FEROCIOUS THUNDERSTORM BEAT PERT, AUSTRALIA WITH HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS AND TENNIS BALL-SIZE HAIL TODAY, OVER 18,000 HOMES LEFT WITHOUT POWER, SEVERE DAMAGE TO CARS, HOMES AND PROPERTY
From Prof. RS “Rick” Duarte, Jr. * Feb. 26, 2020
Ferocious thunderstorm with damaging winds up to 126 km/h (78 mph) and hailstones the size of tennis balls — about 6 cm (2 inches) in diameter — lashed Perth, Australia on February 25, 2020, wreaking havoc across the city and causing chaos during
peak-hour traffic.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecasts another bout of intense storms and more showers for the region in the following days, with severe warnings in place for the city’s southern suburbs.
Powerful winds broke through roofs, sending rain and tree branches inside establishments. Uprooted trees also collapsed on top of cars, but no serious injuries were reported.
Wind gusts up to 126 km/h (78 mph) were recorded at Kalannie and 106 km/h (66 mph) at Latham.
One driver on Harborne Street managed to escape a severe injury when a huge tree fell onto her car, crushing the middle section.
“The guys who jumped out to help, they couldn’t open the front door and I thought ‘oh no’,” said one witness.
Police said the woman was trapped in the vehicle for some time but was eventually rescued and taken to Royal Perth Hospital.
“I was convinced the person wasn’t going to get out of the car. It was only when I saw it on the news or someone told me later that the person had got out that I was so relieved,” the witness added.
Electricity supply was cut off to thousands of residents as the storm also toppled power lines.
Western Power said about 18 000 homes and businesses were affected at the peak of the outages, with the most impacted metro areas being North Beach, Trigg, Karrinyup, Balga, Hamersley, Balcatta, Yokine, Menora, Coolbinia, Nollamara, Tuart Hill, Osborne Park, Stirling, and Inglewood.
Furthermore, the water supply was affected to about 100 residents, according to Victoria Plains Shire president Pauline Bantock.
The area was also pounded by hailstones the size of tennis balls or roughly 6 cm (2 inches), according to ABC Perth.
Bantock added that she had never seen hail like it, adding that it was bigger than a golf ball. “It just came down in a flood and lasted for about 10 minutes all up.”
The hailstorm caused extensive damage particularly to vehicles, leaving windows shattered.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) chief superintended Stuart Wade said it was the worst storm to hit Perth since the 2010 March hailstorms.
The main areas affected were East Victoria Park, Menora, Nollamara, Clarkson, Carlisle, and Heathridge.
DFES district officer Allan Gayle said they received more than 700 emergency calls, mostly about fire, people trapped in cars, and gas leaks.
Peak-hour traffic bore the brunt of the storm as train services were disrupted due to signaling problems. Debris also blocked traffic on Great Eastern Highway in Belmont.
Flooding was reported on the Mitchel Freeway northbound near Warwick Road.
The Somerly Primary School in the city’s north was closed Wednesday for repair and cleanups after several classrooms were inundated.
Moreover, the Lathlain Primary School and West Leederville Primary School also needed repairs after winds tore trees down.
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for the southern suburbs of Perth on Wednesday, February 26, as the severe weather is expected to affect Mandurah, Henderson, Rockingham, Secret Harbour, Nambeelup, North Dandalup, and Pinjarra.
Meanwhile, BOM forecasts more storms and showers for Thursday and Friday, February 27 and 28, before conditions ease on the weekend and the following week.
The bureau predicted a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms with easterly winds of up to 35 km/h (22 mph). Perth Coastal Plain and Perth Hills are under high fire danger.
It will be mostly sunny beginning Saturday, February 29, but there is still a chance of a thunderstorm particularly in the northeast area early morning.
https://watchers.news/2020/02/26/severe-thunderstorm-and-worst-hailstorm-since-2010-wreak-havoc-across-perth-australia/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
A convidada da Rede Social é, esta semana, a arqueóloga Tânia Casimiro, especialista em cultura material, investigadora do Instituto de História Contemporânea da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, com importante trabalho desenvolvido nas áreas da arqueologia europeia medieval e pós-medieval e das relações atlânticas. Tânia Casimiro participou, há quatro anos, no projecto de recuperação de uma nau portuguesa descoberta em Omã e que, muito provavelmente, será a nau Esmeralda, da armada de Vasco da Gama. A Esmeralda naufragou em 1503 nas águas de Omã mas, não obstante ter sido recuperado um conjunto de quase três mil artefactos do seu interior (incluindo uma esfera armilar e um emblema pessoal de D. Manuel I), não há certeza definitiva de que se trate da nau agora encontrada. Tânia Casimiro ressalva que não é especialista em arqueologia subaquática, apenas estuda o que as naus transportavam: ″Estudo aquilo que as pessoas usavam, no dia a dia, a bordo das naus. No que se refere à nau Esmeralda, sabia-se onde é que ela tinha naufragado, era quase difícil não dar com ela. Havia toda uma história, todo um enredo. Claro que a indicação de que esta pode ser a nau Esmeralda tem uma forte carga mediática, mas não necessariamente científica. A cultura material a bordo indica que era uma nau portuguesa das carreiras da Índia. Na zona poderá haver uma outra nau, naufragada cerca de 30 anos depois. O que se passa ali é que os naufrágios ocorrem numa zona próxima de um ancoradouro onde os barcos paravam para fazer aguadas ou manobras similares. Neste caso, há um grande conjunto de cultura material portuguesa, claramente datada entre os finais do século XV e os inícios do século XVI. Os portugueses não chegam ao Índico antes de 1498. É impossível que aquela cultura material ali tenha chegado antes dessa data. Entretanto, há outros elementos de cultura material, como porcelanas, a bordo, (entenda-se na zona do naufrágio, porque já não existe ″bordo″) que remetem para uma cronologia que vai até 1510. Se nos cingirmos a este intervalo, tudo indica que se trate da nau Esmeralda. O meu convencimento é de que sim, trata-se da Esmeralda. Mas, desse ponto de vista, para mim, trata-se de um caso encerrado.″ Tânia Casimiro conta como se viu envolvida neste projecto, desde o convite de David Mearns, o líder da operação nas águas de Omã, alertado para a sua especialização em cerâmica portuguesa. As boas relações de Tânia Casimiro com arqueólogos ingleses facilitaram o contacto. Há quatro anos, pôde confrontar-se, em Omã, com 1200 peças. ″A cerâmica, devido às suas características, é o que mais resiste, é o que fica. Pode fragmentar-se, pode partir, mas sobrevive. A primeira coisa que reconheci foi a cerâmica portuguesa. Corresponderia a 30 ou 35% do que encontrámos. Aquele era um contexto em que os portugueses tinham estado. Mas, claro, através da cerâmica, encontrámos evidências de todos os lugares onde a nau passou. Havia cerâmica africana, havia cerâmica indiana e havia a porcelana, claro. Era a grande novidade. Era o que os portugueses mais desejavam trazer devido ao preço a que se vendia.″
