Topic: Strong low pressure area affecting Southeast Aust: 8-10 August 2007

[Mike]

Hi there guys.

Noticed on the maps there's a dandy low pressure system headed your way through the lower regions of this land of ours.  There are strong winds and snow forecast I read, so anyone expected to be out chasing in the next day or two?

Mike

[Michael Bath]

Hi Mike,

The snowfalls with this one will be confined to the Alpine areas of VIC/NSW and higher grouind of TAS.  Pretty impressive obs from some of the AWS - Thredbo Top Station has had gusts around 120km/h for over 24 hours, with the wind chill hovering around -20. My daughter is at Perisher for a school excursion and was not happy with the strong winds !

http://www.BoM.GOV.AU/products/IDN60801/IDN60801.95909.shtml

MB

[Mike]

I was viewing the 7 day lapse of that low pressure area on the BoM site and the pressures were way low - down to 980 - 947hp!!  Two cold fronts converging and if that was over land during the storm season it would be make for an impressive squall line.  120km/h winds certainly packing some punch especially when it's -20.

Mike

[Michael Bath]

Mt Read on the west coast of TAS has had wind gusts up to 156km/h earlier this afternoon (9th).

BoM obs maps

[Jimmy Deguara]

Michael,

156km/h gust is nothing to sneeze at I tell you. I guess the pressure gradient created by the heating and much cooler conditions down south has a lot to do with the powerul winds generated:)

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Mike]

Any idea of the wave heights with those wind gusts?  That's sure to have a huge impact on swell size.

Mike

[Michael Bath]

7.2 metres on the west coast according to these warnings:
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDT65280.shtml

Wind gusts up to 133km/h again right now at Mt Read.


This news from Weatherzone:
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/story.jsp?id=7179
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/story.jsp?id=7182


Strongest winds in years rip through Tasmania
Brett Dutschke, Thursday August 9, 2007 - 14:25 EST
Parts of Tasmania have been experiencing there windiest day in at least five years as northwesterlies consistently exceeded 100km/h.

The most severe winds were above about 400 metres in the west, peaking at 150km/h at Mt Read and Scotts Peak Dam, strong enough to bring down trees and powerlines.

Unlike yesterday, when main towns near sea-level had winds just strong enough to ruffle ones hair, today was much windier throughout. It was the windiest day in more than five years for St Helens airport where winds reached 95 km/h. Friendly Beach’s 109km/h winds is their strongest in three years.

The worst is not over for some. While winds will generally ease overnight as a front slips south, severe gusts are still possible. Winds will increase again across most of the state late on Friday as another front approaches.

The weekend will be much calmer in a colder southwesterly change.

[Mike]

Holy cow - that's huge!  Those winds are just ugly - I'm sure there'll be photos coming soon of the damage in the area.  (you can bet there'll be wind surfers out there somewhere...they do that )

Mike