Rare lightning storms hit Central Australia amid 'abnormal tropical build-up'
Rare lightning storms hit Central Australia amid 'abnormal tropical build-up'
Updated
A rare tropical storm front has sparked a lightning display and fires in Central Australia, in a type of weather event not seen in the area in "years".
In conditions usually more common in the Top End of the Northern Territory, a moist air trough has caused lightning storms as far apart as Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Yulara.
"They probably haven't seen something like this for a few years," said a senior forecaster with the Bureau of Meteorology, Sally Cutter.
Ms Cutter said there had already been six days of rain in Central Australia this month, surpassing the December average of six days.
Another forecaster, Graeme King, said Alice Springs had experienced a type of deep tropical air not normally seen in the region.
"They are getting the type of storms we get in the Top End. So really big storms," Mr Kind said.
"They normally get a more dry storm with very little rain, usually not a lot of lightning."
Video taken by Granville Turner, who had been camping on Curtin Springs station, showed heavy rain and lightning near Mount Conner, about 100 kilometres east of Uluru and 360 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs.
Station owner Lyndee Severin said the lightning was causing fires.
"In the last week or so we have had two fire activities that have been started by the lightning," she said.
Pilot watched 'amazing' and rare storm front
A commercial plane pilot even called up ABC talkback to discuss the rare storm front.
"Just west of Alice there was a line of storms about 300 to 400 kilometres long and they ended up over Alice as well," he said.
"We watched the bushfires sort of rise and get put out by the downpour afterwards.
"It was pretty amazing to watch."
It is expected the storms will continue to get stronger in Central Australia until about Wednesday, before tapering off by the weekend.
Forecasters have said there is a chance the storms will return next week.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-08/rare-red-centre-lightning-storm-amazes-people-in-alice-springs/5952140
No comments:
Post a Comment