Over inland Victoria under the right conditions even relatively dry air can produce spectacular storms... this severe pulse storm is passing over Avoca on the afternoon of 19/11/03. The backsheared anvil has a cascade of rain blowing outward to form a 'rainfoot' on its northwest flank - this was unusual as the geostrophic flow is from the northwest, there is still enough outflow to push back against this flow along the surface with gusts of over 40knots from the southeast along the rainfoot outflow. Conditions on this day were locally rather dry with surface temperatures near 36°C and dew points of around 12°C, this storms exhibits an example of 'DMAPE' (downdraft maximum available potential energy!), with the falling rain being evaporated and generating the cold downdraft. The outflow associated with this storm could also be interpreted as 'AGEOSTROPHIC' on its north west flank.

Low topped cold air cumulonimbus and a setting sun combine to produce a brilliant rainbow together with a secondary bow

Sun setting behind congesting cumulus at Mt Macedon. The passage of these cloud lines produced a mix of snow pellets, hail, graupel and snow flakes..

A tumble of ice crystals cascade earthward from a spreading cumulonimbus along a receding cold front and for just one minute the sun lights the ice up like old gold.....

An example of what mammatus can look like when illuminated in the right way!!, The sight of the rear of a cumulonimbus on Monday's clearing edge of a retreating cold front put shivers down my spine

Ice crystals cascade from the clearing edge of a cold front

Receding large cold air cumulonimbus, this development near Lancefield central Victoria produced hail,snow pellets,graupel,and snow down to about 600m.

Isolated decaying cold air cumulonimbus near Sunbury.

A receding line of cold air showers showing vertical structure of falling snow wall. The snow line was about 150m above the ground level (550m) At 550m precipitation fell as sleet and soft hail (snow pellets) mixed with brief snow flurries. Prior to the arrival of this shower line the temperature was 5.5C, falling to 2.5C during the period of precipitation....

Current Victorian and Australian Weather