(imagery summary - further analysis and
images to come)
The following images are extracted
from video of the entire event (click thumbnail for larger image).
The first funnel appearing at 1540.
Image of
second funnel approximately 1543 shows a rope funnel hanging halfway to the ground. This
funnel developed approx 5 or so kms east of the 1st funnel.
Image
of rope funnel. The tornado developed between the 1st stumpy funnel and the rope
funnel all in the space of less than 10 minutes.....you have to be quick to catch
tornaodes in Australia!
A
narrow lowering I dismissed as a fractus lowering after the appearance of 2 separate
funnels nearby.
Careful
scrutiny of the fractus shows a V shape on the ground. It is apparent that a connection
was already established behind the fractus.
The
connection to the ground can be seen clearly. The fractus is now organising in the
vorticity field.
This
sequence of early images shows the clear tube shape of the tornado.
In this image the tornado
starts to broaden rather quickly.
The tornado has rapidly
intensified and the scud fractus lowering is showing better organisation with a curtain
appearance halfway down the tornado.
The curtain, or skirt, is
establishing around the tornado vortex. A fractus streak appears on the right side.
This image displays the
tornado near maximum with a reasonably defined skirt and a developing upper collar. The
funnel appears below the skirt connecting to the ground.
In this series of images,
the tornado passes relatively quickly to the ENE.
The tornado is now becoming
rain wrapped from the right side and quickly weakens.
The NW end
of the quasi-stationary convective line (QLCS) as indicated or suspected by Harald Richter
approx 1535
Following the disappearance of
the tornado, the cell collapsed producing a strong outflow at its rear, that raced rapidly
N then NE.
This storm was identified by Harald Richter as a supercell with a persistent large
meso. This was the storm that developed from the outflow from the Ballarat storm
complexes, near Castlemaine later that evening.
Current Australian and Victorian Weather
Copyright
applies to all images appearing on this site �