‘Severe’ thunderstorm brings 115km/h wind gust to Alice Springs and surrounds

A storm has crashed through the Red Centre – bringing rain, wind gusts of more than 130km/h in some areas, knocking out power, and delaying a flight.

A storm struck Alice Springs Sunday, November 2, felling trees, with the Alice Springs Volunteer Bushfire Brigade helping clean up. Picture: Alice Springs Volunteer Bushfire Brigade

The Red Centre has been rocked by a storm, which brought wind gusts just shy of 140km/h to the southern half of the Territory.

The storm stuck Alice Springs late Sunday evening, with an alert for the storm issued by Secure NT which covered the Simpson, Tanami, and Lasseter district.

Strong wind gusts struck Alice just after 6pm, with the airport recording a wind gust of 115km/h at precisely 6.04pm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) website.

A 137km/h wind gust was recorded at Territory Grape Farm, north of Alice Springs, a little over an hour later, a later Secure NT alert said.

Volunteer bushfire brigade members work to clear tree branches. Picture: Alice Springs Volunteer Bushfire Brigade

The Sunday night flight to Darwin from Alice was delayed due to the storm.

Originally due to depart at 5.40pm, the flight ended up leaving just before 10pm, and landing in the Top End just after midnight.

Multiple power outages were recorded across suburban Alice Springs and the neighbouring community of Santa Teresa, but as of Monday morning, power had been restored, according to the Power and Water website.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, Wulungurra Airport – southeast of Tennant Creek – recorded wind gusts of 93 km/h, according to the alert.

The alert warned residents to be prepared for damaging winds and even large hail.

A storm struck Alice Springs Sunday, November 2, felling trees and dropping a deluge on the town. Picture: Alice Springs Volunteer Bushfire Brigade

“A surface trough in the south of the state combines with an upper trough to promote severe thunderstorm activity this afternoon and evening,” the alert says.

“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds and large hailstones in the warning area over the next several hours.”

BOM is predicting sunny conditions for Alice Springs on Monday, with some possible light showers later in the week.

At the beginning of September, a large storm swept through Alice Springs – dropping a deluge, and dislodging a tree branch onto a new Nissan Patrol in the process. 

Originally published as ‘Severe’ thunderstorm brings 115km/h wind gust to Alice Springs and surrounds