Australian Severe Weather Season starts active

[Willoughby Owen]

Suprised there hasn't been a thread started by any of our Aussie friends on ST!

Early start to the season there in Southeast Queensland/Northeast NSW due to impressive hot temperatures for this time of year in the region with timing of an upper trough and moist northeasterlies coming off the Coral Sea coinciding over the last two days. (CAPE to 3000j/kg, LI to -10C)

Seemed as though Saturday was the winner - a beautiful supercell with a stacked plate mesocyclone 60km WSW inland of Brisbane. Check link below.

Some great photos and reports in this thread (click for page 4/5 at the bottom):

http://forum.weatherzone.com.au/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=000455;p=3

Tell me why am I still in NZ?

 

[Bart_Comstock]

Tell me why am I still in NZ?

The cricket and rugby teams?

But seriously those shots were quite impressive. I may have to start seriously thinking of taking a fall retreat there sometime when I find my self in a bit better of a financial state. That would be quite the experience to have chased and filmed a mother ship like pictured on that forum on both sides of the planet.

 

[Michael Thompson]

Here in the Sydney area we have jumped from a cooler winter than what has been the par for the last decade clear over Spring and into Summer.

Sydney has had two Saturday's in a row now where the temperature has gone over 30C.

Some of the CAPE values in the NE of NSW and SE Queensland have been very impressive for September (like March in the USA). Values pushing 3000 j/kj, but ordinary shear has kept a lid on overly severe action.

 

[MJ Poore]

Glad you're getting storms already over there. Still waiting over here. No instability. It hasnt rained where I am in Johannesburg since late May (normal) and the only rotation is in dust devils right now. Currently -4 dewpoints. But things change fast in Spring. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks when the ITZC finally shifts south.

 

[Steven Williams]

Hopefully over the next couple of weeks when the ITZC finally shifts south.

I wish it would push south onto New Zealand!

That area inland from the Gold Coast seems to be a great spot for supercell thunderstorms.

 

[Vicky Redwood]

I had heard about the chase season in Australia but didn't know where the action actually took place. How many of those supercells become tornadic?

I think it's great that there are more chase territories appearing around the globe opening up to me and the rest of us!

 

[George Kourounis]

One prime area is in northern New South Wales/southern Queensland. I went there from Canada last year to do some chasing. Not many of the supercells produce tornadoes, but they do happen. My chase partner for that trip, Jimmy Deguara has some great tornado video from last year. He shot it just a few weeks before I arrived!!

One big problem is the lack of a quality road network. There were plenty of storms but getting to them was near impossible because there are so few roads to choose from.

http://www.stormchaser.ca/Severe_Thunderstorms/Thunder_Down_Under/Thunder_Down_Under.html

Also, I captured some nice lightning from the Red Center:

http://www.stormchaser.ca/Lightning/Australia_Lightning/Australia_Lightning.html

George Kourounis
www.stormchaser.ca

 

[Chip Redmond]

I enjoy hearing about storms overseas because many people are oblivious that the same kind of severe weather happens over there too. Awesome pics and thanks for sharing!

Chip

 

[Michael Thompson]

This may raise a bit of controversy, perhaps from my fellow Australian chasers who may feel left out.

The shading on this map is not in anyway comparable to the USA. To tell the truth nowhere here gets the severe storm frequency such as the great plains.

The YELLOW shading is practical chase territory. Chasers from Western Australian and South Australia will argue otherwise, but this is practical. Those 2 states do get severe storms but the driving and logistics factor for a mobile chaser has to be added. If you are not from those states you WILL NOT find yourself chasing there. Likewise much of western Victoria is good for locals, but are you going to lay down 1000km for a one day event.

The RED shaded area is where the best chances of severe storms - hail, downbursts mostly.

 

[Steven Williams]

The chart looks good to me Michael. Maybe the red area runs too far north of Brisbane but I could be wrong.

Interestingly if you were to do a chart based on tornado occurrence in Australia, the SW of western Australia would show up as a prime spot. But these are generally cool season tornadoes.

 

[Michael Thompson]

The chart looks good to me Michael. Maybe the red area runs too far north of Brisbane but I could be wrong.

Interestingly if you were to do a chart based on tornado occurrence in Australia, the SW of western Australia would show up as a prime spot. But these are generally cool season tornadoes.

Quite right Steven, the SW of WA does get a share of weak non-supercell tornadoes, High shear -low CAPE. Impossible to chase these as the storm lines move at 50-60 miles per hour,

In regard to the area north of Brisbane , this area is actually where several true tornadoes above F1 have occurred. The main problem is not moisture it is the cursed SE Queensland ridge which can at times seem like a semi permanent fixture. Whenever it breaks down in Spring to early summer it is a case of watch out.

http://www.bsch.au.com/severewx/index.shtml

Above are some accounts of the KIn Kin tornado ( killed 3 people ) and an F4 at Bucca, both localities are somewhat north of Brisbane.

 

[Linda Kitchen]

Thanks Michael for the links. I spent some time in Brisbane in May 1986 and I remember every one talking of the tornado that hit in March, at Daisy Hill. I never got to see the damage but I remember that that it was supposed to be pretty severe. I missed it by 2 months!!