Massive supercells in Friuli - 24/07/2007

**Aragorth** · 26/07/2007, 15:54

Ciao ragazzi!

Mmm another great day was expected...here is chase log...

After our intense discussion and forecasting great conditions that came together over northeast Italy, I was nowcasting all from home. When things came close to explosion, I left home at around 4pm. I am driving towards the ITA/SLO border and watching those strong cells in northern Friuli...

I noticed an overshooting top while I was driving near Villese...and quickly decided to go diretly to this cell, as it looked very good on latest radar scans. It was located a bit WNW of Udine in that time...

I went of the highway at Udine-sud exit and was just south of this cell. Nice mammatus in front of me, so I continued driving north to intercept this baby

When I am approching the cell, its obvious...supercell is here! The first one of the day...very nice shape and good wall cloud under the meso...

A bit later a nice shelf appeared on the right...

It was then time to go, on the radar I noticed another monster cell coming from the west...so I quickly turned west and continued on the road from Udine towards Splimbergo...when I am coming closer its too obvious again...perfect conditions today, second supercell is here! Amazing lowering with wall cloud...here we go!

Driving towards the mesocyclone and soon I found a great spot near village Mereto di Tomba for observing the whole supercell...the structure was honestly INSANE! Oh man it was rotating so fast and just look at the inflow tail/clouds coming from the right...incredible!

Here is a combination of two vertical photos to see the shape of whole beauty...too good...

Another few shots of the structure...very similar structure that we observed in Texas in US this year...massive inflow!

It was soon time to escape then as I was able to hear heavy precipitation and hail bombing in front of me. I turned south and took this photo from Basilliano just before torrential rain with hail ~2cm hit me on the road...scary view into the rapidly coming shelf cloud..

I managed to escape south of the precipitation core and stopped a bit north of Talmassons because explosive convection started just east of there. I haven't seen such a rapid formations of updraft towers for a long time...just incredible! Here are some shots...

Then I was following these cells towards Palmanova since I wanted to go ahead of the cells again, one shot from Palmanova towards northeast...

I continued south and stopped in Villese because new cells were exploding fast along the outflow boudary west of highway...quickly cell formed and got me in the rain...

I wanted to go out of the rain but it started with hail ~2-3cm again and highway became blocked, people were going crazy :drink Soon I wasn't able to go further, it all stopped near Ronchi exit, also visibility dropped only to 10-20m as hailstorm came there. I had to wait and unortunatelly missed the incredible shelf cloud in front of this cell which I wanted to observe from Sistiana...but oh well, maybe next time. I arrived to Sistiana 15min after the cell pass near Monfalcone and took some pics towards Friuli plains...as few cells were still forming there...

Skies were already clearing behing this MCS, crystal clear towards the Alps at sunset...

I was able to watch the whole system which was going south-southeast towards Croatia later...amazing colors and structure at sunset!

Some nice exploding updraft was present as well...

Meanwhile a new strong cell formed in southern Friuli and surprisedly it had a supercell structure again...grrrreat, sup' #3!

I continued towards home and took some more photos of the system moving away towards south...with incredible mammatus in the back...

The last view over the dying cell from Friuli...

When I arrived home I noticed some minor damage after the storms, winds were gusting 60-80km/h on the Carso and broke some tree brunches in Zirje...

All photos here: http://www.weather-photos.net/galler....php?album=221

Another spectacular day...forecasted very good and with even better conclusion. Now its for sure, I LOVE Friuli!!!

Enjoy the pics, ciao!

Marko