Widespread
severe storms in NE NSW, SE and central eastern QldNEWSBITS: Heavy storm falls in WA, NT; Hot and cold in SW WA
Widespread damaging storms moved slowly across northeastern NSW and eastern Queensland this afternoon and evening. Conditions were perfect for their formation: a broad, slow-moving trough over central eastern Queensland and NE NSW, a bullseye of high precipitable water over the eastern NSW/Qld border region, an upper trough together with cooler upper air moving in behind a weak change, and a complex upper jetstream entry enhancing vertical air movement over the area.
Between midday and 3pm, a huge area of storms developed in an area bounded roughly by Lismore, Dubbo, Bourke, Barcaldine and Rockhampton, and moved very slowly to the ENE over the next 12 to 15 hours. The high short duration rainfall figures below show that the heaviest falls in SE Qld and NE NSW were during the early evening as the most intense area of storms moved across the coast. However, two areas of intense storms gave prolonged electical activity in the Rockhampton/Mackay area until well into Wednesday. In the Brisbane/Ipswich area, 25,000 homes lost power during the storm, with over 5,000 still not restored by mid-morning Christmas Day. The worst affected area was Camira, a suburb of Ipswich, where about 85 houses suffered full or partial roof damage or other damage, mostly as a result of falling trees and branches. At Esk, 65km WNW of Brisbane, a house was destroyed by fire following a lightning strike. Wind gusted to 102km/h at Cape Moreton as the storm passed there about 10.30pm. Rainfall totals in the storms ranged mostly between 20 and 30mm, though Beerburrum Forestry recorded 59.8 in 2 hours to 11pm and, of the flood alert raingauges, Toogoolawah, recorded 59 and Caboonbah 58mm in the hour to 8pm. Both stations are about 10km north of Esk.
Much of Lismore in NSW was left without electriticy when early evening storms blew trees onto powerlines. 28 homes were damaged, with the SES receiving 78 calls for help. Lismore Airport recorded a top wind gust of 108km/h just before 6pm. Lismore Airport recorded 25.6mm in 12 minutes from the storm, with 9.6 falling in just 3 minutes. Farther south, heavy rain was recorded around Coffs Harbour. The airport recorded 36.6mm in the hour to 6.30pm, while Gleniffer and Promised Land (Crystal Creek), 7 and 12km respectively north of Bellinger, recorded 101 and 84mm in the 3 hours to 6pm, though most would have fallen in a shorter period.
NEWSBITS: Though storm rainfall of the intensity described above is commonplace in the Northern Territory Top End in thunderstorms leading up to the wet season, the downpour recorded at Batchelor, 70km S of Darwin, this evening is still worth a mention. 93mm fell in 1 hour 40 minutes. There were heavy storm falls in the north of WA, too, with Halls Creek Airport recording 40mm in 1 hour to 8pm, while Cobra Station in the East Gascoyne and Glen Florrie Station in the West Pilbara recorded 24 hour to 9am totals of 74.2 and 54.6mm respectively from a huge storm system that moved east across the area overnight. In a strange reversal of normal temperature distribution, the far southwest of WA sweltered today while the nearby inland wheatbelt shivered. Pemberton's top of 34.9° was 11.1 above normal, while Merredin, 350km NE in the wheatbelt which was under cloud all day, recorded only 24.9, 7 below.