SIGNIFICANT ILLAWARRA WEATHER EVENTS - SPRING 1998
Last update 20th October 1998
27th October 1998 - A cold air mass over Wollongong, and Waterspouts sighted. - A cold S/SW front had brought cooler weather overnight to Wollongong, during the day a band cumulus congestus had developed to the south, sitting just off the coast. It was glaciating rather rapidly indicating cold air aloft. At around 4pm the congestus had worked further northwards as well as some cells from the SW. All congestus was glaciating very early and snow virga was seen in many of the clouds. It was very dry with humidity less than 30% at the time. Some brief rain fell, but most evaporated before reaching the ground. Later in the evening a cell became more organised off the northern Illawarra coast and a waterspout was sighted. Waterspouts were also sighted off Sydney. I knew the potential was there, and sat at Warilla beach for quite a while hoping, but only got these lovely photos of glaciating cloud instead.
26h October 1998 - Small Hail,
first in over 2 years at my home ! - A small storm that
developed under a decaying anvil shield gave small hail ( pea
size ) for just a seconds. Brief heavy rain and strong winds
accompanied the storm. We were quite lucky to receive the storm
as the sky had become " anviled out ", that is
completely covered by old anvils from storms that had developed
earlier in the day to the NW. This storm started to grow around
the Bowral area and drifted SE over the Illawarra escarpment,
before crossing out to sea and dying rapidly thereafter. Rain
only fell in a narrow band from north of Kiama to Primbee.
18th October 1998 - Another hot day - The temperature at my home at Mt Warrigal hit 34C ( 93F ) with hot, dry and gale force north west winds. There was a total fire ban in force, fire danger was rated a very high. Ironic considering just a few weeks ago we had floods. Cooler temperatures developed overnight as winds turned towards the west.
4th October 1998 - Early season heat and bushfires - It is early spring and the last three days have all been above 30C ( 86F ). 1/10/98 - 34C ( 93F ), 2/10/98 - 32C ( 90F ), 3/10/98 - 32.5C ( 91F ). The heat has been caused by hot and dry north west winds being drawn down from interior Australia. A persistent high pressure ridge over northern NSW / southern Queensland has led to the winds. A bushfire near Jervis Bay was briefly out of control on the 1st October, forcing the closure of the Princess Hwy at one stage. No property was lost.
8th September 1998 -Heavy, but isolated showers - around 1.30pm I noticed that cumulus had built up to the SE and one cell in particular south of Kiama was indicative of heavy rain. Showers began around 3.30pm and at times were quite heavy. Around 8.00pm some minor roads in the Warilla area were starting to be covered by water. The rain eased soon after. Wollongong received 67mm in the period of rainfall which lasted about 6 hours. My gauge indicated around 75mm, but is inaccurate. There were no official reports of flooding, but I did hear of some flats in the Wollongong area being briefly flooded. The showers were isolated to the Illawarra and falls outside the area were rare.
