Storms in Brisbane result of change from El Nino to La Nina

Current storms in Brisbane hark back 20 years or more when it was common after a hot day to have storms. Recently we've had afternoon storms and evening storms after hot days, this is unusual for September, however, not unusual for 20 or more years ago.

Thank god the weather gurus aren't blaming AGW. They're sensibly telling us that it's due to the change between El Nino and La Nina and it's quite normal (sorry, no link to the weather dude saying it's normal, I heard it on the radio yesterday afternoon).

Hurrah!

SPECTACULAR lightning and widespread rain last night provided a surprise start to the school holidays and the storm season in southeast Queensland.

The best falls included 33mm in just 30 minutes recorded at O'Reilly's Weir, near the southern end of Wivenhoe Dam.

Catchment areas for the Somerset and North Pine dams also received significant falls.

More than 3000 lightning strikes were registered as the storm band swept across Brisbane from the southwest soon after 8pm.

The multi-forked lightning illuminated the city and its skyline although there was only a short period of heavy rain in the CBD.

and

The storm season usually does not begin until October.

The early rain backs up predictions from farmers on the southern Darling Downs who recently forecast a wet summer, based on the unusual number of twin lambs being born in early spring.

Wool producer Reg Cullen said many of his ewes had recently borne twin lambs on his Karara property, Strathdon, near Warwick. There also have been large numbers of twin joeys for kangaroos in the region, he said.

"Everyone around here's talking about it. The animals sense it's good times ahead from a wet summer," Mr Cullen said.

Here's a link to the newspaper item, with a photo.

They really should consult the people on the land who rely on the weather so much, and have so much invested in reading the signs.

I love a good thunderstorm. I've been living in a gully for 14 years now, my next house will be on a hill. Or high, so I can see! And I'll be living no more than 1 hour from the ocean. For sure.