingleburn exit and got entangled in regions I was simply not aware of and just to escape some of the evening M5 traffic. I got the only two decent pictures in this area and then had to fuel up and try looking for a vantage point. The other worry was the area was not likely to be inviting to a person with expensive looking camera equipment so I had to pick and choose. The storm by this time was weakening and I then positioned myself locally for the possibility of a second storm developing. It did develop but nowhere nearly as spectacular. After some timelapse I headed home.

Pictures below including the first storm encroaching Schofields.


















Regards,
Jimmy Deguara

[Jimmy Deguara]

The second storm in the line was not as spectacular but had a nice base.












All photos for 23 January 2009

Regards,
Jimmy Deguara

[Dave Nelson]

Good one Jimmy !!,

   its always great to see pix from others that give a different perspective of a storm

and yes you are right  the 2nd cell... although not as intense ... did have a good base on it at times
as it cycled up and down in intensity


edit... I forgot to answer you Q about inflow .... dont know if it was coming in in multi directions ...  probably...
 But from where I was S of Campbelltown the inflow was quite strong and coming in from behind me, as I faced
the storm   ie. from the NE towards the SW


cheers
Dave N

[Antonio (stormboy)]

Hello all I just couldn’t keep my camera hiding in this series of sunset pictures yesterday (23/1/09) the sky glowed red here in Lennox head nsw and also a distant storm up towards the far northwest was capturing the sun’s rays and also glowed red here are some of the pictures.

[jamesdumar]

Super Photos!
Looks like the band out West will produce today.
Anyone know why the Moree radar is down?

[Antonio (stormboy)]

I’ve been watching the radar for about 2 days now and some nice and heavy falls have been falling just off the north coast but nothing has been falling in the north coast. I think that the band of cloud in the west should bring some action today. Parts of Queensland have been getting some heavy rain and storms to. 

[dann weatherhead]

Yeah looks likely for the North Coast today into the Border Ranges.  Again precipitation fell desperately short last night and was found wanting(just like Australia batting yesterday).

Perhaps the chance of something as the trough moves through -Sydney sounding showing -10 LI's and aviation forecasts mildly optimistic:
TAF YSRI 232246Z 2400/2412
31014KT 9999 SCT045
FM240700 17015G25KT 9999 SCT015 SCT025
PROB30 TEMPO 2400/2409 VRB20G35KT 3000 TSRA SCT015 SCT050CB

[James]

Wow, thats a pretty unstable atmosphere for Sydney today. Dry slot at 900 is annoying and could prevent things from taking off.

It's hard to imagine something wont fire up during the afternoon near the ranges and move east with the good steering wind (30-40 knots). Energy wont be a problem with high CAPE.

Not sure why Aviation forecasts are going for tops to 35,000 feet. Potential for 40,000 to 45,000 tops today.

Surely this is Sydney's day.

[Dave Nelson]

Hi James

    hmmmmm ... dunno   tho the early AM sounding you referred to looks great,  do we believe it or the AVN which
 shows the CAPE and LFTX peaking much further nth of Sydney      and even more so as the day progresses

 I also dont like this very hi cloud that is now blanketing the basin,  have seen very few storms develop when
it is present.
   If I was placing a bet for today, I would say be in the Hunter or further nth.

  Frustrating huh, when 2 different sources of data give very different outlooks
I hope I'm proved wrong for the sake of a chase 

Dave N

As a side note ....  Michael B.   if you are reading this....  how much creedance can you place on a sounding that is
already more than 4 hours old at the time of writing this note  (1115Hrs EDT)

[Macca]

I think I'm going to head out chasing today (which will mean it will be crap...lol).  It doesn't look too shabby for up here in SEQ/NENSW.  With 500mb temps as warm as they are I don't think we'll see any massive hail but with clear skies and DP's well into the low 20's, I think we could see some nice storms.  Shear is lacking but might be enough to get something organised for short periods.  Steering winds will push storms N or even NW.

Agree that the aviation forecasts are a little off going for storm tops of 35,000ft.  I think 45-50kft is more on the money. 

Macca

(Heading for Warwick - Tenterfield).