#QLD #Weather #News #CTCorp Thunderstorms skirt Gold Coast but weather bureau urges vigilance Although the Gold Coast has largely dodged the brunt of recent thunderstorms bearing down on south-east Queensland, the weather bureau says locals must still heed warnings. Several severe thunderstorms in November have been observed heading east towards the city from southern Queensland however the majority have split as they approached, with the Gold Coasts western edges, Brisbane and northern New South Wales copping the downpour. Despite the storms mostly missing the coast, Bureau of Meteorology severe weather forecaster Tony Wedd said people still need to be aware of and listen to warnings. Id be very careful about getting sceptical of the warning system, he said. Severe storms certainly do hit the Gold Coast, they have in the past. He said hail lashed Currumbin in 2005, Helensvale was also hit hard in 2005 and the city copped a severe storm headed north from New South Wales in early 2001. When warnings are in place we think theres a reasonable likelihood that that will happen, Mr Wedd said. So I would be wary of complacency. Geography plays its part Storm prediction is a complex science and there are many factors which may increase or decrease their severity. The geographical position and topography of the Gold Coast can contribute to changes in storm behaviour. Mr Wedd said sea breezes, which are stronger during storm season, can push thunderstorms back inland and weaken them. Sea breezes, as anyone whos experienced them know, tend to be a cooling breeze... and storm actually dont really like that very much, Mr Wedd said. They prefer very hot humid surface air to get their energy from. The hills and valleys of the Gold Coast Hinterland can also weaken, slow and redirect storms. If you watch the radar on a storm day youll notice that storms do tend to form on higher ground, on the border ranges and the Great Dividing Ranges, he said. With a typical storm day, with the storms moving to the north-east, they tend to impact just a bit further north than the southern Gold Coast. Storm spotters on the ground While the weather bureaus high-tech equipment tracks storm from afar, eyewitnesses can fill in the blanks. Locals can give the weather bureau details of storms through the volunteer Storm Spotter Network. We have the radar here but nothing really beats a pair of eyes on the ground, near the storm, looking at whats actually happening, Mr Wedd said. Mr Wedd said the bureau is also looking at expanding its social media presence soon. Maybe this season, so stay tuned for information on that, he said. Visit the Bureau of Meteorology for the latest , and information on the . Source: ABC By Damien Larkins, Thursday November 27, 2014 - 14:59 EDT © ABC 2014 To ensure you are viewing the latest information please visit: abc.net.au/news/2014-11-27/gold-coast-thunderstorm-warnings/5921912?§ion=news
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 04:46:11 +0000
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