Topic: NE NSW / SE QLD Storms 14-16 Dec 2006

[Michael Bath]

Wasn't able to head out until 3pm, so only had time to go a spot just east of Coraki to watch the very strong storm heading NNE from an area already north of Grafton.


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121401.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121402.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121403.jpg

I moved to McKees Hill SW of Lismore by 4.20 and watched the very impressive action head straight at me (storm heading north). Rotation of the base was quite apparent. CGs were quite frequent from the wall cloud and either side of it.


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121404.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121405.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121406.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121407.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121408.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121409.jpg

The cell died off from about 5pm but not before blasting out a barrage of pulsating CGs towards Lismore.

I moved under the base but there was only torrential rain left and some strong winds.


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121410.jpg

Regards, Michael

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi Michael,

Very impressive severe storm structure! If you are able to time permitting, feel free to post a windows media file of the timelapse.

Were the winds moving in east to northeast?

Where did the storm initiate? Dorrigo yet again?

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Steven]

Yes I heard on the news weather segment, so what's our chances for tomorrow.  It doesn't feel right for me for stormy weather, however with humidity increasing there's bound to be something.

Cheers
Steven

[Michael Bath]

Storm kicked off just south of Nymboida - will add a radar sequence soon. Winds were fresh N-NE the whole time I was watching this storm.   Hail 'large enought to break windows' was reported in Grafton, and hail the size of golf balls at Lawrence too.

[Michael Bath]

Friday 15th December was a very oppressive day in the Northern Rivers.  DPs mainly around the 20 degree mark, temp 30-32, light winds and fairly cloudy with patches of thick altocumulus with convective tops. Some scattered showers resulted during the day keeping the air very sticky. Conditions were very unstable with CAPE over 2000 and LIs about -6. Shear profile was suitable for strong organised storms including supercells.

By late afternoon some thunderstorms had developed between about Armidale and Inverell where skies were sunnier. The BoM didn't issue the first thunderstorm warning until 4.05pm but it included the whole of NE NSW.

My daughter Katrina was home from school so I checked to see if she was interested in her first storm chase - sure enough - yes !   Dave Ellem came over and we left about 5pm as some cells on the Northern Tablelands looked like they would track towards the Casino area by 7pm-ish.

By the time we got out there those storms had collapsed to not much and the only activity of any strength was south near Woolgoolga, and north into SE QLD.

We took the usual Maccas break then headed to the clear area just NW of Casino.


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121501.jpg

Already fresh convection had initiated in the Upper Clarence Valley to our west. Contrast was at first poor, but gradually improved as the sun got lower and thunderstorm activity increased. We could hear thunder and soon spotted lightning from the dominating storm now moving onto the Richmond Range.


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121502.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121503.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121504.jpg

Another cell south of this one produced a very interesting LP type base on and off with regular CGs, though its updraft was obscured or looked weak when we were able to glimpse it.

Beck Armytage met us about 6.30pm

The main event was certainly unfolding to the west though, this continue to grow - shooting out pulsating CGs from under and near multiple updraft areas - and also the anvil region which was spreading off to the northeast.


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121505.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121506.jpg

The southern flank of this complex developed the more interesting features - about the same time as much of the core took on the green tinge. Lightning was now getting quite close but still a safe distance.


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121507.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121508.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121509.jpg

A massive multi-tiered gustfront feature formed and started to spread ESE. The storm was huge!  It spread right across from SW to NW and was now rapidly advancing eastwards - not a common movement direction in this part of the world for severe storms. The sunset colours to the storm's SW topped off the scene.

We made a move a minute or two after the first drops of rain hit. Just as well - powerful pulsating CGs started to hit just ahead of us towards the east !


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121510.jpg

We drove back into Casino and then took off down the Coraki road when heads generally SE. The storm structure was quite incredible by the time we got to Casino - massive boiling gust front features with constant pulsating CGs - which had now spread well eastwards on along the track the storm would take to Lismore and Ballina. However, the best storm features were definitely on its SE flank.


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121511.jpg

We were able to stop briefly a few ks SE of Casino to capture the scene. I shouted it was time to go just as a huge CG hit 200 metres down the road - GEEEEEZ - did Dave jump into the car quickly ! 


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121512.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121513.jpg

Rain was soon to envelope the whole area - this storm was very very large. The constant barrage of CGs was phenomenal, hitting all around us, off into the distance - everywhere. The drive from just NW of Coraki and back home - which took about 45 minutes was now torrential rain with blinding lightning.  Katrina was filming the show as we tried to escape it.

The CGS were hitting right around home when we got there. Torrential rain was falling so it was difficult to capture any lightning but it didn't matter after watching the whole storm develop and intensify into the beast !!!   What an afternoon / evening - and Katrina's first storm chase too  - needless to say she was rather impressed !


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121514.jpg


Larger view: http://australiasevereweather.com/temp/forum/photos/2006121515.jpg

We heard some reports on UHF radio of trees and powerlines down in the North Casino area. Some areas were blacked out including parts of Ballina and Lismore.

[David C]

Excellent stuff Michael! That third last image from the 14th, in particular looks very nice with inflow stingers -  Was there any rotation discernible in there?

