Climate Change Pretty Funkin' Brutal -- Golfball sized hail a meter deep on Australia's Capital City Strips leaves off trees
H2-PV Fast Track to Energy Security
Canberra bracing for another storm
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February 28, 2007 - 11:09AM
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Canberra is bracing for a second major storm as it cleans up from a
damaging "supercell" storm, which dropped up to one metre of hail and
caused chaos in the centre of the capital.
Hailstones as large as golf balls and winds over 50km/h lashed the
city for less than 30 minutes on Tuesday night but left trees
defoliated and turned nature strips into mud baths.
The Bureau of Meteorology on Wednesday said the storm which hit
Canberra was a supercell, the same type of storm responsible for the
devastating twisters of Tornado Alley in the US.
"This storm was an ultra-efficient, thermo-dynamic machine," a bureau
spokesman said.
"It feeds itself."
The supercell formed about 10pm on Tuesday and about an hour later it
hit Civic, the centre of Canberra.
The storm forced the closure of the Australian National University,
two high schools, government departments and many roads while it
damaged the ACT Magistrates Court and ACT Policing headquarters.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1859299.htm
Clean-up continues after 'monster' storm
Canberra's central retail and business precinct has been severely
disrupted today as the clean-up continues from last night's storm.
The hail storm damaged houses, businesses and roads in an arc from
Civic to Belconnen with emergency services fielding more than 100
calls for help last night.
Many businesses and organisations, including the Canberra Centre and
the Australian National University, remain closed today as they cope
with extensive damage.
The weather bureau's Kenn Batt says the storm was the result of a
supercell which struck with little warning.
"Just look at a fairly innocent looking white fluffy cloud which you
turn your back and 10 minutes later you know you've got this monster,"
he said.
The damage bill will run into the millions and the Insurance Council
is urging householders to contact their insurers as soon as possible
and to photograph damage if assessors are delayed.
Meanwhile the acting Commissioner of the Emergency Services Agency
(ESA), David Prince, says the ESA failed to warn the public in time of
last night's storm.
Mr Prince says the ESA was notified of a severe storm just after 9pm
AEDT by the Bureau of Meteorology, yet failed to issue an general
public alert till later.
Mr Prince says that the ESA was occupied trying to get crews out in
time and he accepts that a warning should have been issued earlier.
"The officers that were on duty made a decision not send it out at
that time," he said.
"I have spoken to them they have in my view erred from our practices
so we just have to make sure we improve that in the future."
The ESA has warned of the possibility of another severe thunderstorm
in Canberra this afternoon or tonight.