Topic: Australian historic tornadoes

[Peter J]

Jimmy

If I'm not mistaken, hasn't there been an F-4 tornado in Vic - the Sandon (near Bendigo) tornado of '76?

Big Pete

[Jimmy Deguara]

Big Pete,

That tornado in November 1976 was a pretty violent tornado form a well organised classic supercell. I guess F-4 means it would have had to have caused F-4 damage. It did pick up a small vehicle and hurled the vehicle some distance in the air with the occupants were found dead separate from the vehicle (apparently stripped naked of their clothes indicating the powerful strength of this tornado).

How would it be rated: I guess one would have to consider the vehicle and what minimum winds are capable of making the vehicle airborne. I would say it would have to be about an F-3 which is what I thought the Bureau had labelled it but I cannot be sure. Anyone can verify either? I wonder if the terrain covered with sparse vegetation made it difficult to determine a reasonable figure?

Assuming the following is accurate, it list the Sandon tornado at possibly F-3 status:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Southern_Hemisphere_tornadoes_and_tornado_outbreaks

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Mike]

Found this link with some numbers and facts on tornadoes in Oz (NT no mention! )

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/storm/tornadoes-aunzea.htm

Mike

[Peter J]

I also believe there was a tornado recorded in Violet Town (near Benalla) VIC back in 1980, but not sure - did see some photos of this storm from BoM - when I was in early high school I did a montage on Vic severe weather and tornadoes - included 1976 Sandon and 1980 Violet Town twisters and made mention of the Croydon Vic 1983/4 hailstorm/landspout - hail stones the size of baseballs fell for 35 mins - the spout/twister lasted 3 mins from my mother's anecdotal evidence.

Big Pete

[Richary]

The book "Wiily Willies & Cockeyed Bobs - Tornadoes in Australia" by David A.J. Seargent makes mention of the Sandon tornado on 13/11/1976. It doesn't mention one in 1980 apart from in WA. .

Apparently the cumulonimbus anvils from the Sandon storm pearked well over the 10km normal storm clouds reach, and radar echoes indicated they peaked at 17km. 3 tornadoes were detected, with the most serious touching down around 5:30pm and causing $2-300,000 of property damage. The car that was lifted was a Mini Minor and it reports the man's body had the clothing stripped. Another car nearby had every window shattered with 2 women and children inside but they all survived with no serious injury.

Estimated minimum windgusts were 170kph from damage to corrugated iron (F1/T3), Lifting a motor vehicle requires strong F2/weak F3 - the car was lifted 9-12 metres into the air and carried for about 100 metres. The tornado track was about 300m wide and went for 6km.

[David C]

Jimmy

If I'm not mistaken, hasn't there been an F-4 tornado in Vic - the Sandon (near Bendigo) tornado of '76?

Big Pete

The strongest tornado documented from Vic was the Geelong tornado (F3) in 1926. I had a detailed summary of this one in a book that, somewhat ironically, was 'permanently displaced' by United Airlines on the way back from Texas in 2001.

google comes up with this >> http://www.intown.com.au/historic/1926-geelong-tornado.html

The Sandon tornado did not really hit much, except the car unfortunately, and that was a mini or something similiar. It was on this basis that the F2 rating was subsequently assigned.