Well timed lunch

[LewisM]

We spent the last week in Sydney and came back to Canberra today. Wife decided to use up her work daily meal allowance and have a good lunch on the way home, delaying us an hour. Glad she was hungry!

By the time we had turned onto the Federal Highway, the sky looked grim, and it looked all the worl like a tornado funnel was going to form. STRONG wind, lots of rain, and by the time we were along Lake George, there were beautiful (yet dangerous) mammatus clouds at the trailing edge of the storm. Commented to the wife how you don't want to go flying near/in them as they are very turbulent...

Drive along Majura - all looks normal. Turn onto the road home and there are a couple Police vehicles, and I thought it a bit odd the RAAF VIP aircraft fleet were OUT of the hanger. Hmmm.

turn down towards RAAF Fairbairn, and notice odd yellow shapes like leaves in autumn or paper all intertwinned in the tennis court fence. Then I see beyond, and saw that part of the roof of the hanger was gone.

Then the fallen trees - BIG ones, and the yellow insulation fluff from the hanger EVERYWHERE - in trees, around poles, EVERYWHERE. Foil insulation EVERYWHERE....

The tornado's path was all too obvious with the swathe of the insulation fluff - the path NARROWLY missed out car port, hitting off to the right. A few things tossled around in our yard, but no damage, or to any houses here.

So far, there have been probably 50 to 60 Defence personnel out collecting all the insulation - it almost looks normal again (need to show the pollies and diplomats a clean area lol).

Judging by NO damage on the airport side of the runway, the tornado must have touched down on the RAAF side and the hanger bore the brunt. The tornado burnt itself out fast. I spoke to one of the airport staff and they said he definitely saw a funnel touch down. I witnessed 2 of those on the Sunshine Coast once - literally locally intensified with a damage zone of a few hundred metres.

Thank goodness the wife was hungry

First to press so far: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/can...02-p50dq7.html

[JeniSkunk (Jenifur)]

Flamin' Hell!
You were bloody lucky Lewis!

[GrahamL]

One landed locally a few years back ., council workers running off the beach being rained on by dead seagulls , guy i Know trying to fathom the deafening roar sees a lawnmower sail past his second floor window then complete silence ( worst part he said ) the debris starting to land ,, 200 kg house beam impaled upright in the back yard, cant imagine what those people in the states go through when the big one comes down !

[JeniSkunk (Jenifur)]

Originally Posted by LewisM

First to press so far: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/can...02-p50dq7.html

News link about the bushfires in Canberra ATM, on the page you linked to, mentions trouble for the Stromlo area again.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/nat...01-p50dhx.html
How close is that to Stromlo?

[LewisM]

In one I experienced on the Sunshine Coast (I was still in high school), the neighbours tin shed - which was bolted down previously - was uprooted and impaled into our roof (also taking out all the guttering). Our shed vaporised for want of a better word! A Scots Terrier was lifted a couple streets away and - luckily - landed in our neighbours pool, perfectly OK, and thankfully with a name tag so he could be returned.

I went out before and photographed some of the fallen trees...smells nice out there with the broken redgums.

[LewisM]

Originally Posted by JeniSkunk

News link about the bushfires in Canberra ATM, on the page you linked to, mentions trouble for the Stromlo area again.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/nat...01-p50dhx.html
How close is that to Stromlo?

Closer to Tidbinbilla than Stromlo, but neither is very far apart.