Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

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cupoteacoast
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Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

Several years back now, conditions in Paekakariki were exactly as they were today (Fri 24th August). Over NZ was a high producing beautifully clear, azure skies. The hills all around here were producing Cu-nimbus with very fast, stunning updraughts, as they were here yesterday & today. The wind was forecast NE, but locally it suddenly turned to a very cold SW, with Easterlies also coming down from the hills, out of no where, as it did this afternoon. (Today when it turned cold, cap cloud covered Mt Wainui, and travelling clouds similar to lenticular appeared in the skies, with a line of Cu-N in the ranges). Back to several years ago, in the same conditions, I was astounded to see what seemed to be a rapidly growing Cu-nimbus at sea level, so I got my camera out. The skies blackened in minutes.
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Last edited by cupoteacoast on Sat 25/08/2012 01:14, edited 2 times in total.
cupoteacoast
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

This is what happened next. I just saw this column coming down the street, as though it was aiming straight for my house! I'm not sure if this was the waterspout or a nasty downdraught. I only had time to snap a very quick shot before I took off inside to get away from this thing. It dropped a ton of water over us, as well as hail and high wind. Fortunately it passed over us very quickly, so no major damage. (best viewed enlarged size)
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cupoteacoast
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

The storm cell as it passed over our neighbouring houses, and headed for the hills.
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cupoteacoast
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

It picked up things like stray pots, my own plants, boxes etc and dumped them towards my garage. I never found all my plants again, just their pots, as well as stray cartons. We searched neighbouring houses and the back paddocks behind us, to no avail. Despite the missing plants taken from their pots, nothing dropped here was broken, even the cardboard boxes were intact and unflattened.
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Last edited by cupoteacoast on Sat 25/08/2012 00:39, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

Oddly enough, at the same time my friend was on Paraparaumu Beach enjoying the nice day when she photographed this coming into Paekakariki. It was a very tall, but narrow spout, travelling from the W to E direction. Must dig those pix out.

(depending on which way you see things, the north end of Paek is exposed to the ranges & can be hell hole weather wise, or it can be a weather watchers paradise, as we get the weather from every direction, S, SE, SW, N, NE, NW, E, W. We even get rain on the other side of the road here, but not on this side during light winter showers. The South end of Paek is warmer and more sheltered & can be 1-2 degrees warmer, all within 1 km)

QUESTION - The sudden, unforecast change to very cold, sudden SW suggests to me it is maybe a localised low that we experienced today and on the above occasion. Would it be possible for the Cu-Nimbus coming up over the mountains here to produce down draughts which return to us as a southerly sea breeze??? Certainly the fully formed Cu-N to the NE of here were angled in the sky to the wind direction. Pic of these follows.
Last edited by cupoteacoast on Sat 25/08/2012 01:17, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

Cu-Nimbus angled to the the direction of wind.
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

Awesome updraughts in the ranges, for the last 2 days here
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

Ditto over Mt Wainui.
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

A rather huge anvil top forming. This afternoon to the NE, as it turned southerly.
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Last edited by cupoteacoast on Sat 25/08/2012 00:41, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

I've spent the last 2 days photographing the updrafts coming over from the NE and the E. Been some truly awesome formations. This still growing one was behind us next to Mt Wainui, to the direct E.
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Michael
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by Michael »

Probably quite an interesting place in the countryon the boundary of the westerly NI flows and S sheltering,just go 10km suth of paekok and youre in wellington and its W sheltering and S exposure,maybe the reason for your frequent updrafts with converging winds.
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Re: Once Upon a Waterspout -> Tornado Paekakariki

Unread post by cupoteacoast »

Thanks Michael, makes sense.
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