Australia - Darling Downs Supercell - 17th Nov 2012

[Michael Thompson]

This was perhaps one of the most chased storms in Australian history. I chased the 1000km (600miles) drive for this event. There were over a dozen chase crews out ( I know a joke by US standards).

I concentrated on video, hence I only 1 decent picture showing dust inflow, but the footage makes up for it.

Watch video >

Part 1 of the video shows the inflow dust and some intense CGs...............part 2 in next thread

 

[Michael Thompson]

Part 2 video - starts with some pretty intense lightning/thunder. Some interest cloud motion towards end

Watch video >

There are other videos out there too:

Please credit the original chaser, not me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV02dns5H-Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz0LSCBBqJo&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adeKGOdpu1M

 

[STexan]

Does Australia have an agency similar to USA's Storm Prediction Center (spc.noaa.gov) that works to predict severe storms as far out as possible?

 

[Michael Thompson]

Does Australia have an agency similar to USA's Storm Prediction Center (spc.noaa.gov) that works to predict severe storms as far out as possible?

Not really, each state office of the met bureau will have a couple of officers in charge of severe weather, but it is all reactionary..although I do believe the Emergency Services will sometimes get a heads up, but usually for larger scale events such as a Cyclone or East Coast low (notorious flood producers).

There is no convective outlook, in fact many chasers here are more informed about potential events then anybody. This past one was a classic in that regard with several chase crews taking a 2000km (1200 mile) round trip from Sydney to the event, and this was based purely on what the GFS models had been holding to and suggesting.

On the practical side one has to realise that this is not the USA mid west, these events here are a handful a season at best, so it is probably not worth the $$$ of taxpayer money.

 

[Stephen Levine]

Thank you for sharing your awesome journey.. some amazing moments in there; twas a joy to watch.

 

[STexan]

I bet the cellular data coverage is almost non-existent out in the bush. And thus no radar and other pertinent weather related real-time info. Talk about doing it "old school" and chasing by sight and letting your gut and experience guide you. Would be fun, though to chase their one time.

 

[Michael Thomas]

This was perhaps one of the most chased storms in Australian history. I chased the 1000km (600miles) drive for this event. There were over a dozen chase crews out ( I know a joke by US standards).

I was thinking exactly the same thing. In terms of "chaser convergence," it really was the perfect storm. 1) It was on a Saturday (allowing several people to make the drive from Sydney), 2) GFS was forecasting high CAPE and strong E/NE'ly low-level winds from almost a week out in that general location, 3) prime storm chasing location, 4) the east coast of Australia (particularly SE Queensland) has been very quiet for severe storms for Sept, Oct and the first half of Nov, and finally 4) upon initiation, only one storm went up.

Here's a my favourite photo of the storm-

SDIM0072_rs2 by Intheeyeball, on Flickr

As far as I am aware, there was a spotter report of hail to 8 cm. On the weatherzone forum, there is also what am assuming is a second hand report of hail to 8-10 cm. The following day was also a big storm day with a supercell affecting the western suburbs of Brisbane (produced hail to 9 cm). Further north, we were hit by a right-moving supercell producing large hail and damaging straight-line winds (measured a hailstone of 8.4 cm around an hour after the storm, also numerous large trees were downed by the storm).

 

[Michael Thomas]

I bet the cellular data coverage is almost non-existent out in the bush.

Fortunately coverage is actually very good in that location.

 

[Michael Thompson]

Fortunately coverage is actually very good in that location.

I'm still old school, my mobile is that basic its simply for calls..I do have a dongle for the laptop, but its coverage is poor at best. The haze that accompanied this setup spoke of the nice CAP, but also made it hard for a 'eyes on the sky' chaser like me.

 

[Michael Thompson]

For those who just want to see the lightning I have condensed it, it gets better as it goes as the storm moves closer. At three different stages there are power line flashes from strikes (not wind), in two the bolt is somewhere off screen, shows just how far lightning can travel along wires.

Watch video >

The original on Youtube is HD at 1080

 

[James Chambers]

I chased the above storm as well. A great highly electrified storm... big in size, with gale force inflow. It was helped by the great location - it's big sky country with very few houses and very good road network - a true rarity out here. I believe a chaser lost his windscreen which is no surprise at all... I had near-golfballs and a few new dents. Farmers suffered in the area with large crop losses.

But yes the day after Brisbane had a rather nasty hailstorm - hail up to cricket/baseballs and a lot of car/house damage. The worst just missed my place - we only had ping pong hail perhaps... but it certainly caused a mess in the veg garden! Here's a video (not mine) of one of the worst affected areas... quite a 'nice' hail barrage:

Watch video >

James
http://www.brisbanestorms.com

 

[Michael Thompson]

Yes James, I made the comment on video ( which will be on my end of season DVD) that "this looks just like the US mid west" referring to the countryside and road. As you say rare here as even in our driest areas there is a scrub of 10-20ft trees especially along roadsides. Another area which is comparable, but on a much smaller scale is the Liverpool Plains of New South Wales.

 

[Paul Knightley]

Great videos! The lightning is stunning.