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Occasionally you have one of those days - one of those days where your years of chasing, experience, honed knowledge of the atmosphere and obsessive love of your craft (i.e. stormchasing) finally pay off resulting in wonder and glory of our majestic atmosphere. Of course those days are rare and few, with that aforementioned knowledge and wisdom usually counting for nought. But today was 'one of those days'.

James and I had our eye on the current setup for awhile. Our forecast model of choice (GFS) had been suggesting a decent setup on the Northern Tablelands with good instability and shear. However as the days got closer, the forecast model suggested that the likelyhood of this happening was unlikely. However we had spotted inconsistencies between the forecast model and what was infact playing out. We noticed that another forecast model (MLAPS) had been picking up a late easterly change in the evenings. Though GFS hadn't picked this up, it had been occuring. Putting a number of factors together, we reckoned that with the high temps, cool upper levels, favourable windshear combined with the surge of moisture the easterly change would bring, a trip to the Northern Tablelands.

We left Sydney shrouded in mist and drove in fog and mist for nearly 4 hours, until we reached the areas of the upper hunter. The temperature increased and it wasn't long before storms popped up.

A particularly big storm formed just southeast of Tamworth. We were caught offguard that the storms were heading in a north to northwest direction so early - propogating as they grew.

As we trundled into Tamworth we drove though some sizeable hail drifts. On the northern side of town we stopped to photograph a little updraft which was rotating up into the main complex. Though small in size, the storm was constantly rumbing and spinning like a top. An awesome start!

We kept moving northwest - eagerly awaiting the easterly surge while trying to get into a clearing and closer to the trough (which was sitting out over Moree, Narrabri and Mullaley). As the storms fired over the unchasable MNC we were recieving patchy dry devlopment.

Then at about 5pm while we heading through Boggabri the surge hit, and all the storms fired and intensified rapidly. WE intercepted a number of lines at Boggabri as they exploded over our heads. As the sunset we captured some great colours as lightning pierced the rain and dust.

We continued east up on the road to Bingara which took us through a series of bushfires. The embers lighting up the surrounding landscape was quite spectacular.

Late in the evening at Barrabra we decided the chase was over. Most of the lightning had headed east, and our hopes of a tableland lightshow dashed. But a terrific chase none the less!