18th-22nd Jan 2007 Monsoonal Infeed page 1

Previous Page

The forecast

The week before was hot. Shockingly so with temps to 40 all over the state. But the models were hinting at something big. They saw a monsoonal low developing over central Australia pumping moisture and huge rains down over the state. (see image to right) But surely it couldn't be that much rain? In excess of 100mm in some locations! Nah..... The turn of events saw the models not overestimating for a change. Indeed it did rain, read on.......   Right - MLAPS computer model forecast of possible rains.

HUGE rains had already fallen over central Australia with the development of the tropical/monsoonal low. It was spinning like an inland cyclone and dragging enormous quantities of moisuture from the tropics. The sat pic loop is amazing and not often seen.

Above - Synoptic chart. Right - Satellite Loop

Late in the afternoon of the 17th (wednesday) a few isolated cells kicked off in the mid north (see image to right). They were almost stationary and delivered a few rumbles as well as a few mm to the area. It had also begun to rain up north with even Maree copping 5mm! Thursday morning saw a rainband extending down from the north and totals began to acumulate. Coober Pedy copped over 30mm before lunch which rose to over 40mm by the time their luch was finished. But this was just the appertiser!

The rain band

The rain band continued to feed slowly down and began drenching. Storm cells developed in the Mallee and South East districts with many reports of quick fire 5mm, 10mm falls. Locally it was much more moderate and steady. Late afternoon saw the first light drops fall at my spot in the southern ranges. Meanwhile on the Eyre Peninsulaa report came in of a farm near Coulta copping 57.6mm in just 45 minutes! Flooding was to be seen around farm house and out buildings. (see gallery for some pics) But it was quite isolated and even Coulta itself which is quite close by did not receive anything close to this. Whyalla also began to rack up some good totals. If you got caught in the right spot you were going to get a drenching!

Friday morning arrived and northern rainlist read very impressivley. (see report below) But Adelaide and Southern Hills pretty much missed out.

