General December Weather

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Cloudy and overcast day here today with it coming onto rain from a quarter to four, this afternoon.
3.9mm all up to 10pm tonight.
Not much wind, if so from the easterly quarter.
Not cold though, with it getting up to 19.8C today.

[spwill]

A few days after Xmas showing very dry air over the upper NI, unusually low dps for time of year. No sign in the modelling of any persistent humid east/northeast pattern yet. Our dry weather pattern continues.

[David]

A few days after Xmas showing very dry air over the upper NI, unusually low dps for time of year. No sign in the modelling of any persistent humid east/northeast pattern yet. Our dry weather pattern continues.

Worst La Nina ever haha. Picked up almost 4mm here this morning, likely to be the wettest day of the month

[Chris W]

Looking like heavy rain about to hit Amberley again, not sure about thunder or not. Richard, you look in for a stormy time this afternoon.

[Awhituobs]

hopefully la nina rains kick in mid jan

[Cyclone Tracy]

690mm YTD and just 12.4mm for December locally. Going to smash the driest year record from last year and maybe driest December on record. Like this December, in 1973 a strong La Nina and strong positive SAM delivered the same result for the Upper NI. This is what I found in mid November on the topic with R Wood's 1973 December summary.

I've done some more research in the last 24 hours and in December 1973, there was a strong positive SAM of 2.17 with a very strong La Nina around -2.0c. Here is a summary from Rupert Wood with regards to December 1973's rainfall.

December 1973 rainfall summary : Rainfall was below normal over almost all the country, mainly by about 40%. It was less than half of normal over almost the whole of Northland; in the greater part of Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu; and also in the greater part of Otago and Southland. The only 2 periods of considerable and fairly general rain were the 17th-18th and the 24th-25th. Many stations received very little or no rain in the first half of the month. In a thunderstorm at Taupo on the afternoon of Christmas Day 30mm were recorded in half an hour.

[Awhituobs]

only 36mm here for December, which is like half of average
(16mm is my driest in 2017)

[Richard]

Picked up 16mm of rain today

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Rain overnight easing away this morning but remaining a rather cloudy day.
12.5mm for today.
Today's maximum was 21C,

[cbm]

690mm YTD and just 12.4mm for December locally. Going to smash the driest year record from last year and maybe driest December on record. Like this December, in 1973 a strong La Nina and strong positive SAM delivered the same result for the Upper NI. This is what I found in mid November on the topic with R Wood's 1973 December summary.

I've done some more research in the last 24 hours and in December 1973, there was a strong positive SAM of 2.17 with a very strong La Nina around -2.0c. Here is a summary from Rupert Wood with regards to December 1973's rainfall.

December 1973 rainfall summary : Rainfall was below normal over almost all the country, mainly by about 40%. It was less than half of normal over almost the whole of Northland; in the greater part of Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu; and also in the greater part of Otago and Southland. The only 2 periods of considerable and fairly general rain were the 17th-18th and the 24th-25th. Many stations received very little or no rain in the first half of the month. In a thunderstorm at Taupo on the afternoon of Christmas Day 30mm were recorded in half an hour.

Simillar here, 9mm from this event means have limped past 700mm for the year to 702, but still likely to stay under last year's 734 mm which seemed absurdly low at the time. Merry Christmas to everyone on the forum and let's hope for a return something like our normal rainfalls from next year.


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[darcyplumb]

Merry Christmas everyone! I’m hoping for a late night Christmas storm tonight in Ashburton. Very humid and drizzly here this morning.

[NZstorm]

Merry Christmas
Thunderstorms/hail over the upper half of the North Island on Sunday! The very cold air aloft may support marginally severe hail for the fruit growers in the Bay of Plenty. Also, the growers in the Nelson region will cop some hail tomorrow. Should be some good storms over that NW region of the South Island.

[spwill]

Merry Xmas all. Sunday a day to watch for Thunderstorms Waikato/ Bay of Plenty, see how it looks on the day.

Current weather here, high cloudiness, 20C.

[treetop]

Still on track for some storms Sunday if we can get some heating in the morning . Been a while now , left over high cloud and SW winds have been a problem recently with these setups.Eastern ranges should cop some storms tomorrow. Dry pattern returns again but looking humid with NE winds later in the week/next wk end.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Apparently , it was a wet day in Geraldine with 19.7mm of rain recorded and a maximum of 16.1C.
NE wind but gone SW this evening.

[Awhituobs]

I see thunderstorms expected central and BOP areas of the NI tomorrow (sunday)

[TonyT]

Another day with a period of heavy rain in Amberley, about 10mm just fell in two showers over half an hour. Some hail mixed in with the last one also, bringing the temperature down to under 10 degrees.

[snowstormwatcher]

Heavy shower with some small hail here now. Cold for this time of year with 8.2c currently.

[Awhituobs]

Motueka
Hail!
Brother in law there

received_1251078861956084.jpeg

[darcyplumb]

Wow! That won’t be good for the fruit growers in the area.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Heavy shower with some small hail here now. Cold for this time of year with 8.2c currently.

Had some showers move through, here from about 4pm, but nothing significant, sadly. Got the fire going. rather cold for the time of year.

[03Stormchaser]

Cousin made an appearance on the news after getting stuck trying to get out of their driveway in Mot

CAM.JPG

[Storm Struck]

That cell over Mot looked impressive on radar this afternoon, a very simular set up not doubt to the one they had there a few years ago.
One report from some produce growers talked about a tornado tearing through thier business, tunnels houses destroyed and large timber support poles snapped in two.
The neighbours reported glass raining down from the nearby glasshouses prior to the hail, this was just NW of Motueka.
I read it from the business on Nelson Community page on Facebook,feel sorry for the growers all the best on the clean up.

Not much down here today in Canterbury although I did see one flash of lightning this evening near Rolleston in those returning heavy showers.

[moylanr]

That cell over Mot looked impressive on radar this afternoon, a very simular set up not doubt to the one they had there a few years ago.
One report from some produce growers talked about a tornado...

It took a trampoline for a ride:

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Sadly, the sound of thunder wasn't heard here today. One or two showers moving through from unstable cumulus forms, which stacked in towards the foothills. Winds from the south or SW. Today's maximum was 16.1C when it became sunny. 4.1mm for today all up.
2 Photos from today.