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SIGNIFICANT WEATHER - AUGUST 2001
Much of southern Australia and adjacent parts of southeast Queensland experienced a number of bouts of severe wind with the passage of multiple vigorous cold fronts. Numerous sites reported damaging winds, particularly during the period 16 - 23 August, with isolated severe thunderstorms and flooding also being experienced. Some heavy snowfalls occurred through Tasmania during this period.
A number of fires damaged and threatened property and burnt tracts of
national park and pasture land in the Northern Territory.
Queensland
On the 31st convection developed during the afternoon in an unstable air
mass over the southeast coast. Hail to 2cm in diameter was reported from
an isolated thunderstorm in the Yawalpah area (near Coomera/Dreamworld). New South Wales Thunderstorms occurred at Chatswood/West Ryde/Freemans Reach/Caves Beach
(metropolitan). Hail to 2cm with heavy rain and strong winds occurred
at Freemans Reach.
Queensland A deep low off the New South Wales coast and strong ridging across central
Queensland following a frontal passage produced strong westerly winds
across southeast Queensland between the 27th and 29th. Brisbane Aero had
a 70 km/h maximum gust on the 28th. The winds caused disruption to power
supplies and building sites. A vigorous cold front moved across New South Wales during the 16th and 17th bringing damaging winds to much of southern and central New South Wales, affecting the Sydney area early on the 17th. The maximum gust recorded in the Sydney region was 107 km/h at North Head. Other wind gusts included 100 km/h at Badgerys Creek, 98 km/h at Mt Boyce, 96 km/h at Little Bay and 94 km/h at Camden and Bellambi. The highest recorded gust in the state was at Deniliquin 109 km/h with damaging gusts also recorded at Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Green Cape, Montague Island, Nowra, Bombala and Mudgee. The worst affected areas were Wagga Wagga, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Bankstown, Sutherland and Camden with up to 35,000 homes being affected by power blackouts. Strong winds again caused damage across much of the southeast and central east of the state on the 18th. The Sydney area received wind gusts close to 100 km/h during the late morning and early afternoon. Other affected areas included the South Coast, Illawarra and Hunter districts. Victoria Severe gusts occurred in southern and Alpine areas from the 7th to the 9th. The following gusts were recorded: Wilsons Promontory 133 km/h, Mt Hotham 130 km/h, Mt Hotham Airport 126 km/h, Cape Nelson 98 km/h, Mt Gellibrand 93 km/h, Port Fairy, Cape Otway and Mt Buller 91 km/h.
Severe wind occurred mostly in southern and mountain areas from the 16th
to the 19th. A person was killed in the Dandenong ranges on the 16th by
a falling tree. Damage to around 29 houses and buildings occurred at Wonthaggi
on the 17th. At Somers on the 18th the yachting clubhouse was unroofed.
Maximum gusts reported during the period were Wilsons Promontory 159 km/h,
Mt Baw Baw 146 km/h, Mt Hotham Airport 133 km/h, Mt Hotham 128 km/h, Sale
124 km/h, Gellibrand 122 km/h, Aireys Inlet 117 km/h, Cape Otway 115 km/h,
Falls Creek 113 km/h, Mt Buller 113 km/h, Cape Nelson 111 km/h, Kingfish
B (Bass Stait) 109 km/h, Mt Port Fairy 106 km/h, Avalon 100 km/h, Haines
Saddle 98 km/h, Hamilton 98 km/h, Swan Hill 96 km/h, Melbourne Airport
96 km/h, Bairnsdale Airport 95 km/h, Dunns Hill 93 km/h, Frankston 93
km/h, Horsham 91 km/h, Pt Wilson 91 km/h, Mt Moornappa 91 km/h, Gelantipy
90 km/h, Geelong Airport 90 km/h, and Port Hedland Airport 93 km/h.
On the 21st severe storms at Axedale (North Central District) and Keilor
(Melbourne metropolitan) caused tree damage and some roof damage to buildings.
