Topic: SE QLD/NSW Thunderstorms: 8-15 Dec 2009

[Mathew Townsend]

Ok here we go again for next mini outbreak of thunderstorms across the region. Past couple of days it has been an epic failure due to presence of offshore surface low that prevent anything to trigger off. That surface low is now dissipated and now let the trough to deepen. Nice instability look in sky this morning with plenty stratocumulus with some towers on the top of it, some are ACCAS.

It does feel like stormy one today. Temperatures will be very hot especially hitting 38 inland and 33 on the coast with high dewpoints (18-23) that will able to help by the seabreeze that trigger off thunderstorms (possibly severe according to the convective outlook).

Chase opportunities ahead, fire it up storms!

[Mathew Townsend]

Now back in Ballina. Cells firing up along the tablelands north of Newcastle towards NWSP (North West Slopes and Plains) moving east very good shear and the cap is breaking up here at the moment is 31/21 with strong NNE winds with seabreezes lurking inland!

STW is out already but only for damaging winds because they are inland. Soon will upgrade for hail and flash flooding later on once they reach the coastal plains.

Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
New South Wales
TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
for DAMAGING WIND

For people in parts of the MID NORTH COAST, HUNTER, NORTHERN TABLELANDS, NORTH WEST SLOPES and NORTH WEST PLAINS Forecast Districts.

Issued at 2:27 pm Tuesday, 8 December 2009.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Armidale, Glen Innes, Inverell, Tamworth, Moree, Manilla and Barraba.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi,

It was a little bit of surprise even despite forecasting a storm to see one flashing wildly last night over southern parts of Sydney and moving rapidly. Here is a picture of the storm lightning and associated structure  (if any)...





Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Clayton]

Hey

I am desperate for a chase and was looking at today's forecast and Teneterfield and around that area could be in for storm.
I am so desperate so I could be over exaggerating the forecast so any advice would be appreciated.








Thanks Clayton

[Mathew Townsend]

Clayton

It turns out very under exaggerated at the moment according to the inversion, temp/humidity charts, vis sat, current obs (with seabreezes inland!) and also massive front of widespread thunderstorms developing from the Tablelands!

[Shaun Galman]

Hi guys,
Well we had another storm come by this morning (if you could call it that? lol). I did see a bit of a line on radar up over the border near Thargominda so I was aware something may get down towards us at some stage last night.
I was awoken by distant thunder at 3:35am EDT and raced out of bed, got dressed and looked out my window to see several bright CG lighting up out west. I grabbed my camera and tripod and walked down the street and out onto the old Newtown opal fields (on the western edge of town). I watched as two very small rain cores skirted town to the SW. There were several IC crawlers and I managed to catch one single CG, this would turn out to be the last of the morning.
I waited there for an hour as the lightning got less and less. The dreaded outflow winds soon picked up then I knew the rain was close. I started to head home just as the rain set in. I wouldn't even imagine it would have registered in a rain gauge? Just an annoyance shower. Conditions were far from ideal so I wasn't expecting much from the start.

It's been overcast all day with the odd light sprinkle. Good to see the ridiculous dust haze and low 40˚c temps clear off with this partial weather.

Ahh well.. I'll stay vigilant and hold out for the next weather event, hopefully something worth while 
I'll post the one photo if I think it's worth my time to even process it lol.

Kindest regards,
Shauno 

[Mathew Townsend]

Very large-ish severe thunderstorm has shifted in direction from SE to NE when it has hit Grafton. It looks like Yamba, Evans Head, Ballina, Lismore and Byron Bay getting this one! We must need rain to prevent from getting record low rainfall for this month. Skies here looking amazingly awesome with plenty anvil, CB like towers and that with new convection explosive towers in the west that joining up as the line between Bonalbo and Yamba!

[Clayton]

Hey

I wanted to go to Grafton Yesterday so bad but still on my L's unfortunately.
So was anybody down there it looked like it intensified just to north of Grafton Yesterday arvo.

Could be a storm on the Gold Coast if the forecasts are on the money. What do you guys think?

Also this weekend could be OK as well I wish we could have an awesome setup soon, best I've had in my 1st year chasing was on the 5th November 2009 at Warwick.

Clayton

[Michael Bath]

10th Dec 2009

There were reports of intense lightning in Grafton with dust/smoke haze. Little in the way of features but 10-12mm of rain.

It was amazing how quickly the storm in that area dissipated - see radar below. There was a large roll cloud that formed on the outflow which spread all the way up the coast to north of Ballina though it looked very ordinary by then.

Attached photos are by Halden Boyd of Evans Head.


See : 128km Radar Loop for Grafton, 02:00 10/12/2009 to 09:00 10/12/2009 UTC

[Mathew Townsend]

I took nice photos of southerly buster that came through Ballina just around 6pm last evening. It was very fast moving and brought us very gusty cooler but more humid southerly winds. We missed out on the rain again. However today looking far interesting!

[Colin Maitland]

Storm warning issued for the SEQ district

For people in parts of the
LOCKYER VALLEY,
IPSWICH CITY,
SOMERSET and
TOOWOOMBA Council Areas.

Issued at 3:30 pm Friday, 11 December 2009.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 3:35 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Crows Nest. These thunderstorms are moving towards the southeast. They are forecast to affect the area southwest of Esk and the area north of Gatton by 4:05 pm, and Gatton, Lowood, and Coominya by 4:35pm.

Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely.

[Clayton]

Mornin Everyone

It looks like the northern rivers could be in for a good storm and
I could get a 17th birthday storm chase which would be awesome!!!


for 4pm


for 4pm


Lets all hope



Cya Guys

Clayton

[Mathew Townsend]

It has been very poor forecasting for Northern Rivers lately. Ballina only had very light drizzle this morning and thats it. 4.5mm of rain so far for December which is shocking driest on record ahead! Other areas always get the rain even lot of places scored 100mm already for this month. What happened to the rains for Ballina? It used to be rain all the time and now not anymore!? It feels like Alice Springs!

[orage]

All,

It has been quite a while since I lasted posted - it has been quite a while since we have had something worth writing about. There have been three events here in Armidale worth comment, though, all occuring within the last 24 hours. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures to post.

The first was Yesterday afternoon. Forecasts looked favourable (at least to my untrained eye) and indeed a few storms fired up to the south of Armidale skirting round the eastern side. While I could not see what sort of precipitation fell, the cell didn't seem to severe, was very slow moving and was not long lived. It did have a nice Pileus cloud sitting on top.

After 4am this morning another storm passed this way. Not much rain fell (2mm), but there was a large amount of thunder and lightning. Again it seemed to be quite slow moving.

Finally this afternoon, a storm which had reached its peak south of the town and was weakening when it got to my location, passed straight over the town dumping 20mm in 20 minutes including some small hail. The rain was certainly needed. It has been very dry. The wind whipped up too with gust of 57kmh recorded at the airport.

An exciting few days,

orage