12/09/08 Ipswich/Western Suburbs & NE NSW Early Season Hailstorms
Posted on September 12, 2008
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An upper trough (with 500′s to -19.5C) combined with temperatures up to 27C at the surface and northerly winds produced an idea early season risk today. Storms started developing SW of Boonah near 3pm and this storm soon became strong enough to warrant a warning for large hail and damaging winds. Thunderstorms also developed towards Dorrigo and Coffs Harbour and spread north and NE. Soon one of these became dominant (and likely superellular) and tracked over Grafton, then towards Evans Head in a weakened mode. Golfball size hail occurred just NE of Grafton, while Grafton itself experienced 34mm, a temp drop down to 13C (from a max of 26C) and 40kn gusts. This is an early season entry for storm of the season… but yes it’s still early!
Data: Tonight’s Brisbane sounding | Radar loops from Brisbane and Grafton
Back to the Boonah storm, it initially tracked roughly north and moved through Harrisville before it shifted more NNE and tracked through eastern Ipswich and western Brisbane. It finally weakened near Brisbane and died near Redcliffe. I intercepted the storm at Riverview as the area was hit by torrential rain, strong winds and large amounts of pea size hail. As the storm cleared, small drifts of hail were left on the side of the highway and conditions were rather dangerous. I experienced loss of traction at one point due to the amount of hail flowing down the highway! My photos; the rest are here:
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