Topic: NSW / S QLD Storms 2-5 October 2009

[Antonio (stormboy)]

Well I’m here in Sydney this week and it looks like the radar at the moment is making it very clear that we are in for some thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Its quiet cool at the moment tho. Here is a local lightning map.

storm boy

[Jimmy Deguara]

I guess that was the lightning map earlier - we have had some pretty good rain just on 9pm EST. Rainfall was very steady to almost heavy for about 10 minutes - the most impressive rain we have had for a few months.

Lightning was mostly intra-cloud activity though some loud thunder to shake the house a little.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[DanTheMan]

You can take SE QLD out of the title until next week!

[Shaun Galman]

Upper Western/North West N.S.W. Storm Report 2nd October 2009

Hi guys,
We had a real lucky break tonight! Three isolated cells that fired up nicely before hitting town. Some signs of anviling here and there around the updrafts. Wind was almost non-existant until some outflow hit as the rain core "punched" us.  Several (quite large and close) CG hit from the middle cell of the three that came into town from the West-North West. Crawlers were frequent and overhead in the forward sections of the anvil. Rain was heavy but very brief as the cells quickly headed East in a matter of minutes. I think 0.5-1mm would be about it as there was still dust on the roads as we drove home after photographing the event.

I will post a few photos tomorrow morning as it's a little late now.
Take care if you get out amongst the storms! I heard some hail was present around Dubbo earlier.

Shauno.

[Richary]

Apparently marble size hail near Dubbo. Most storms went north of me but we had one that had lots of flashes directy above us. All in the clouds though and no bolts to look at. A bit of rain, which I guess the garden and dams need.

8mm so far here in Rydalmere in my guage, and looking at the radar that it is for the next few hours. Still the best rain we have had in ages.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Schofields recorded a total of 16.0mm of rain this morning obviously mostly from overnight's storm activity. Obviously storm after storm drifted through the Sydney region training over the area although the storms being so elevated were fast moving in the strong upper level wind shear. With slower movement, higher totals could have been achieved.

The outlook is looking rather promising particularly for the south coast region where some significant falls are likely over the coming week.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Chris.]

You can take SE QLD out of the title until next week!

Unless you include Dust!

It's back, not as thick as last week but it rolled over us here in Warwick about an hour ago.

[Shaun Galman]

Upper Western/North West N.S.W. Storm Photos 2nd October 2009

Hi all,
I'll put up a couple shots from last nights little storms. The first two were taken pretty much in town on the Newtown opal fields (around 100mtrs West from my house) These are of the smallish cell that was in the middle of the three. The other two cells were fairly active also but you can only shoot one at a time lol? I figured getting some amount of sunlight behind the cell would show the microburst much better, which it did
The pinkish hue on these is amazing and something I have not seen in a while. I figured the Hydrogen content must have been fairly high. Unusual to see a bolt wrapping around the rain core also?

These are all at 10mm so they were very close to us. Some beautiful crawlers were shooting overhead across the partial anvil structure but I didn't have any luck other than the second photo where you can only see part of one.

We had one pretty close strike that hit to the left of Russ and I. I knew it was close as it filled my entire sight and seemed to have the small pockets of air burning bright yellow immediately after. It was pretty fast and didn't staccato. We blocked our ears straight away lol.

The third and last photo was taken to the NE of town down on the Pony Fence opal fields. It really shows the moisture haze well. This was the colder, dying stage of the cells that passed over us.
Hope you guys get something on the coast today!
Kindest regards,
Shauno.
  

[Harley Pearman]

Sydney rainfall 3/10/2009

The best storms passed to the north of Blacktown and only light rainfalls occurred in the Blacktown area overnight. Lightning was visible to the north but much of it hidden by low cloud.

Rainfall totals for the 24 hours 2/10/2009 to 9 am 3/10/2009 across the Bureau of Meteorology network reflects this for Sydney.

A total of 5 mm fell where I live but some of that fell this morning as drizzle and 6 mm fell at Penrith.

However, 15 mm fell at Box Hill (Towards Windsor outer NW Sydney) and Hornsby to the north, 17 mm fell at Bondi and Chatswood, 18 mm fell at Baulkham Hills Pool and 22 mm fell at North Rocks.

The area South of Nowra to Ulludulla on the New South Wales South Coast collected some healthy falls of between 50 and 60 mm for the same period with Fishermans Repeater receiving 68 mm for the same period being the highest total within New South Wales. It has been dry in that region of late and this would have broken that dry spell for that region.

Harley Pearman

[Mike]

That second shot is a ripper, Shaun!  Right in front and yep, I would have not covered my ears!  I like the title also - very apt! (am currently getting ready to go out chasing now....4pm Oct 3....CAP has yet to break and there's a convergence line to our east and south..)

[Colin Maitland]

You can take SE QLD out of the title until next week!

Dan, I think you take the sad face off soon, as you said not until next week, so running through the synoptics, GFS storm cast and capes, and it is looking not bad for Wednesday storms up here. Could be early afternoon too. BOM have issued possible storms/ showers as well for Wednesday.

Last night a few storms fired up out west QLD  around Injune and Mitchell, but due to lack of moisture they were very, very short lived and just remained in that vicinity.

Just hot, windy and dusty up here in SEQ, 34.8C at the airport at 2.16pm.

[Richary]

Well the current rainfall here in Sydney is continuing this morning, though lighter than last night. So far here at Rydalmere the guage has registered about 60mm, 10mm on Friday night then the rest from yesterday afternoon. Fairly consistent with weather obs from Olympic Park and Parramatta. It is interesting that there is quite a variation in recorded rainfall readings across Sydney from this system, suburbs further inland receiving less rain but then also less on the north shore than we received here. For example Avalon has only recorded 18mm for the 24 hours to 9am and the airport 23mm.

It would seem the area I am in has benefited most from the rain patterns of all of Sydney, which I am sure is good for the garden (as well as washing the dust off everything!).

[Jimmy Deguara]

We received another 22.8mm here in Schofields which is really helpful. This is the best rain for literally months.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Antonio (stormboy)]

Well our trip here in Sydney has resulted in nothing but rain! Cannot complain though as my grandmother living here said it’s the best rain they have had in a long time. Looks like when we head back for Ballina on Wednesday there are a few storms forecast. Have there been any storms and or rain in the northern rivers this week?

stormboy

[Jimmy Deguara]

I would not ride today off yet. With temperatures at -22C at 500hPa and deep moisture with a little heating there is the potential of some storms even some severe storms. There is a slot of clearer air just to the north of Sydney and winds up to 850hPa are from the northeast. This should pan the way for an interesting afternoon. The GFS models are suggesting CAPE values of about 1200J/kg which is quite healthy. There is already lightning to the west of the ranges as I type. Watch anywhere from near Sydney north to about Taree today.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara