Australia - Kiama Tornado - 24th February 2013

[Michael Thompson]

Just 15 mins from home, happened 3am, I was actually out chasing but had no radar and flash flooding had cut roads.

I will leave the tornado vs tornadic waterspout vs waterspout vs straight line to everybody else.

Click on any image for larger

 

[Michael Thompson]

Part 2 pics and video







Watch video >

 

[Michael Thompson]

Link to local news paper - lots of pics, but the dreaded "mini tornado" phrase. Report also says Kiama hit by 90kph, well that may have been at the weather station 5miles ( 3 miles ) away. 90kph is a strength achieved 3-4 times in most years without damage. Just some more background this was a very unusual system, started as an East Coast low that moved SW and inland, however a group of thunderstorms tracked down the seaboard in a highly sheared environment. This storm would have been a tail end one, with clear tropical air feeding in from the NE.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1321903/gallery-storm-damage-closes-roads/?cs=300

 

[Michael Thompson]

On the same night there was another suspected tornado about 25kms (15miles) further south. There is debate about straight line vs tornadic damage and the Bureau of Meteorology has stayed out of the debate for now.

http://www.southcoastregister.com.a...orm-damage-from-the-air-photo-gallery/?cs=206

This picture gallery of that event shows support for both straight line and tornado. The ridge top pics do look straight line, but pic 9 of the farm is very telling, careful inspection shows trees uprooted 180 degrees in direction, and at least two groups have fallen across each other. Pic 4 is inconclusive too, but shows a narrow path.

I believe this event which was luckily confined to rural areas was stronger than the Kiama one.

There is a damage path in thick forest that crosses a road down there, I will go down on the weekend and try to survey fall patterns.

 

[Paul Knightley]

Very interesting stuff, Michael - any radar grabs from the time of the event?

 

[Michael Thompson]

Doppler and normal Radar and the picture I have been waiting to see, this is the track of the suspected stronger tornado which lukilly did not hit a town just 5km away. Interim Bureay rating of F2, I would be prepared to call F3, these are 60-100ft high trees.

http://www.theweatherchaser.com/radar-loop/IDR03I-wollongong/2013-02-23-12/2013-02-23-20

http://www.theweatherchaser.com/radar-loop/IDR712-sydney-terrey-hills/2013-02-23-12/2013-02-23-20

 

[Michael Thompson]

Last post I hope, but well worth looking at. The attached link shows a before and after scene of the torando track, it is the road you can see crossing the pic above near edge of forest

http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/story/1332223/tornado-winds-reached-200km-per-hour/?cs=12&fb_action_ids=10151538357531340&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map={"10151538357531340"%3A141417829359652}&action_type_map={"10151538357531340"%3A"og.likes"}&action_ref_map=[]

 

[Alex Heimberger]

That's an intense before & after. Good to hear no one was killed by these tornadoes. Thanks for posting.