Topic: NE NSW / SE QLD Severe Thunderstorms and more flooding : 4 - 8 Nov 2009

[Steven]

They don't seem to be moving very much at all. For coastal areas, I wouldn't be holding my breath over this one.

But still, it looks very good (or very bad if you're near or under the Allora monster ATM).

[Chris.]

Location Warwick SE QLD 5/11/09

OMG..the storm that just left here was incredible, I'm still shaking but going to see if I can catch the back end of it! I'll post photos later when I settle a bit but it's one hell of a storm!!

Regards,
Chris.

Bureau of Meteorology
Queensland Regional Office





TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST


SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND

for DAMAGING WIND, FLASH FLOODING and LARGE HAILSTONES

For people in parts of the LOCKYER VALLEY, IPSWICH CITY, SOUTHERN DOWNS, SCENIC RIM and TOOWOOMBA Council Areas.

Issued at 4:05 pm Thursday, 5 November 2009.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 4:05 pm, very dangerous thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near the area north of Warwick and Allora. Thunderstorms are moving towards the northeast. Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Aratula and Clifton by 5:05 pm.

They are forecast to affect Boonah by 4:35 pm and the area between Boonah and Beaudesert by 5:05 pm.

Damaging winds, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones are likely.

7cm hail has been reported east northeast of Warwick at 3:40pm.
Golf ball size has been reported at Allora at 4:00pm.
Marble sized hail was earlier reported at Stanthorpe at 1:40pm.

Emergency Management Queensland advises that people should:
* Move your car under cover or away from trees.
* Secure loose outdoor items.
* Avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters.
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.

The next warning is due to be issued by 5:05 pm.

A more general severe thunderstorm warning is also current for parts of the Wide Bay and Burnett, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Southeast Coast districts.

Warnings are also available through TV and Radio broadcasts, the Bureau's website at www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 219. The Bureau and Emergency Management Queensland would appreciate warnings being broadcast regularly.

[Richary]

That cell currently west of Boonah looks very very nasty indeed on the radar.

[Colin Maitland]

It has been an interesting afternoon with the explosion of cells through out Southern QLD. It is well worth a look at the archived radar for this afternoons events, especially with the cells that formed over Warwick and Boonah, they defied the trend and made an northerly track, that being the opposite of the main cluster of storms that were  moving to the south east.

One chaser reported hail in Stanthorpe this afternoon. ( waiting for verification of the size, some exaggerated sizes have emerged from various sources)

The storms cells appear to be merging and should now form a rain band in which I would expect thundery rain to make its way over Brisbane this evening.

Col

[Colin Maitland]

Storm warnings have been in place throughtout the afternoon and continue so this evening. Thunder and lightning can be seen and heard to the west of me.

Current storm warning from BOM

issued at 6:04 pm Thursday, 5 November 2009.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 6:05 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Yarraman, the area northwest of Cunninghams Gap, the area south of Helidon and the area north of Cooyar.

These thunderstorms are moving towards the east to northeast.

They are forecast to affect Gatton, Rosevale, Mulgowie, Blackbutt and Nanango by 6:35 pm and Laidley, Grandchester, Moore, Linville, the area east of Nanango and the area north of Nanango by 7:05 pm.

Damaging winds, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones are likely.

7cm hail was reported east northeast of Warwick (near Freestone) at 3:40pm.
Golf ball size hail was reported at Allora at 4:00pm.
Marble size hail was reported at Stanthorpe at 1:40pm.

Emergency Management Queensland advises that people should:
* Move your car under cover or away from trees.
* Secure loose outdoor items.
* Avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters.
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines. 

As I stated in the previous post, reports of hail have emerged, the BOM is now stating that 
 7cm hail was reported east northeast of Warwick (near Freestone) at 3:40pm.
Golf ball size hail was reported at Allora at 4:00pm.

Someone stated that around Stanthorpe there was hail around the 6CM mark where as BOM have reports of Marble size hail was reported at Stanthorpe at 1:40pm..

Be interesting to see full reports as these cells move through.

Col

[Macca]

As I stated in the previous post, reports of hail have emerged, the BOM is now stating that 
 7cm hail was reported east northeast of Warwick (near Freestone) at 3:40pm.
Golf ball size hail was reported at Allora at 4:00pm.

That hail report was from James Harris and myself.  7cm is probably about right but there looks like (on the video) that there may've been a few bigger ones - it was pretty huge and most cars lost windows - somehow I didn't.  More details from the chase later - hopefully with pics.

