Breaking Weather News - Severe storms rage across southern VIC

Sam Terry, 9 February 2010

The limelight has long been on NSW and QLD as a lingering trough generated heavy rain and storms over the last week, but today the focus has shifted as severe storms fired up over southern Victoria.

The thundery display started at around 1pm in eastern parts of the state. The line of storms then grew, spreading all the way across northern suburbs of Melbourne and into the Western district.

A Severe Storm Warning is current for the southern half of VIC, and rightly so!

Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning has been reported, leading to bushfires in some cases.

Hamilton, in the state's southwest, has bore the brunt of severity as one storm brought a few wind gusts of 100 km/h or more, the most notable being an 140km/h gust, the type of wind associated with a category 2 tropical cyclone.

The area was also deluged with very heavy falls, at times delivering 18 mm in just ten minutes.

At this stage the storms are still raging, although they are becoming more isolated. The immediate threat for Melbourne has now diminished as well.

Tomorrow, storms will return, perhaps with thunder from as early as 11am. Keep an eye on the radar on weatherzone.com.au to track the movement of storms.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2010

Breaking Weather News - Monthly rain totals smashed in NSW

Martin Palmer, 9 February 2010

Much of western New South Wales has taken between 125 to 300% of their February mean, only nine days into the month.

Huge rainfall and storms have continued to rattle through the dusty, drought-affected west of NSW. A lingering inland trough and very humid easterly winds have combined to bring the heavy rain.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Lawrence drifted south at Christmas starting what has been a very good start to the year for the state, in terms of rainfall. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Olga did something similar at the start of February. And now, a deep trough has thrown a load more moisture at the inland, mainly benefiting Queensland this time though.

Areas of NSW, stretching from the Central West out to the Upper Western have all seen their monthly totals rocket to the best in years:

- Springwood (Central Tablelands) has amassed 322mm in the last nine days - their best 'monthly' rainfall in 18 years.

- Katoomba hit 397mm - also their best in 18 years.

- Tibooburra scored 73mm - their best February total in 10 years.

In the short term the forecast news is just as uplifting. A trough next weekend will swing back over the southeast, with decent 24 hr totals in excess of 40mm possible.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2010

Breaking Weather News - Storms spark heavy rain in QLD

Martin Palmer, 9 February 2010

Further storms ripped through southern Queensland yesterday bringing some of the heaviest February rain in 10 years.

A storms fired up during Monday afternoon, the result of moist easterly winds colliding with a quite deep inland trough.

The Channel Country was the main beneficiary, with widespread 24 hour falls surpassing 50mm. The best recorded were:

- Quilpie hit 44mm - their best in 10 years for February.

- Navarra took 48mm - also their best in 10 years for February.

- Gillespie's 60mm and Tambo's 55mm were their best February rain in six years.

The trough is continuing to deliver heavy falls over the inland today, as it migrates west. Although weakening, the trough should still bring some decent rainfall to bone dry parts of the NT and SA.

The rain has added to the really good falls just over a week ago and has seen many places in southwestern QLD record 150-300% of their monthly mean, already.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2010