TS around Headland

[myshoutcaptain]

http://www.imagechicken.com/uploads/1266147391093996600.png (http://www.imagechicken.com)

PORT HEDLAND (YPPD)
TAF YPPD 140407Z 1406/1424
30020KT CAVOK
FM141200 28014KT CAVOK
RMK
T 37 34 30 29 Q 1004 1003 1005 1005

METAR YPPD 141015Z AUTO 30015KT 9999NDV // NCD 32/25 Q1003
RMK RF00.0/000.0


:ok:

[startingout]

I seem to have been a fan of the Met-Man's work this past week, been caught out a few times with precipitation issues such as this one :}

[Capt Fathom]

No doubt the Met man knew there would be no TS within 5nm of the airport. :uhoh:

A very brave Met man indeed!

[dik cheney]

I wouldn’t be surprised if there was not a cloud in the sky over those areas. If you compare it with the Dampier image, they don't add up. There’s also no TS forecast for area 68 in that region.

[greybeard]

A now very old mentor of mine once said,
" I never really worry what the met Man tells me, it's what he didn't, couldn't or woudn't that is the worry"

The rules of CAVOK are finite, however a TS to the NW might have been a help?????

It is also remotely possible an error in the so called radar picture can be a factor, see line two.

:ooh:

[Cirronimbus]

I'm not 100% sure but I think the TAF is prepared by the met man in PERTH so he can't see what is going on in Hedland (unless he pays particular attention to radar and satellite images). That Metar was generated by an automatic weather station and it can't see thunderstorms so the metar is not completely trustworthy. Best to take metar reps with a grain of salt!

[Towering Q]

I emailed the Port Hedland Met Office some time back about this issue and below is a portion of the reply.


I have had a lot of inquiries about this. And I am glad you looked at the sat pic as it is a radar issue.
Our radar is very sensitive and can pick up different sizes of airborne particles including sea haze, dust haze, smoke and precipitation.
You will find that when we have onshore winds (from west to north east) there may be false echoes on the radar image from the sea haze. We call this anomalous propagation.

Lately we have had reduced visibility all day due to the haze, misty mornings and ongoing fires.

The Bureau has tried to minimize these false echo's but are unable to eliminate them altogether without interfering with real echo's.

[j3pipercub]

So if you're not a pilot CN, what are you? Met Man?

[myshoutcaptain]

Tower - thanks for adding your email information. I had thought it may have been something else , interesting nonetheless.
:}

[Towering Q]

myshoutcaptain, if that were genuine weather I would be rushing down to the spoil-bank with my camera!!:eek:

One thing I have noticed since arriving in Hedland a few weeks ago is the distinct lack of Thunderies....plenty brewing away about 40nm inland, but nothing on the coast.:(

[Cirronimbus]

Hi j3pipercub,

no, not a met man but I have qualified as an authorised aerodrome met observer and I'm a bit of a weather nut too. I don't have a lot of faith in the new automatic sensors for visibility and cloud; that is why I'd be cautious about believing the automatically generated metars and specis.

Cheers,

Cn