Two weeks ago it was a dust storm, on Monday hail created snowfields in the suburbs, and yesterday, off the coast, three waterspouts appeared.The Illawarra's smorgasbord of weather has continued, providing new experiences and unusual sights across the region.Shortly before 7am yesterday, Woonona resident Paul Koperberg, brother of NSW MP and former Rural Fire Service commissioner Phil, snapped a magnificent photograph of three waterspouts merging into two.IN PICTURES: The Illawarra's crazy weather--------------------------
SLIDESHOW: The great Horsley hailstorm SLIDESHOW: Your photos of the hailstorm SLIDESHOW: Dust turns the Illawarra sky red-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Under clear skies at his Woonona home, Mr Koperberg said he watched for about 30 minutes as the spouts fizzed about 15km off the coast under dark, heavy clouds."We were in beautiful sunshine and there was this mass of cloud out on the horizon," he said.Meantime, families around Dapto and Horsley continued to clean up after Monday afternoon's hailstorms, which caused water damage to many houses.The State Emergency Service attended 47 jobs in Wollongong's southern suburbs and one in Shellharbour. NSW Fire Brigades also had teams on the ground.Patients at Dapto Medical Centre reported significant water damage, with buckets lining the wet carpet to catch water that had penetrated the roof.Geoff Best's kitchen ceiling at Horsley collapsed under the weight of leaking water a few hours after the hailstorm which hit about 3pm on Monday. Neighbours' houses in Timms Place were also damaged by the hail and subsequent flooding."There's water damage through the whole house ... it really would've hurt someone had they been in the kitchen when it happened," Mr Best said.In another major incident during the storm, three houses and a caravan were hit by flying wood after lightning struck a tree in Emerson Rd, Dapto.The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 17.2mm of rain at Albion Park between 2pm and 8.30pm on Monday and 11.4mm during the same period in Wollongong.The winter snow scene in Horsley was in stark contrast to the dust storm there less than a fortnight earlier.Sierra Dr resident Lyn Meharg sent in her contrasting photos and exclaimed: "From red dust storm to white ice storm in just 12 days."The forecast is for windy weather and possible showers.
