A tornado is defined as a tall, rapidly rotating column of air which is:
* attached to the base of a cumulonimbus or cumulus congestus cloud
* usually visible as a condensation funnel and possibly a swirling debris cloud at the surface; and
* capable of producing damage at the ground

(Davies - Jones, 1986)

At between 1530 and 1550AEDST on the 9^th January, 2000, a small compact multicell thunderstorm moved across the Paraparap district 21kms southwest of Geelong & 10km southwest of Geelong Airport Automatic Weather Station. At approximately 1541AEDST (0441UTC), a small tornado developed along the short flanking line raising dust from ground level to cloud base. This event was videoed from approximately 60 kms northeast of Paraparap.

Although this small, compact multicell did not exhibit severe characteristics, the temperature profile may show that a steep potentially superadiabatic lapse rate may have existed between the surface and as high as 700hPa. There is also evidence of strong lapse rate potential between 500 and 300hPa.

The Paraparap district is located approximately 21 kilometres southwest of Geelong, Victoria and approximately 2 kilometres south of Moriac. The region is rather flat with low undulating hills, the highest point being Mt Moriac rising to 251 metres located about 6 kilometres to the north. The coastline running northeast to southwest with the towns of Torquay and Anglesea are about 18 and 20 kilometres to the southeast and south respectively. The Paraparap district is used mainly for sheep and cattle farming and gravel quarries. Mean rainfall for the district is approximately 560mm per annum. The area is strongly rainshadowed by the Otway Ranges rising to over 500 metres and located approximately 60 kilometres to the southwest.