Widespread
thunderstorm falls in E NSW and across the tropicsNEWSBITS: Wagga dust storm
Widespread rainfalls of 10 to 60mm were recorded across the eastern third of NSW today falling from a wide belt of thunderstorms. A broad trough gently eased eastwards across the state and by mid morning its instability was interacting with copious moisture brought into the east of the state by several days of onshore northeasterlies. Many of the heavier falls reflected short-duration torrential rain, as shown in the short-duration falls below, while hail was reported from Dripstone, SE of Wellington, and Mt Seaview west of Port Macquarie. Mt Seaview, Jerrys Plains, Newcastle University and Quirindi all scored 50mm or more, with the observer at Mt Seaview reporting four successive major storms during the day and night with local flash flooding. Lightning strikes caused power failures on Sydney's North Shore and parts of the Central Coast between Somersby and Avoca, affecting 8,000 properties, while the Central West town of Coonamble was also blacked out. The rain helped firefighters, with all fires in the state's east contained or controlled by the end of the day.
Thunderstorms also lit up the NT Top End, WA Kimberley and Qld Cape York Peninsula this evening and overnight into Saturday, with more reports of heavy rain. Tindal RAAF Base, 15km SE of Katherine, recorded 73.6mm in just over one hour early this evening for a storm total of 113mm. Earlier in the day, Normanton in the Queensland Gulf Country recorded 54.4mm in 2 hours to 11am.
NEWSBITS: While storms were dowsing the east of NSW, Wagga airport reported a dust storm at 6pm reducing visibility to 900m.