Winner, Wilderness, ANZANG 2009

The intense heatwave which created the Victorian fires also caused a ‘heat trough’ in inland New South Wales. The accompanying storms did not drop much rain but created strong downburst winds and lightning. Shown here is a ‘microburst’, a strong downward flowing burst that can cause destructive winds. Here they picked up the dust from the drought-affected plains.
20 km north of Temora, south-western New South Wales.

Runner up, Wilderness, ANZANG 2009