Lake Purrumbete, VIC: Last weeks wild weather saw numerous Severe Thunderstorms across much of SE Australia especially overnight Wednesday Night and Thursday Afternoon last week. In these storms were the risks of HEAVY RAINFALL, DAMAGING WINDS and LARGE HAILSTONES. However another severe weather phenomena seems to also have occurred last Wednesday Night in a possible TORNADO which tore apart a Lakeside Caravan Park at Lake Purrumbete near Camperdown/Colac in SW Victoria.
The Bureau have finalised their investigation into this event and have confirmed that it was a non-supecell tornado. They explain this in their Facebook post below.
However they also mention they are still gaining evidence. Which is also exactly what EWF (Extreme Weather Forecasting) are also doing before releasing their final decision into this event. At the moment we here at EWF are reviewing data we got and the images we caught near the area that night while out storm chasing in the area and working with relevant sources to gain data to give us a better understanding of what might have gone down at the Lake Purrumbete Caravan Park.
EWF FINAL REPORT of the Lake Purrumbete Tornado:
Rating: EF2/F2 or A Strong Tornado.
Estimated Wind Speeds: Unknown (Over 90km/h+).
Direction Moved: S/SE.
Time it occurred: 10:30pm AEST Wednesday 1st May 2019.
Damage: Moderate/Considerable Damage.
Damage Costs: Over $1 Million.
Discussion/Notes:
Based on PRELIMINARY DATA from Radar the Tornado likely started over open fields as an EF0 and moved in a S/SE Direction at very quick speed as it tracked towards Lake Purrumbete. As it hit Lake Purrumbete and the lakeside cafe “The Lake Edge Cafe” and the Lake Purrumbete Holiday/Caravan Park it was estimated based on the damage that it would have been at least a high end to low-mid EF1-EF2 Tornado based on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This tornado then seems based on radar data to have quickly dissipated as it crossed the Purrumbete Estate Rd. This Tornado caused Considerable Damage to both the Lake Edge Cafe and Caravan park with boat trailers, some with boats still attached tossed several hundred meters, caravans were tossed, badly damaged/or completely destroyed with windows completely blown out and shattered, large trees uprooted and debris scattered overs several hundred meters with some rumors of caravans/cabins been tossed over 300 meters. Thankfully NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES were recorded.
For more and the extraordinary photos of the damage caused please click the FB Post below from the Warrnambool Standard below which will take you to their article with the images:
*END OF MEDIA RELEASE*