General Weather Archives - Extreme Storms

Australian Severe Weather General Weather Hailstorms Lightning Photos Storm Supercell

Giant Hailstones hit Sydney 18th February 2017

February 19, 2017 Published by: admin

Giant Hailstones hit Sydney 18th December 2017

Giant Hailstones hit Sydney 18th February 2017

Giant Hailstones hit Sydney 18th December 2017

A ferocious storm known as a supercell hit northwest and northern Sydney with hailstones up to 8cm smashed vehicles and skylights. The storm developed explosively near Bilpin and split with the eastern storm rapidly intensifying and moving east across the northern part of the city.

Large hailstones 4cm in diameter were first report from Londonderry and also Penrith and Richmond reported larger hailstones. The storm intensified and reports came in from Rouse Hill and Box Hill of significant hailstones to the size of 5cm in diameter as the storm rapidly moved east. Hailstones of 7cm was also reported at Glenhaven. the storm persisted and moved towards the Northern suburbs smashing homes and vehicles with more giant hailstones being reported. Serious lightning strikes also disrupted power across the region. This was the most violent hailstorm to hit the Sydney region since December 2007 when part of the region were hit by similar sized hailstones in Blacktown.

A change had entered the region which normally can deter storms from forming due to the cooler air at the surface. But temperatures across western Sydney and ample moisture persisted throughout the afternoon as the sun was allowed to continue baking the region. As the change moved inland, surface convergence along the change near Bilpin was able to break the solid lid on convection and an isolated storm developed. To rapidly exploded as it tapped the energy from warm moist air across the Sydney basin. Being relatively isolated allowed it to intensify to produce giant hailstones supported of course by upper cooling.

More storms developed across the Illawarra and also the Central Coast with destructive warnings persisting until most of the storms exited the region.
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#Sydney #hail #hailstorm this afternoon pic.twitter.com/ZwZ2jkzzBz

— Jimmy Deguara (@JimmyDeguara) February 18, 2017

See : 128km Radar Loop for Sydney (Terrey Hills), 22:00 17/02/2017 to 22:00 18/02/2017 UTC

http://www.theweatherchaser.com/radar-loop/IDR714-sydney-terrey-hills/2017-02-17-22/2017-02-18-22

See : 64km Radar Loop for Sydney (Terrey Hills), 03:00 18/02/2017 to 22:00 18/02/2017 UTC

See : 128km Radar Loop for Wollongong, 22:00 17/02/2017 to 22:00 18/02/2017 UTC

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Australian Severe Weather General Weather Hailstorms Lightning Rain Storm Storm Video Supercell

Kyogle to Beaudesert Supercell – Lightning hits tree

December 19, 2016 Published by: admin

Supercell - Lightning hits tree

Lightning hits tree. This is a longer version of the 3rd December 2016 Kyogle to Beaudesert Supercell. It was requested to me to provide a full account of the supercell from NSW through to Queensland. So I have put together a more in depth account of the chase beginning from Kyogle and on to areas north of Kyogle. Finally a better edit of the intense phase in Queensland from over the border through to Rathdowney where giant hail was reported. Next a lightning fest on approach to Beaudesert.

lightning hits a tree

A lightning hit a tree near the road 10metres away and then another in the field (which was filmed)! Please enjoy in full screen, HD and sound turned up!

It was a spectacular storm in its large size and very active lightning observed as well as significant hailstones. The storm being slow moving allowed for the relatively rare opportunity to chase in New South Wales and southern Queensland.

Staccato lightning

bell shaped updraft supercell

Supercell with very large hail

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Australian Severe Weather General Weather Hailstorms Lightning natural disasters Photograph Photos Rain Storm Storm Video Supercell Tornado wind

Tornadoes and Supercells Storm Chase 2016

June 14, 2016 Published by: admin

Storm Chase 2016 Tornado Alley

After 3 years, another opportunity for storm chasing 2016. The following Youtube videos and extensive selection of the most important images from this year's two week chases are included. This includes timelapse videos of rotating storms and spectacular lightning - some of my best lightning shots!

Perryton Tornado becomes a wedge tornado quickly from a cone tornado.

Funnel cloud possible tornado inside the inflow notch of now HP supercell

Simultaneous tornado near Perryton tornado

With a period of significant high CAPE and south west flow predicted, it set the scene for chaseable supercells and tornadoes. The following are a gallery of the storms and tornadoes from the 2016 storm chasing in Tornado Alley - namely, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. This was the first storm chase. After a frustrating storm chase with merging supercells, increased moisture and an outflow boundary, the Perryton, Texas storm finally comes tornado warned. Turn onto the road west and there it was! Cone tornado. Too dark for immediate shots and I finally was able to get footage and shots on tripod. It wedges out and then surprise another circulation produces a separate simultaneous tornado. After examining the inflow notch a couple of times a third funnel cloud and possible tornado occurs.

Sunset and sculptured supercell

Lightning and sculptured supercell

Day 2 Turkey Supercell

Day 2 and after a brief supercell near Clarendon, Texas. Perhaps a little risky but I ventured further south for tail end charlie. Unfortunately, there were several supercells spawning near Plainview. The waiting game began. Radar then suggested nice structure it seemed to my east. But where was this storm - there were so many storms. I realised it was the on producing lightning just to my east. This became the Turkey supercell! It produced a likely wall cloud but the updraft and the storm structure improved to a beautiful sculptured LP supercell! Sunset illuminating the updraft and vault clearly defined! With lightning threatening to singe the earth, I took note that the base had begun to show a bowl lowering. This storm eventually became tornado warned after dark and produced a cone shaped tornado and wedge tornado soon after (chasers suggesting the same damage path).

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Day 3 Dodge City Supercell and Tornadoes

Wall cloud and Tornadoes as the Storm Intensified

The Dodge City tornadic event stunned me: despite the favourable tornadic conditions for strong to violent tornadoes, I did not anticipate such a prolific event. But when two mesocyclones developed side by side I thought a cyclic event was in order. The way the first tornado roped out and reformed just as quick and became strong to violent is something I had not witnessed prior. Multiple tornadoes at once was simply insane. A flood of tornadoes - one set 3 at a time and another 3 twins! Intense vorticies formed under the front mesocyclone dancing around each other.

Travelling through Dodge City with sirens blazing and tornado on the west side of town made for some intense chasing - street by street! Out of the other side and again another tornado spins to the earth and takes out a house (unfortunately a negative part of the event). The power flash followed by debris spinning around the vortex certainly demonstrated the power of what seemed such a small tornado.

Finally one more tornado seemed to developed further north and the storm had run its course! Some counts suggest based on the true definition of tornadoes that 8 to 10 tornadoes had been spawned from this event!