Widespread Severe Thunderstorms in SE Qld
Sunday November 27chase report
Being such a potentially big day, I got itchy feet at home so I left early before any convection in SEQld to the Boonah lookout. I hung around there for a while watching as not much happened, then turkeys started developing, and then some weak storms to the NW.
While I was there, Paul showed up, so we joined forces. With a bad view to the NW, and a call from Macca, we decided to head towards Warril View, where there's a great view and it would be closer to the current early storm development. Some photos from Warril View:
As CGs started to the NW, I became interested in the developing cell to the west as it had some curvature in the base and was exhibiting some slow rotation:
I wanted to stay with it, and with rain about to move over the lookout, I took off south along the Cunningham Hwy. After a short distance, we stopped to take pics of this cell, but it was apparent several severe, more interesting storms were developing all around.
From our view it was a bit difficult to see to the NW, and an excited call from Macca pointed to a mean looking storm approaching, with a wall cloud. As we re-approached Warril View, the CGs had become frequent, and the storm to our now close WNW now had a violent green look to it.
We stopped and took in the right moving supercell. It was rotating faster than any storm I've ever seen, and the pulsing CGs were unbelievable. Also... the greenage! It was nasty! The CGs then started to get way too close, including this one (video snap) which struck just down the road:
Then the hail started, which told me I probably stayed a bit too long. I went towards the township looking for shelter but all I could manage was under a tree... but luckily the hail didn't get any bigger than 3-4cm and my car was saved. I then called in the large hail to the BoM. Video snaps:
The storms cleared, yet CGs could still be seen in the complexes to the east. The structures were massive, and the updrafts were particularly nice; also, I found some hail which had melted a fair bit. After about an hour, we headed to Rosewood, then towards Grandchester for the final storm of the day, and what a beauty! Macca, Paul and I watched the storm transform into an outflow beast with a magnificent guster. We photographed it until it was nearly on us before flying back to Rosewood (the town seen in one of the pics), and then towards Ipswich.
A great chasing day, and not one that I'll forget quickly!!!
