Chase report Oct 3 2209
Instability was up a little for storms inland, where inland was anyone's guess. Radar had detected some convection happening about 100-200km's inland from Darwin associated with a convergence line that had been lingering there with a trough line. The CAP was being stubborn in breaking so Darwin and surrounding rural areas missed out big time. The sea breeze had really evaporated any moisture and nighttime moisture was the only thing that would form anything. I met up with two chase friends whom I had not chased with prior, Rowland whom some of you know from the ASWA meetings and his partner Samantha. Heading out at 5pm was a good starting point to allow maximum heating to get things skyward...
We decided that Adelaide River might be a good starting point for a location which is around 100km's south of Darwin. We had a view of two cells which were struggling to get any decent height and they quickly dissipated. Checking the radar once more there was good convective lift another 100km's further south so we made the decision to high tail it to Pine Creek, a mining town on the Stuart Highway. On the way there we witnessed some big strikes, many double hits and a few positive strikes so we were keen to get some photos.
Our final intercept point was a rural airport - actually a cleared area with a flat strip of dirt for a runway - but it proved the best vantage point with no annoying trees in the way. We had found the airport by accident, so that was a bonus! There were flashes and CGs in the distance as the strikes were orange in color, so too far to capture any decent shots with any substance. After about half an hour the storms had revamped and cells were forming back north at Emerald Springs. Radar indicated storms that were reforming with outflow so we packed up and raced down the highway around 30km. We drove through several moderate showers with constant intracloud lightning illuminating the night sky. A bit like core punching but without the bear. We quickly located on the lee side of the storms and found an intersection with a good view and set up. There were quite a few large strikes but although we were 'close' we were not close enough to really capture bolts which would fill the frame of a photo. We all managed the same amount of shots with the same strikes, and in essence mine were not that spectacular given the low cloud cover obscuring these big bolts leaping from the top of the crowns.
By around 11:30pm we decided to head back home and checking the radar the storms quickly weakened soon after anyway. They were tracking NE from our past location and no roads led to them in any event. There's not much on the horizon for further storm action this week unless something changes, so it will be another down time period. Given it's still only early October we were pleased to have at least chased - and taken the risk to get some action. Sometimes you have to just go and do it to get some reward and seeing those big strikes on the drive there was well worth the effort in some respects. The storm season will really get underway soon, so there's better things to come by a long mile. I have some pics but they're not all that great for keepers but they are posted here below.
The bureau has given their cyclone outlook for this season and it's much the muchness as previous years...the usual three forming and at least one making landfall and the standard locations for cyclones to form are in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The only thing that has changed is that they expect a cyclone in January if one does form and that the SSTs are a lot cooler and atmospherics are a little haphazard making their forecasting difficult.
Some good news in November for me at least is that there is a German lightning documentary company returning to Darwin to film time lapse lightning. They were last here in 1985 with the late Peter Jarver, and the producer contacted me a few weeks back. The question came up as to 'when is the best time for lightning?' (again!) so I told him - well, Darwin has storms most days, but I'm not sticking my neck out for an approximate date! He is expected to arrive from November 20-25. I'm looking forward to meeting him, chatting about Peter and doing some serious chasing for he and his crew. I shouold be able to retire on the royalty money...not!...
It will be a pleasure for the science aspect and getting them as close as I can to that stuff we all like to photograph.
