2 awesome days for lightning
November 30th
Radar loop: http://www.freewebs.com/bennsradars/Sydneynov30loop.gif
A rather interesting day. I rode up to the nearby oval to watch a small storm around Richmond. I saw it was intensifying and developed a wall cloud, which dropped a few lowerings, (dropped some funnels in Sydneys west, I must have missed it) . The storm switched direction and came over me, the severest bit was going to go to the SW, (as it switched direction from SE to S. Only some very light rain from it, but some nice lightning. Pictures of the wall cloud below.
December 3rd
Simply freaky. My love of lightning has increased and my fear has grown majorly from it. After deciding to take a peek up on the Golden Jubilee Oval for some lightning, to my surprise it was extremely active. It must be a 3rd December thing. The 2nd most active lightning show I have ever experienced and the closest strikes ever I have experienced. After seeing an seriously AWESOME lightning show on the oval (distant CG's, close CG's, etc Oh the CG's!!). Missing several strikes before a strike just 500m away from me occured, and it lasted for 2 secs!!! Two people behind me saw it, I had managed to take a pic of this strike, to my horror the video camera's functions had stuffed up and my strike on video camera looked nothing like the powerful fork lightning I had just seen. Simply a fuzzed strike and a yellow bit to the side. Absolutely spectacular, it told me time to get out of the way. As I did it started to rain quite heavily on me. Thunder was almost constant and I took shelter at the nearby toilets, and had a discussion with them, hoping the storm would pass soon (which it didn't, still going). I got hit by green on radar. The lightning fest continued. I was starting to get annoyed, so I moved closer to try cure my boredom by attempting more lightning photos. This, unfortunately failed and all I got greeted to was a strike that scared the hell out of me, 1 strike to the side, right at the end of my road (my mum said as she was coming to pick me up). Stike, crack and me, "&(#^4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Not the most pleasent experience. My hair was drenched so I didn't feel a prickle. Eventually good old mum came and tried to save me, but the bike didn't go in the car! So I stuffed the camera in the car and rode home, getting drenched, and being shocked by more close strikes. As I got home another similar strike occured, of same distance, 200m away. My mum then broke up in tears and mentioned how she thought I was struck by lightning and everything.. So an interesting start to the storm, sad end. I myself am still shocked inside from the strike. I can say one thing, I have learnt my lesson not to let your urge for lightning to take over you when you have got to stand out in the middle of an open field. It is extremely dangerous! (please see 2nd part of site for shelf cloud picture)
Radar loop: http://www.freewebs.com/bennsradars/sydney3rddecloop.gif
A very close strike that stuffed up the camera.
Warnings:
TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
NSW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ADVICE
Issued at 3:05 PM Wednesday 03 December 2003.
The Bureau of Meteorology in Sydney has issued a Severe Thunderstorm
Advice for people in the following weather forecast districts:
Northwest Plains, southwest of a line from Mungindi to Narrabri,
Northwest Slopes, southwest of a line from Narrabri to Tamworth,
Central West Plains,
Central West Slopes,
Upper Western,
Mid North Coast, southwest of a line from Nowendoc to Taree,
Hunter,
Central Tablelands,
South West Slopes,
Southern Tablelands, north of the ACT,
Lower Western,
Riverina,
Illawarra and
Metropolitan.
This advice is valid until 7 PM and should not be used after this
time.
Thunderstorms are forecast within the advice area, which includes
Goulburn, Yass, Tibooburra, Cobar, Bourke, Broken Hill, Deniliquin,
Wagga Wagga, Albury, Wollongong, Sydney and Gosford. Some of these
thunderstorms are expected to be severe, bringing very heavy
rainfall. Isolated thunderstorms may also bring large hailstones and
damaging winds.
TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
Sydney SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
Issued at 7:22 PM Wednesday 03 December 2003.
The Bureau of Meteorology in Sydney has issued a Severe Thunderstorm
Warning for the following areas:
Sydney Metropolitan Area and the
Gosford and
Wyong Council Areas.
This warning is current from 7:25 PM until 8:25 PM.
Thunderstorms were located near Sydney City, Stadium Australia and
Sydney Airport at 7:25 PM. These thunderstorms are moving towards
the southeast. Severe Thunderstorms are forecast to affect
Sutherland, Engadine and Liverpool in the next 30 minutes and Manly,
Helensburgh and Gosford within 60 minutes.
Very heavy rainfall and flash flooding are possible.
