SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS - DECEMBER 10-11, 2000

Sunday dawned fine and hot. Most of the day had isolated cloud cover with little chance of rain, in fact the forecast saying storms in the west fine in the east Darling Downs. About Midday when I started preparing for the Carols on the Lawn that night, I had a look at the sky to the South and West and noted that the could be showers and possibly a storm latter. The sky had that 'feel' about it and I watched the sky while I was setting up all afternoon. Watching an area of cloud develop to the West of us about 4 pm, I was a little bit concerned. Although only one area of precipitation visible and the cloud area being small, it seemed to be developing. Good low level cloud spread outwards and there seemed to be a storm centre. Still no anvil was visible but an Easterly wind was blowing. At this stage I only expected a shower, lasting no more than ten minutes. I was wrong.

Over the next half an hour the storm continued to move towards us with about 4  bolts of lightning observed with the thunder indicating ground strikes. As the rainfall moved over us, sunlight was still visible, and the back edge of the storm still visible to the west. However after ten minutes the rain didn't stop. After getting extremely heavy three times and 3 extremely close bolts of lightning, one estimated to be no more that 200 metres away (if that), I realised that this storm was building directly on top of us.  Rainfall lasted between half an hour and and hour, and once the storm passed over, vertical development indicated very strong updrafts and a magnificent rear anvil was observed, very pronounced and beautiful. Carol on the lawn became carols on the carpet in the hall after the storm dumped about 20 mm at the hall, rain rates being well over 50mm/hr at one stage.

Monday provided the view of another storm Almost identical structure to Sundays but with good lightning as the sun went down (This time storm South East of Warwick.) Lightning show was magnificent.