January 2007 media release

Severe thunderstorm lashes the capital, spares Gungahlin. 27 February 2007 Canberra was struck by huge hailstones last night as a severe storm passed through the national capital. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 9pm, with the wild weather coming in about an hour later. The inner north was the hardest hit. Gungahlin received no rain during the storm. Until the storm hit at about 10pm, only 0.2mm of rain had fallen in Canberra after 9am yesterday but it was enough to take the total for February above the average for this time of year with one day to spare.
	The rain early in the day was part of a cold front that moved across the region on Monday night and fell where it was needed in Canberra's catchment areas, as well as in Goulburn and Braidwood. The coast also received good falls. The average February rainfall is 55.6mm. Before last night's storm, Canberra had received 55.8mm this month but only 65.6mm in total for the year, 37.2mm less than last year. Falls around Canberra during the storm included 17mm at Tuggeranong, 38mm at Canberra AP, 36mm in Macquarie and 75mm in Turner. Turner resident Nick said the storm flattened his garden beds and stripped tress bare. Meanwhile, Gungahlin Weather Centre operator Darren Giles recorded no rain in Gungahlin during the storm, despite being located just 14km's from the worst hit Civic area. Rain also failed to fall at nearby Dunlop and Charnwood.


Actew spokesman Chris Hare said rain had fallen over Canberra's dams, although it had not affected overall supply, which stood at 34.8per cent. "The rainfall we have been getting has meant that dam levels are still decreasing, but far less than they had been three to four weeks ago. "In January, we were losing 0.1 per cent a day, but over the last few weeks we have only been losing 0.2 per cent over the whole week, which gives you an idea of what this sort of rainfall is doing. "We need substantial rain over the coming months to really improve our dam levels." Corin received 6.2mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday and is at 18 per cent capacity. Bendora received 7.2mm and is at 75.8 per cent, while Googong received 18mm and is 39 per cent full.
The Bureau of Meteorology said more rain was predicted for later this week and early next week. While the seasonal outlook suggested a 50 per cent change of average rainfall, international predictors suggested more rain in the long term. "If you look at the way it is panning out, we are looking at much better chances of average rain than what we have had in the recent past," manager of the Canberra Meteorological Office, Ken Batt, said. "It looks like we could be moving towards a La Nina effect, which is above average rain. "International forecasts are suggesting that we are moving into a La Nina phase, starting in August or September." Source: Darren Giles & Canberra Your Guide Photos: unknown source