17th May 2008 Thunderstorm Report

[zacaroo]

Not sure what to say about this one. Fantastic view from Bulwer, Moreton Island thats for sure. However, there was a lack of clear lightning .

I watched the storms build all day, at around 830am on the northern side of the island I saw a rainbow and a few cells out to sea.




On the Eastern beach I was watching cells go up all day - confirmed by strikeone radar.




When we came back up the inside of the island from Kooringal, I could see a cell over northern Caboolture/Bribie? I am questioning my observation skills as it was moving N-NE but it isn't on radar? The anvil was out to the ESE of the storm though? I'm not sure what the go with that was, so I ASSUMED the movement of any more developing storms would be N-NE.


So at about 5pm I walked down the beach and saw that massive squall line, I could tell it was from Northern NSW to about Caboolture. Now I thought good it should get us because I assumed the movement was NE and it seemed to be from my point of view for atleast an hour. The low level stuff was flowing in heading ESE. I think what stuffed me up was that I hadn't watched much of the line develop.


I sat there watching the lightning flicker away, not much visible stuff , I had the best spot ever and it wasn't there . The first line moved south of Bulwer, through Tangalooma southwards. Reports from Redcliffe were 36mm of rain, hail, plenty of lightning and some gusty winds. It had an impressive guster on it, being lit by the lightning I could see it would have been great to see in the daylight. I knew that line was gone so sat up chatting with some family friends until around 11pm. I thought it was a little too cold for anything else to fire, wrong again. The wind was still blowing a ESE when I went to bed. I woke up at about 1230am to a big flash. Went outside and it was bucketing down, pretty windy too, probably 60-70km/h gusts. That lasted maybe 20minutes before clearing, wasn't any flangs that I saw but some impressive wind nonetheless, there were a few old trees down around the back of Bulwer this morning and plenty of small-medium branches as I woke up to the SWer this morning for the barge ride back to Redcliffe.

Lightning Pictures from first line(5 second exposure)
Night-time mammatus?


Best visible lightning shot


Pity the strike out of the bottom wasn't bright

[NeverWinter]

Again Zac, these are some really amazing pictures you've got! Love them all...