[Michael Bath]

Hi David - yes - quite apparent at that stage to the eye. Have not had time to review the video but I suspect timelapse will be quite impressive.

Have since had a look at the radar from yesterday afternoon and the smaller storm you see on the left in photo #09 was moving NE while the main one was heading just slightly S of east. They collided right on Casino. Energex tracker went ballistic at this point with 800+ strikes per 5 mins from this storm complex !

[Michael Bath]

Thursday 14th December

Grafton 128km scale radar loop 11.30am to 7pm local:

http://australiasevereweather.com/storm_news/2006/radar/200612140800.gif

500m MODIS Satpic at 2.20pm local as the storm was approaching Grafton and had become I believe a supercell:




Friday 15th December

Grafton 128km scale radar loop 3.30pm - 9.30pm local

http://australiasevereweather.com/storm_news/2006/radar/200612151030.gif

Grafton 256km scale radar loop noon to 10pm local

http://australiasevereweather.com/storm_news/2006/radar/200612151100.gif

1km VIS image at 7pm local showing the large storm in NE NSW.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Michael, Rodney and Katrina,

The chase and season has been very impressive. What makes this season unique are the impressive clean structures coming from NE NSW. Can't wait for the video.

By the way, great maiden chase for Katrina! I think it is time to make her a member of this forum so she can respond on her own experiences of chases.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Jeff Brislane]

What awesome storms MB. You guys are definately in the thick of it this year.

[Julie]

The 16th was quite an afternoon up here in the Wide Bay.
Arrived home to a ‘very stormy’ feel in the air & thankfully the storms came to Biggenden as being slightly incapacitated I was unable to chase any further than my verandah. 


Copped quite an outflow here from a cell heading towards Childers, some small hail (small marble to pingpong ball size reported), severe wind & rain. Quite a few small branches & major leaf/twig flying about here from the outflow. The last wind reading recorded here was 80km/hr before a large airborne branch took out the pole. Fortunately we didn’t cop the full brunt of that storm as it headed towards Childers & only 27mm made it into the gauge; we were without power for just over 4 hours. Coringa, N of me received 60mm.
Temp dropped from 37.1° to 26.2° in 10 minutes.
The cell moved onto Childers area where Horton/Redridge just east of Childers copped the full brunt.  Sheds with walls blown out, roofs torn off & windows smashed.
Headed east onto Goodwood road towards the industrial area & found 2 sheds with their doors blown out & some iron blown up to 100m into cane fields. The pine furniture manufacturing shed owner parked a small pantec in front of the main doors trying to stop some of the rain blowing in. Interesting to see several of the street light poles bent in this area, one business owner there stated “they weren’t like that yesterday morning!”


We proceeded further down the road about 150 metres to Old Doolbi Station house where they’d lost half of their roof, some shed damage & major tree damage. A horse in a small paddock beside the old house was still very flighty & had suffered some small injuries from flying debris. Half of the Childers/Isis Golf course backs onto Old Doolbi Station House & I could see major tree damage in a path approx 150m wide heading NE. The damage path crossed Goodwood Rd towards the golf clubhouse & in the direction of Horton.


The Golf Course & Horton seemed to sustain the worst of large tree damage & a couple of houses losing their roofs & a several sheds also blown apart. A new cyclone rated shed housing 2 new Massey Ferguson tractors was blown apart, funny to see no damage to the old original shed right beside it.


A house on Goodwood Rd at Redridge had all the windows blown out on the windward side.  We headed down Redridge Rd & found 2 houses with their roofs gone, all the windows broken on the windward side & major hail damage to young cane plants.


More photos & radar images can be found HERE

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi Jules,

Thanks for posting the report. There has been extensive activity in SE Qld this year and of course NE NSW. This last event was particularly associated with wind damage from your and other reports.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Julie]

I think the farming community there could have done without the hail damage, it's enormous!  One farmer has 90h of lychee trees & 65h of mango trees that are bare of bark & limbs.  They'd only just started to pick the fruit from them for the Christmas sales.  It was an eerie sight to see    It'll take him about 4 years to recover from this storm.  I'd like to have posted some photos of his damage but he declined me permission to take any photos.  He averaged the hail size to be between "large chook egg & duck egg size pounded down for a good 10 minutes then the rain followed".
You can see the marks on the trunk of this tree from the hail that hit Horton, where they averaged it to be about 2-3cm.  They said they probably could have coped with that size hail no problem but it was the amount of it that fell & with the winds behind it that did the damage to crops.  I've never seen so many dead birds from a storm before

[Beck]

Here are some of my pics from the 15th Dec 06 Storm chase with Michael, Dave and Katrina.

All links to larger photos.


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d158/Stormchasr/PC154037-signedSmall-2.jpg


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d158/Stormchasr/PC154051-signedSmall-1.jpg


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d158/Stormchasr/PC154073-signeddark.jpg


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d158/Stormchasr/PC154074-signedSmall-1.jpg

Beck 

[David C]

Nice reports and photos! Yes, definitely, wind-driven hail makes things extra nasty. Pity the poor farmers