Macca

[Clayton]

Hey

I ended up having to go to school (mum winged) and then after managed to catch the cell that developed over by Boonah in the afternoon.
There was some nice formation and hail dropped and was about 3-4cm directly over the town. Great storm with some excellent lightning

[Clayton]

I can't post 2 pics at the same time it won't work so here is another

[Clayton]

I was just reading the opinions on the storm at the weatherzone forums and looks like I missed out on most of the boonah storm as they said it intensified again
after I left which was about 30min (my picture is in NSW time) DAMN!! I had no radar and was just going by gut feeling and also my mum was annoyed and wanted to go home
(on my Learners). Hope someone else can post some pics of what I missed.

It was an ok 1st time and probably lucky I didn't get in something big with no radar.

Clayton

[Macca]

Ok so after my post this morning, I headed off to my target area (Warwick - Tenterfield - Texas).  I made it as far as Warwick before a big storm exploded to the south near Tenterfield.  With more storms exploding (literally) around Stanthorpe and the Tenterfield cell moving N, I hung around there and got some nice photos as the cells merged and put on a nice display of inflow/outflow interaction near Dalveen (N of Stanthorpe).  I met up with James H near Stanthorpe and we chased the rest of the day together.  We were a little put off by the big outflow push near Dalveen and we slowly moved northwards towards Warwick.  It was as we neared here that we saw a new storm developing just to the east of there so we took a short cut around the south side of Warwick and popped out under the base of the now 40kft+ storm. We encountered some smallish (1-3cm) hail to start with and we quickly worked out the storm was hardly moving so we just stayed in the hail to play with it.  We also had a great view of the base which was just 1km to our north (and extended off to the west - it was quite large).  Eventually we had to move slightly north and we ended up jogging north over the next 15-20mins in the hail moving about 1km each time to get back to the edge of the hail core between that and the base.  During this time a very nice wall cloud had developed under the base just in front of us too and was being fed by some nice strong easterly inflow.  Each time we moved N, the hail got slightly bigger (as the storm intensified).  As we neared Freestone, the hail got up to 4-5cm and was making some LARGE thuds on the car.  Eventually we had to move further N again and as we neared the intersection with the Cunninham Highway things got nasty.  The hail started to get really big and James lost a rear passenger window and a tail light so he took off east.  I stayed a bit longer to get some photos and footage of the hail and boy was it big.  Stones in the 6-7cm range with some looking like they were probably up to 8cm.  Cars and trucks were getting smashed windows all over the place and eventually I bailed east as well (somehow with my windows intact!).  We stopped about 5km east of the storm and were treated to a barrage of close CGs with the base in the background. After a while we decided to head back towards Brisbane as going back through the core to continue the chase wasn't really an option.  W got some more photos as the storms moved off the ranges but nothing as good as the early stuff!

Pics here...http://macca.bsch.au.com/gallery2/v/Season+09/November/

Macca

[Steven]

Shows over. Looks like the southeasters have penetrated the coastline as showers are coming onshore. Funny how there appears to be some rotation on radar. Has anybody noticed this? Is that an upper low?

Good job to those who chased. 7cm hail is incredible.

[Michael Bath]

Clayton - great you were able to get amongst it - even if your mum did get sick of it. I know it is hard for people not into weather as they get bored pretty quick.  btw - you can modify your post and attach additional photos (there is a forum bug).

Macca/James - you got your storm and hail fix there !!!  It looked evil enough on radar without even seeing it. Glad you were there to share some of it with us.

Some storms finally made it here (Mcleans Ridges) approaching 1am (EDT) with a lot of in-cloud lightning and 14mm over an hour. But nothing too exciting.

Look forward to your report Chris.

MB

[Colin Maitland]

Macca, I would love to have been around the Warwick area with the huge cell that turned ( the main cluster of storms appeared to be travelling in a south east direction) and started to head in a North/ northeast direction and then merge with the cell over Pittsworth area.

It was impressive just to see it explode and watch it move on the radar. Was there any rotational movement in the cells around Stanthorpe and Warwick?

I had heard from other sources of large hail and of cars windows being smashed but I did not realise it was yourself and James reporting in.

Would have been a great chase.

Cheers

Col

[James]

A few photos from yesterday. Sensational storm day and certainly brought my working day to an end!

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

[David C]

A few photos from yesterday. Sensational storm day and certainly brought my working day to an end!

That's a great looking storm there James and Macca. Looks like you could just reach up and touch that wall cloud! It also shows what contribution a solid 'backed' low level flow can make despite the overall rather slack winds higher up (chaser speak here, ie 'backed' meaning easterly component!).