Anzac Day 2007 - the Season Breaks! Page 1

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Anzac day has been seen as the traditional season break. But not for years has this happened, could 2007 be any different? The models certainly suggested something was brewing, but they had been doing this for the last weeks and each time the weather flopped.

Above - M-laps rainfall forecast

Above - Sat image showing the huge NW moisture infeed

The moisture infeed from the NW was enormous, extending all the way back to the African continent. Maybe the models had it right for a change. Lets start with the evening of the 25th - Anzac Day

Anzac Day storms

Instability from the developing low and NW cloud band saw a line of electrically active mid level storm cells fire up in the Bight and extend towards Kangaroo Island.

As these cells approached Kingscote on the Islands northern coast I was able to snap a few images with the 300mm lens. Even at this focal length however, the images had to be heavily cropped. You can view the pictures in THIS GALLERY. This was, unfortunately as far as the lightning extended this evening. It was though a sight for sore eyes having not seen anything even resembling rain let alone a lightning strike for months in this part of the world. This was just the beginning of the system for the centrall areas and the dawn of the next morning, the 26th, and rain had begun to fall......

Above - Lightning tracker from the evening of the 25th

The 26th and Rain

Rains started in the early hours of the morning. Light, but consistent by morning I had a nice 5.8mm in the gauge. The higher parts of the Lofties recorded 10mm, but 5 was generally the go. There was however, an exception. Kangaroo Island which coped the previous nights storms was not so dry. Cape Borda recorded an amazing 78mm, Cape Wiiloughby (its wettest day in 52 years) and Flinders Chase 55mm! This was a sign of things to come and as the day progressed the totals began to build up from an enormous band of rain.

The forecast low began to spin into life during the day and times ahead looked interesting as the scenario forecast by computer models came into reality. Accumulation of rain was steady and consistent with over 12 hours of continuous rain at my location. Just fantastic and after the atrocious dry very sorely needed. Below - rain graph of the progression of the 26th

Above 128 radar snippet - Chockas full of rain!

By morning of the 27th a fantastic 45mm was in my gauge. As always truly outstanding falls were elsewhere. This time the usual locations of the higher partsof the ranges from Ashton to Stirling had incredible falls up to and including 70mm. Falls above the old 2" mark were to be seen again on KI, but the truly outstanding drop was Parawa with 83mm, its wettest April day in 13 years!

But all was not over.....

The 27th and storms

The low was becomming stronger and in the morning sitting off the SW of Pt Lincoln. Constant rains had stopped and as the day progressed the rains changed to torrential red cored cells in the instability present. The sun showed itself and together with heating and lots of moisture the unstable atmosphere brewed some beautifully structured storms. Occoasional rumbles of thunder accompanied these storms alomg with some impressive rains. An example of the cells can be seen in the radar snippet to the right. A few pics of the anvil nature of the cells as viewed from my place in the late evening can be seen in THIS GALLERY. Anyone under these cells copped a pizzling and one report of 14mm in 20 minutes accompanied by local flooding from Brighton on the southern Adelaide Plains. I did not cop any of these head on at my spot, but did get the edge of one small cell in the morning giving some solid and sustained rain for a short period that resulted in a puddle appearing on the bottom of the previous bone dry dam. Well bloody hell, it only took 50mm!! Right - Radar snippet of the heavy rain cored cells on the 27th.

Rain totals by the morning of the 28th were not as high as the previous days, but good enough! 27.5mm at my spot with Smithfield on the northern plains topping the local list with 43mm. What an amazing start so far with 78.3mm at my place in 3 days. The season has broken!!

But wait there's more....

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