IDS60104 BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL OFFICE RAINLIST FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA Issued on Friday, 19 January 2007 Rainfall [in mm] is for the period up to 9 am today. Amount/n is used when the period n is greater than 1 day. IDS6010401 NORTH WEST: Andamooka 6 Coober Pedy 35 Ernabella 29 Lake Everard 36 Marla Airport 4 Mintabie 18 Moonaree 55 Mt Eba 61 Mulgathing Stn 56 Nonning 66 Roxby Downs AWS 8 Tarcoola 62 The Twins Stn 46 Woomera 28 Yardea 24 IDS6010402 FAR NORTH: Arkaroola 0.4 Beltana 26 Leigh Ck 21 Marree 4 Moomba Ap 1 Motpena Stn 19 Oodnadatta AWS 6 IDS6010403 NORTH EAST: Erudina 3 Mannahill 3 Yunta 11 IDS6010404 WESTERN AGRICULTURAL: Arno Bay 13 Cleve 12 Cleve AWS 12 Coffin Bay 10 Coles Point 12 Coulta 25 Cowell 12 Darke Peak 18 Elliston 4 Heggaton 13 Kimba 23 Kyancutta 12 Minnipa DPI 9 Poochera 6 Pt Lincoln 0.8 Pt Lincoln Ap 1 Pt Neill 2 Streaky Bay 0.6 Tumby Bay 2 Whyalla AP 36 Winter Springs 20 Wirrulla 3 IDS6010405 UPPER NORTH: Appila 33 Black Rock 51 Booleroo Centre 39 Bruce 25 Carrieton 46 Hawker 24 Melrose 42 Oodla Wirra 18 Orroroo 46 Peterborough 43 Pt Augusta AP 43 Pt Germein 26 Quorn 30 Wilmington 37 Wilpena 16 Wirrabara PO 36 Yongala 41 IDS6010406 LOWER NORTH: Auburn 26 Balaklava 13 Blyth 19 Booborowie 41 Brinkworth 20 Burra 46 Bute 17 Caltowie 30 Clare AWS 26 Crystal Brook 28 Farrell Flat 31 Georgetown 27 Gladstone 29 Hoyleton 15 Jamestown 45 Koolunga 24 Mundoora 17 Pt Broughton 27 Pt Pirie 21 Pt Wakefield 15 Redhill 25 Snowtown AWS 21 Spalding 32 Watervale 25 Whyte-Yarcowie 45 Yacka 25 IDS6010407 YORKE PENINSULA: Ardrossan 4 Curramulka 2 Edithburgh AWS 0.8 Kadina 11 Maitland 5 Minlaton 2 Moonta 10 Paskeville 13 Pt Victoria 4 Pt Vincent 1 Stansbury 1 Warooka Tce Yorketown 0.2 IDS6010408 KANGAROO ISLAND: American River 0.2 Cape Willoughby 2 Kingscote AP 0.8 Penneshaw 2 IDS6010409 ADELAIDE PLAINS: Adelaide 2 Adelaide Ap 2 Edinburgh Ap 4 Glen Osmond 2 Mallala 7 North Adelaide 2 Owen 12 Parafield Ap 3 Pooraka 6 Roseworthy 12 Roseworthy AWS 8 Salisbury 4 Smithfield 6 IDS6010410 COUNTY LIGHT: Angaston 21 Freeling 17 Greenock 21 Kapunda 21 Lyndoch 14 Manoora 24 Nuriootpa AWS 20 Riverton 22 Saddleworth 22 Stockport 20 Tanunda 21 Tarlee 19 IDS6010411 MOUNT LOFTY RANGES - WEST: Belair Nursery 3 Blackwood 4 Bridgewater 7 Clarendon 3 Happy Valley 3 Mclaren Vale 3 Morphett Vale 3 Mt Compass 4 Mt Lofty [TV] 7 Parawa AWS 0.8 Sellicks Beach 4 Willunga 5 Yankalilla 2 IDS6010412 MOUNT LOFTY RANGES - EAST: Birdwood 10 Echunga 5 Gumeracha 11/7 Hahndorf 5 Hindmarsh Is 2 Lenswood 8 Mt Barker 6 Mt Crawford 14 Mt Pleasant 14 Nairne 6 Pt Elliot 2 Strathalbyn RC 3 Victor Harbor 3 IDS6010413 MURRAY VALLEY: Barmera 12 Loxton AWS 18 Renmark AWS 10 Waikerie 27 IDS6010414 LOWER BASIN: Callington 5 Eudunda 34 Langhorne Ck 3 Mannum 16 Meningie 3 Milang PO 4 Murray Bridge 8 Nildottie 24 Palmer 11 Pt Pass 33 Robertstown 43 Sutherlands 28 Tailem Bend 9 Truro 27 IDS6010415 MURRAY MALLEE: Alawoona 15 Caliph 27 Claypans 19 Copeville 24 Karoonda 20 Mindarie 26 Parilla 18 Peebinga 23 Pinnaroo 11 Sandalwood 20 IDS6010416 UPPER SOUTH EAST: Cooke Plains 8 Coomandook 8 Coonalpyn 8 Keith 8 Lameroo AWS 20 Parrakie 20 Wolseley 9 IDS6010417 LOWER SOUTH EAST: Cape Jaffa 0.4 Coonawarra AWS 3 Frances 23 Kingston S E 0.6 Mt Gambier 3 Naracoorte AP 8 Penola PO 3 Policemans Pt 2 Robe 0.4 IDS6010418 OTHER STATES: Canberra Ap 3 Darwin 5 Melbourne 7 Alice Springs 53 Broken Hill 0.2 Kulgera 17 Townsville 2

The second rain band

However another band was on the way that looked like giving the Adelaide region more of the rain it was expecting. Steady rain fell especially over the Fleurieu and Sth Coasts and a nice 8mm was in the gauge by lunch. Conditions were truly sub tropical. It was 21.4 degrees, 97.4% humidity and an amazing 21 degree dewpoint! The air was just leaking moisture.
Light rain continued to fall when at around 2:30pm the rain rate picked up. Soon the gutters began to overflow, then really overflow! I had to get out and unblock the drains which had filled from overnight winds and leaves. It was like having a warm shower in the tropics! I got the job done just in time as the heavens opened at 2:25pm and delivered the heaviest rain in more tha 12 months. Rain rates peaked at 48.25mm/hour and dropped 8mm in 8 minutes. For my location this is at the extreme end of rainfall rates! (see graph below) Unfortunately the radar (in fact the entire BOM site) went down right as this was happening so I have no radar image to go with the graph.

Left - rain graph showing the afternoon deluge

MOVE ON TO NEXT PAGE

VIEW GALLERY OF PICS