|
 Decaying
TC Debbie brings heavy rain to NT Top
End
Tropical Cyclone Debbie crossed the NT Top End coast between
Goulburn Island and Maningrida about 9pm CST last night, then tracked
south and weakened slowly to be around 100km ESE of Jabiru by 9 this morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology subsequently reported that, although no observations
were available from near the centre of the cyclone, "an aerial inspection
of the coast affected by the core of the cyclone between Goulburn Island
and Maningrida revealed severe damage to vegetation with 30-40% of trees
felled. Fortunately there are no communities along this part of the coast,
apart from a few outstations further inland. No injuries were reported."
The Bureau also reported that about 7 hours of gales and 1 hour of near
storm-force winds were recorded at Warruwi AWS. The top wind gust there
of 122km/h was measured at 6.30pm CST yesterday, and the lowest pressure
was 989.9hPa at 4.13pm. "Structural damage was limited to a few lifted
sheets of roofing iron. Trees fell onto power lines, interrupting power
and water supplies during the cyclone", the Bureau concluded. Maningrida
experienced a minor storm surge with the passage of the cyclone. This,
accompanied by a 2 metre swell, caused minor coastal flooding with the
sea rising about half a metre above the barge landing.
Rainfall totals for the 24 hours to 9am were relatively modest for a
cyclone event, with Maningrida reporting 94mm and Jabiru 63mm. Heavier
totals
were recorded during today, with 24 hour to 9am Monday totals including
251mm at Yeuralba Ridge, 172.2 at Elcho Island, and about a dozen daily
reporting locations recording over 100mm. Among these was a total of
197 at Charles Point, west of Darwin, produced by an afternoon monsoonal
thunderstorm which also produced a 120km/h wind gust.
Heavy
storm
falls bring flash flooding, possible tornados in VIC
Widespread thunderstorms across VIC today spawned two possible tornados,
severe wind damage and flash flooding from heavy rainfall.
Lindsay Smail from Geelong Weather Services reported that "just
south of Inverleigh (approx 20 km west of Geelong) around
6pm there was severe
wind damage to farm buildings during the thunderstorms which passed through
NW-SE
with a frontal system. Pressure dropped to 994hPa (at Belmont, 991hPa
by 8pm) and a narrow damage path 30m wide for 1km has been traced. Impressive
damage
includes: cypress trunks 30cm wide snapped, steel girders 150mm thick
bent,
concrete blocks 1metre deep by 450cms were uprooted and blown up to
10m away. Small sheds were blown up to 50m away and a 1-tonne trailer
was ripped away
from a tractor and deposited 10m away. The debris was spread
over approx 500m and some was found 50m into the direction
of the
storm path. Unfortunately there are no eye-witnesses, but locals can
confirm the storm noise, dark sky and wind shear as seen by cloud movements.
The damage
is consistent with that of a brief F2 tornado, and I have estimated
the gusts at around 200-250kph." Flash flooding reported near Geelong
caused the evacuation of a nursing home.
A second possible tornado occurred in Stawell in the state's west. The
Bureau of Meteorology reported that "wind damage in Stawell resulted
in trees being uprooted and roofing iron being torn off buildings. The
narrow
path of damage in the Ironbark forest and the Stawell Golf Club suggests
that it was possibly due to a tornado. However there were no reported
sightings of a tornado."
Torrential rain accompanied many of the storms. Heavy falls included
30mm in 20 minutes just north of Edenhope, 22mm in 16 minutes at Jeparit
with flash flooding, 41mm in 20 minutes at Stawell with up to 30cm of
water across roads, 54mm in 30 minutes at Mt Avoca, and 65mm in 2 hours
at Kariah, 10km NE of Camperdown. Other details of heavy rain and strong
wind gusts are given below.
Across the border in SA, an estimated 25 to 35mm of rain fell in a short
time at Naracoorte, causing flood damage to a number of businesses and
the hospital.
As recorded in the Gales and Gusts boxes for today and Monday, there
were widespread gale force winds across VIC overnight, with gusts as high
as 124km/h at mt Hotham. |
