ANU is closed - Canberra centre is closed - hail an inch thick on the roads. Madness...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/thunderstorm-batters-canberra/2007/02/28/1172338659496.html
Quote:
Supercell thunderstorm batters Canberra
Jano Gibson
February 28, 2007 - 7:30AM
A huge thunderstorm with severe hail has battered Canberra overnight, with hundreds of people calling for emergency help, including drivers trapped in their cars by flash floods.
Heavy rain began falling in the capital city from 9pm as the first of two thunderstorms made its way across the ACT.
But it was the second storm, which senior Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Neale Fraser described as a "supercell thunderstorm", which wreaked havoc across the territory until about 11pm.
"It really intensified as it came into the ACT [with] very intense rainfall and lots of hail," Mr Fraser said.
"It was a huge thunderstorm."
Hail, with stones more than two centimetres in diameter, fell for around 40 minutes, blocking drains and causing flash flooding on major roads.
Russell Cameron, a spokesman for the ACT Emergency Services Agency, said the State Emergency Service received 115 calls and the Fire Brigades received over 200 calls.
There were no reports of storm-related injuries, he said.
Flash flooding, caused by the large volume of rain and hail, had some drivers in a panic.
He said the drivers had pulled over to the side of the road when the heavy rain began, but flash flooding quickly occurred, trapping them in their cars.
"The water just started coming up around the wheels and gradually got up to the bottom of the doors, [high] enough for them to be worrying about stepping out into the fast-moving water," he said.
"A lot of people were assisted from their car after fast moving water had them pinned in their car. Members of the Fire Brigades went from car to car helping people out."
Mr Cameron said emergency services teams worked overnight to remove hail from the road.
"The hail seemed to compact on the roads. Road maintenance has been working all night to clear the ice off the roads, which is a really bizarre thing to be happening around this time of the year."
He said it was too early to know the extent of storm damage but it was likely to consist of wet carpets and water in light fittings.