A warm-front triggered nocturnal tornado outbreak near Kiama, NSW, Australia

Abstract

This paper documents the case of a nocturnal outbreak of tornadoes on the New South Wales (NSW) south coast on 23 February 2013, and provides an analysis of the conditions that led to the outbreak. These tornadoes were associated with the passage of a warm front which had developed on the eastern flank of a mature extratropical cyclone.

The damage from the tornadoes is discussed, and an analysis of the synoptic and mesoscale conditions that led to the event is provided. An analysis of radar at the time of the event shows a series of vortices developing within a zone of horizontal shear just prior to the tornadoes developing. The tornadoes were difficult for operational forecasters to predict, partly due to the infrequent occurrence of nocturnal tornadoes of this type in NSW, and in part due to operational demands from the broader scale severe weather event that resulted from the low-pressure system. This paper presents an analysis of the event that may assist forecasters in identifying similar events in the future.