Massive storm lights up Darwin
Friday February 26, 2010 - 00:29 EDT
A heavy storm passes over Darwin on February 26, 2010. - ABC
The Bureau of Meteorology says Darwin has been struck by a massive storm with more than 1000 cloud-to-cloud lightning strikes.
Angeline Prasad, from the bureau, says there has been an average of 100 lightning strikes per minute, but very few have hit the ground.
"We had quite a display of lightning," she said.
"I'm still counting the lightning strikes.
"It's available in increments of one minute, but so far we've had more than 1000 cloud-to-cloud lightning strikes."
She says a monsoon trough in the Victoria River district has brought rain to almost everywhere in the Territory overnight.
Since 9am yesterday, more than 114 millimetres of rain has fallen in Darwin's northern suburbs.
The Darwin suburbs of Marrara and Pinelands each received 101 millimetres.
Ngukurr, about 600 kilometres south-east of Darwin, has received 85 millimetres, while Gove, about 1000 kilometres east of Darwin, has received 80 millimetres.
Meanwhile, Alice Springs could get more rain in the next four days than it usually gets in a year.
The normally dry Todd River is flowing through Alice Springs as a large, slow-moving monsoon low continues to move south.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting heavy falls with up to 300 millimetres of rain over the next four-day period.
Alice Springs has already recorded 235 millimetres so far this year.
The annual average is 279 millimetres.
Overnight in Alice Springs, the bureau recorded light falls of between 10 and 20 millimetres.
Further north in the Barkly Region, Tennant Creek has had more than 67 millimetres of rain since 9am yesterday.
I was going to add that it's not everyday Darwin has the lowest temperature out of all the major capital cities. Currently sitting on the lowest at 24.C!
Caroline Springs, Melbourne's meteorological boredom zone.
Up to 84mm there with another large band of rain and thunderstorms developing offshore to the SW which should thicken in the next 2hrs. Then another large band of rain behind that as well. Plenty of rains to come. Another 200mm IMO.
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for Damaging Winds and Heavy Rainfall
for people in the Darwin-Daly District, including Darwin
Issued at 11:09 am CST Saturday 27 February 2010
Synoptic Situation: An active monsoon trough extends across the Top End. A large
monsoonal low over the Victoria River District is slowly moving south across the
Territory. Squally monsoonal showers and storms, and rain areas continuing in
the Darwin-Daly District with moderate to heavy falls.
Damaging wind gusts up to 90 km/h are expected along the northwest coast of the
Top End and the Tiwi Islands during today and Sunday. Heavy monsoonal rain
currently falling over the Darwin-Daly District is expected to cause localised
flooding and significant stream rises during today and Sunday.
There have been several falls over 100mm in the Darwin area with the heaviest
fall in the past 24 hours being 168 mm at Shoal Bay.
Well could be the last major rain event for the NT with a developing low and TC potential coming up next week. Should be some interesting times ahead for the Darwin region with the low sitting very close for 4 days.
And on current trends, as the TC/low moves south into the gulf and south through C NT we get plenty of rain down south so hopefully we can see this event come off and hook up with the first major long wave trough (LWT)
Im going to be in Darwin next week. Flying in Sunday.
Now to my untrained eye the outlook is very damp to say the least. I have never been to Darwin before, but always wanted to go up that way and see what real TS are like.
Looking at the models it looks like a decent tropical low is sitting in the region for a few days. I am assuming it will just be wet, wet, wet, and there will be no real clearance for TS to develop. Would that be right?
Really just wanting to confirm that point of whether to expect constant medium to heavy rain, or if it will be say clear in the morning before building to torrential during the day?
Either way it will be great as we at least have a house to stay in, and then a 4WD and camper available to us if we chose to venture out.
Luken, appears at the moment that some serious rain will be to the East of Darwin.
Showers & storms likely from Saturday, but it is pretty dynamic so that may change to a load of rain.
Like you mate, I haven't got up to the Territory as yet, but hoping to do so before the year is out!!
Got absolutely dispatched this morning, very angry thunderstorm moved in from the east and essentially exploded right over Darwin, slow moving with strong convergence at its leading edge, probably a gulfie pushing into a trough on the coast with very heavy falls, 209mm at the uni, 65mm at work here, and mumerous 100-120mm falls across some suburbs. Lots of flooding as well, plus it rained CG's, bloody hell, the back edge was like war of the worlds, savage bolts, some of the best I have ever seen and heard mind you. Lots of Kiloamps in those.
Also to note was the likely supercells through Far N SA and S NT overnight. Alice 256km archive shows them well, moving more left of the mean flow, strong jet present, good dynamics and large cores a long way from the radar. Don't think I have ever seen cores that solid on the Alice radar in to N SA!!!!
I just saw Pauls Facebook status and thought I better jump on and have a look!! Impressive!! And for you to call those CGs this morning the best you have seen - that is certainly saying something!!
Looks like another less intensive line of thunderstorms this afternoon and this evening.
Convection should be watched over the coming day or so offshore. Low risk but you never know.
Alice Springs is looking at a wet weekend according to the BOM with the possibility that the Todd will flow again. Never been fortunate to see that, maybe one day! http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/alic ... kend/14240