Michael
Thompson's Australian Storm Chase Diary
18th November 2007, Severe Flash Flooding,
Collector, NSW
All photos (except video stills ) clickable for larger size
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Looking south from Goulburn
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Near Tarago, NSW |
The 16th November 2007 held a lot of promise. CAPE of near 3000, and if the models were correct adequate moisture.
I arrived at the McDonalds carpark in Goulburn just after noon. Here I met with several other chasers. Those models had everyone all geared up, but the sight southwards was sobering. High based cumulus struggled in an environment that was moisture starved. We waited and waited - did I tell you that the MacDonalds carpark at Goulburn has a lovely view south, But the view comes with a price, getting sunburnt as there is no shelter.
There was glaciating cumulus about 150 kilometres south, while that was largely unreachable I still gambled that better moisture and outflow would creep northwards - therefore I headed southwards. Just northwards of Tarago I saw a very distant CG, so I knew I was probably not afterall looking to a bust.
South of Tarago I pulled over on the Braidwood road and captured some nice CG's on video, At this stage the storms were still high based.
A video of the lightning and flash flooding is below. If you cannot see the video click here.
After some nice lightning I headed back northwards. What had been struggling cumulus earlier was now developing rapidly, still high based at this stage, but some nasty looking rain/hail shafts had developed on the larger cells. Just north of Tarago I encountered some flash flooding and torrential rain and small hail. I was was quite content by the days chasing at this stage, afterall it had looked like a bust only 90 minutes earlier. I started to call it day, but when I emerged from the rain I looked SW and saw a lovely cell with much more lowered bases and structure that had me turning the car around in record speed.
I headed south again, then as I noticed that the storm was tracking NW I headed NW from Tarago on the Collector road. Things from here got really interesting - torrential train, drifts of hail and frequent lightning. At one stage the road had become a river. I was thankful that I had a large 4WD.
I finally broke free of the mess not far SW of Goulburn and spent a few minutes getting lightning pictures.
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| Flash flooding from a cell near Tarago ( not the main storm of the day ) | A brewing monster just west of Tarago |
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Video
stills below
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