Topic: Severe Storm Alice Springs area: 7 November 2008

[Michael Bath]

The Alice has copped another significant storm. I'll add some data for this event. Alice Springs Airport measured winds to 70ks and had dew points into the 20s.

Power restored after wild Alice storm
Friday November 7, 2008 - 21:02 EDT
The Power and Water Corporation says electricity has been restored to homes in Alice Springs after a severe thunderstorm hit the town late this afternoon.

The Alice Springs airport recorded 16 millimetres of rain in 20 minutes during the storm, which caused localised flooding.

Wind gusts of up to 50 kilometres an hour hit the town, but police say there has not yet been any reports of serious damage.

The Department of Planning and Infrastructure says localised flooding is affecting major roads south of Alice Springs, and drivers are warned to take care.

Ernest Giles Road has been closed and the Luritja Way is closed at Kings Canyon.

- ABC

[Michael Bath]

Not often we get to see a significant thunderstorm event close to radar in Central Australia. The sounding, radar loop and observations do support the possibility of a supercell in that region yesterday afternoon. Particularly when the cell was east of Alice Springs.


---> Alice Springs radar loop





0530UTC

0630UTC

Over Alice Springs 0730UTC

0830UTC

Thanks Mike for the prompt to examine this one.

MB

[Jeff Brislane]

I would say that the cell in question was very likely a supercell given the impressive satpic showing it to have backshear and possible overshoot as well as the strong, deviant radar echo which was going long after the last visable sat pic. I would love to have seen it from the ground and i hope that some pictures of it surface over the coming days & weeks.

Regards Jeff.

[Mike]

Apologies for not posting this earlier..and thanks MB for doing so!  I had some questions for MB regarding this storm system and inadvertently got called out of the house all day before I got a chance to post a thread.  Michael B had told me that this particular storm broke away from the given steering of the others and tracked more easterly once it was left on its own.