Weather Zone
Here's a few pics I've taken over the years. Mostly from my place.
Mammatus clouds. A good indication of possible stormy weather ahead.
Big storm brewing
You can see what's called 'greenage', sign of possible a violent storm. Which it was that afternoon.
I've got a bin next to the garage collecting the water overflowing from the roof. Didn't help much because the garage got flooded with 3 inches of water.
Here's a video taken with my camera, you might gather, me likes storms a lot.
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There would have been at least 5 more "sorry's" and it would have had to have been the Canadian driver who was not at fault apologizing to be a true representation.
Also we only eat moose meat when the polar bears and beavers are in short supply.
My conclusion - the Aussie car was full of imposter Canadians - so more than likely they were Swedes or Dutch
)
Sydney turned on the charm on Monday night with one hell of a sunset.
But if you missed the spectacular colours this time, there are likely to be more to come with mostly sunny and warm days tipped for the rest of the week.
The sun went down at about 5.13pm.
For those who missed it (and those not on Instagram or Twitter), here are just a few of the photos people posted on Monday night.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/instagram-and-twitter-go-crazy-for-sydneys-sunset-20140728-3cppv.html#ixzz38oho1cxK
How to take the perfect sunset or sunrise photo
Sydney Morning Herald photographer Nick Moir said the best sunsets tend to be "when the sun has actually already disappeared and only the high altitude "cirrus" (wispy, translucent cloud) and "alto cumulous"(cloud of parallel bands or rounded masses) can still reflect the light."
He said thunderstorms can also make for great sunsets if you can be in the right position to see formations like "mammatus" (sagging, pouch-like formations), which bulge down from the atmosphere.
Top tips on how to take the best photo of a sunset include:
Dramatic effect: The Aurora Australis seen from northern Tasmania. Photo: Jason L Stephens
For Aurora Australis hunters, those folk who devotedly chase the magical coloured knots, swirls and curtains of light that twist and unravel in the southern skies, the forecast is looking good.
The natural lightshow caused by activity on the sun is likely to deliver some standout shows in coming years, as the sun enters an activity cycle that will send highly energised particles Earth's way.
Dramatic effect: The Aurora Australis seen from northern Tasmania. Photo: Jason L Stephens
Iver Cairns from Sydney University's school of physics said while it was hard to forecast, generally the sun had an activity cycle lasting 11 years. He said recent displays of light over Tasmania were evidence that the solar maximum phase was now dominating, meaning solar flares and coronal mass ejection were occurring more frequently.
Professor Cairns said the colours seen in the skies over Tasmania in recent days related to the molecules that were being excited by excess energy generated by solar activity.
But it's more than just a light show. Those with a trained eye know that there is a colour code to explain what particles are being energised.
Red signals atomic nitrogen and yellow sodium, while green refers to atomic oxygen. Meanwhile, the movement of the clouds and swirls are associated with turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere.
"They are magical to watch," said Professor Cairns, who also runs the research network Sydney Spacenet. He said sometimes the aurora moved like lightning – travelling at up to 100 kilometres a second.
Launceston construction industry detailer and amateur photographer Jason Stephens is one of a growing number of Tasmanian Aurora Australis chasers. He became hooked after seeing a photograph 18 months ago that was so stunning he could scarcely believe it was taken in his home state.
"It's quite beautiful to see," he said. "Sometimes I do forget about the camera and just stand there watching it."
But as Professor Cairns points out, there is a self-preservation aspect to understanding the power of the Aurora Australis.
Studying space weather, including the aurora, means being better able to predict the impact it has on the electrical currents in the Earth's atmosphere.
"Those electric fields and currents have effects on, for instance, power lines, GPS signals and radiation damage to humans," Professor Cairns said.
Fundamental science also benefits. But in a world where the global economy is built on electricity and space data is relied upon for communications, being able to manage and protect infrastructure is vital.
"The importance of space weather, and being able to predict it, is increasing rather than decreasing."
While Melbourne and Sydney only see the southern lights perhaps once every few years, Tasmanians could see the aurora up to 10 times a year.