Brisbane Tornado

Arcturus · #1 17-08-2007, 07:03 PM

So there I was at 6pm this evening, walking down the drive to shut the gates for the night. Walking back to the house I stopped and looked at the sky as I often do and was stunned to see a thick black rope tornado in the western sky.

I watched it for two minutes then got got my parents to watch. It lasted for another ten minutes before dissapating.

It was truly awesome, never seen anything like it in my life. I presume it was a landspout as there was no thunderstorm. It appeared to come from an ordinary cumulus cloud.

Anyone else in the Brisbane area see any such thing?

Dennis · #2 17-08-2007, 07:11 PM

Wow - that sounds both interesting and scary! I've never seen anything like that; either in Brisbane or the UK.

Hope nobody was hurt.

Cheers

Dennis

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #3 17-08-2007, 07:13 PM

Yep classic landspout, beautiful things to watch but also just as dangerous. Seen a few on chases, but only ever photographed a funnel of one...

CometGuy · #4 17-08-2007, 07:22 PM

James,

You should post this on www.weatherzone.com.au

Interesting stuff. My old High School - MacGregor High - was severely damaged by a F2 tornado in the mid-70's. They certainly do occur in Brisbane from time to time!

Terry

Arcturus · #5 17-08-2007, 07:54 PM

Thanks Terry, will do.

GrahamL · #6 17-08-2007, 08:22 PM

I remember vividly one in at centenary pool in herston years ago
it started in the car park outside ,pulled up cans and paper then moved across the building in front of us ,it was kinda funny at first ,but as it grew and kept coming it became pretty scary , it moved over the pool and just pulled up this massive water spout ,we ran out of its way ,I still remember looking back at a bunch of girls who were just screaming as this thing came at them . it knocked them over and threw there gear around then it was gone in a second .. this one guy was standing there looking up saying its got my towel ..LOL..and right he was it was a tiny speck way up in the sky .. he went off walking following it and it dropped to the ground a km away down towards the valley.

Imagine one of those big suckers in the states moving towards you

Ingo · #7 17-08-2007, 08:52 PM

I'd think the smallest of tornado's are scary! I'd be in my basement praying for life

Louwai (Bryan) · #8 18-08-2007, 06:46 PM

Over the past 10yrs I've seen 4 or 5 water spouts off shore. I was on the beach at Straddie each time.

I remember the devestating tornado in the early 70's. I lived at Tarragindi then. It cut through the Toohey Forrest & into the housing estate near the Salisbury Pub. There was a neat clear path of trees snapped off like matchsticks. Several houses were totally demolished.

mickal555 · #9 19-08-2007, 02:55 PM

Wow!

Thats interesting, sure it was a tornado? Did the weatherman talk about it or anything? How far away was it? How big was it?

Damn I'm jealous.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #10 21-08-2007, 08:38 AM

I was living in Brighton on a hill overlooking Bramble Bay/Moreton Bay. Coming down the road from the shops, I saw 3 water spouts on the water.
Totally excited, I had to share the experience and grabbed a man walking up the road to show him. Not very impressed.
I later found out friends were fishing on the bay at the time, they were knocked out of their boat by one spout. Their story made it into the local paper.