Severe gusts were recorded in the southern and mountain areas. The following
gusts were recorded: Mt Hotham Airport 111 km/h, Port Fairy 100 km/h,
Cape Nelson 94 km/h, Wilsons Promontory 94 km/h, Mt Gellibrand 94 km/h,
Cape Otway 93 km/h, Mt Buller 91 km/h. Tasmania Wind caused blackouts in northern Tasmania on the 16th. Strong winds
over the weekend of the 18th/19th brought down trees in the north and
west of the State blocking several roads. On the 7th strong to gale force winds were reported from the Mount Lofty Ranges and the southeast of the state. A wind gust of 124 km/h was reported from the Cape Jaffa AWS as a cold front associated with an intense low pressure system crossed the coast. Only slight damage was reported from the passage of this front. On the 16th strong winds and rain caused wide spread damage across the southern Agricultural districts of the state. Metropolitan Adelaide received much of the damage from fallen trees. Maximum wind gusts above 90 km/h were recorded at Willoughby 107 km/h, Stenhouse Bay 98 km/h, Cape Jaffa 95 km/h, Cape Edithburgh 93 km/h, Mount Lofty 93 km/h, and Minlaton 91 km/h. Strong to gale force winds were reported at Ceduna on the 31st. The strongest gust of 98 km/h was reported from Ceduna Airport. Numerous trees were felled throughout Ceduna with minor damage to property. Western Australia On the 23rd storms along a pre-frontal squall line caused damaging winds
near Margaret River, Bunbury and in Perth's southern suburbs. In Perth,
10,000 homes were left without power and 90 houses damaged mainly as a
result of fallen trees. The storms caused two narrow paths of damage,
one through Westfield, Kelmscott and Roleystone and the other through
Como, Bentley and Queens Park. Earlier in the day another storm cut a
narrow swathe of damage through properties and bushland south of Margaret
River.
Tasmania Snowfalls were experienced over much of the State from the 17th to the 23rd, sometimes down to low levels. Many highland roads were closed and there were reports of extensive lambing losses. Electricity demand reached a record high on the 20th.
Northern Territory On the 15th and 16th large fires at Mt Bundey and Annaburroo pastoral stations (about 100 km southeast of Darwin) destroyed scrub and pasture. Another large fire spread from Kakadu National Park to Pt Stuart Station. Later in the month, a large fire in Litchfield National Park burnt out properties on each side of the park. Many fires occurred in central parts of the Northern Territory during the last three weeks of August. The Davenport Range National Park and several stations in the southern Barkly region were seriously affected by major fires, which burnt an area of 2,500 to 3,000 square kilometres. A grader operator was badly burnt on Kurrundie Station, homesteads were threatened and sheds damaged at Annitowa and Elkedra Stations during the fires. Many smaller fires, some deliberately lit, have also affected the Alice Springs area during the last 2 weeks of August.
Fires in Arnhemland during the last week of August caused a large area
of smoke haze over the Top End, which combined with grass fires in the
Darwin area caused several days of low visibility. Operations at Darwin
International Airport were affected by the smoke haze.
Tasmania
Moderate flooding was reported on the North Esk River on the 17th with
a peak of 2.55 metres at Corra Linn. Moderate flooding was reported on
the South Esk River on the 17th with a peak of 5.24 metres at Fingal.
Moderate flooding occurred on the Derwent River below Meadowbank Dam on
the 29th. Intense rainfall on Deal Island (122.8mm to 9am on the 29th,
with most falling in an 8 hour period) caused flash flooding and damage
to roads and other structures Western Australia
On the 13th heavy rain ahead of a moderate cold front caused localised
flooding in Perth's western suburbs which affected afternoon peak hour
traffic. Several houses in Subiaco were inundated by floodwaters. Swanbourne
recorded 37mm of rain in two hours including 14mm in 15 minutes.
Note: Some statistical records mentioned in this report are based on data that have yet to be fully validated.
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