Auckland Funnel cloud

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Tue 22/03/2005 14:53

Have just watched a Funnel cloud over West Auckland.
The funnel developed on a sea breeze convergence zone and lasted about 10mins. Heavy showers in that area now. Photos of funnel later.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Tue 22/03/2005 14:56

Awsome! Look forward to the pics!! $\:D/$ Always a possibility of funnels in convective situations, unfortunatley no tornadoes today though (or fortunatley?). I'm sure we'd all like to see one!

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 22/03/2005 15:58

That's nice.

It's been a bit like that down here but not really the conditions for such a phenonomen.

JohnGaul
NZTS

C-Nimbus · Unread post by **C-Nimbus** » Tue 22/03/2005 16:44

I was in Albany working on a site when I saw the funnel start.

I had me camera with me, but most of them came out like turd, cos me zoom is as effective as a snooze button on a smoke alarm.

anyhoo, here tis

C-Nimbus · Unread post by **C-Nimbus** » Tue 22/03/2005 17:47

just remembered something else too, while I was observing the funnel (and monitoring heart rate, BP, pulse etc etc

) i couldn't help noticing that the RNZAF kept sending P3 orions out from Whenuapai airbase and they would circle over the area where the funnel had been.

Does anyone know if this is a coincidence or do you think that in these situations (seeing as metservice were notified by locals) the airforce keep an eye on things to see if anything serious could happen?

Also, I attach a photo of a rather boistrous Cu Cong. that came up real fast and to the north of where the funnel was (ie another cell approx 15-50 km north).

As soon as this baby looked like it was gunna do the same, suddenly the P3 is up there again circling that one!!??

any thoughts (or is it top secret stuff

)

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Tue 22/03/2005 19:07

C-Nimbus wrote:
any thoughts (or is it top secret stuff )

Still managed a good pic there C-Nimbus

I Like the top-secret idea, possible W.M.D

No not weapons of Mass Destruction, But Weather of Mass Destruction

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Tue 22/03/2005 19:26

Well done C-nimbus.

I watched the Funnel cloud from One Tree Hill.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Tue 22/03/2005 19:37

There were some great Cb clouds around today but the Funnel cloud came out of Towering Cu.

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Tue 22/03/2005 19:38

Awesome pics guys!

Manukau heads obs · Tue 22/03/2005 19:44

i was keeping my eye on the those clouds, but I missed seeing the action!
just shows how strong the updraughts were today!
we managed to get some spitty rain from that system this evening

C-Nimbus · Unread post by **C-Nimbus** » Tue 22/03/2005 20:08

awesome pic spwill,

the good thing about your pic is that you can appreciate the shape of it, and also the extent that it dropped down.

My partner was in west aucks at the time and she saw the whole thing, reckons it was just christmas on a stick!

Ahem, New sign methinks

* Welcome to West Auckland, NZ's Beautiful West - Now 4 days without a tornado*

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Wed 23/03/2005 06:42

Here's a close up.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Wed 23/03/2005 06:46

This is the Funnel at an early stage.
It had a very thin end.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Wed 23/03/2005 06:53

The Funnel cloud near the end of it's life. It's edges became very ragged.

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Wed 23/03/2005 07:43

What a good present we got yesterday for todays World Meteorological Day lol.
today also marks the day that 3 funnel clouds were spotted and a waterspout that made landfall in Auckland in 1997.

Area51 · Unread post by **Area51** » Wed 23/03/2005 10:57

Fantastic photos indeed! Some brilliant TCU development east and south of Ardmore yesterday afternoon also. Regarding the P3 ex Whenuapai, just coincidence I'm afraid as the RNZAF had one up doing some circuit training.

Cheers Mike

C-Nimbus · Unread post by **C-Nimbus** » Wed 23/03/2005 13:55

Area51 wrote:Fantastic photos indeed! Some brilliant TCU development east and south of Ardmore yesterday afternoon also. Regarding the P3 ex Whenuapai, just coincidence I'm afraid as the RNZAF had one up doing some circuit training.

Cheers Mike

DAMN!! I like the WMD idea put forward by 03 stormchaser..

thought we were being watched by big brother

ScottyD · Unread post by **ScottyD** » Wed 23/03/2005 14:22

I was driving back to Albany from Helensville at about that time of the day and was looking at the clouds. Damn i missed it, and looking at those photos, it stands out like a sore thumb. I live near Whenuapai and the air force has the planes up every other day getting fid of old fuel.

Scotty

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Wed 23/03/2005 16:25

Great pics Spwill!!

Been a good season for funnels. Hopefully more to come.

The excitment and feeling you get inside when seeing one is awsome!! Makes up for all the down time you experiance when not seeing thunderstorms etc

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Wed 23/03/2005 20:12

Yes Aaron, the funnel made up for the lack of a thunderstorm in Auckland yesterday. I hate it when LI's are negative and you don't get thunder.

I with spwill on No Tree Hill (formerly one tree hill) observing some quite spectacular cb's building over the Coromandal. And then we spotted the funnel to our west. Looked very cool.

ricky · Unread post by **ricky** » Wed 23/03/2005 22:57

I'd just turned off the motroway at bombay and was looking west through the trees and thought.. nah, it couldn't be.. just my imagination! and it looked very small from there, by the time i had a better view there was nothing so i didnt think anymore of it.. until I got home and started reading