Looking interesting tonight for south of NI and north of SI.

GreggWard · Unread post by **GreggWard** » Sat 27/12/2003 19:40

I hope Manawtu gets the thunderstorms forcast in the weather warning below. Looked very unstable at middle levels, this afternoon, with many lines of Altocumulus Castellatus streaming in from the NW:

Severe Weather Warning

Issued by MetService at 03:28pm 27-Dec-2003

HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT ABOUT THE LOWER NORTH ISLAND
RANGES
A front west of central New Zealand is becoming more active and
MetService forecasters expect it to bring a spell of rain along with
a few thunderstorms to Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington and Manawatu
tonight. Strong northwesterlies ahead of the front are likely to
increase the chance of some heavy falls about the Tararua Ranges from
about 9pm this evening to about 8am on Sunday, with up to 80mm
possible about higher slopes and lesser amounts on lower western
slopes.After 8am the rain band should move away to the north and
become weaker.
Although the duration of heavy rain may be fairly brief, people in
the area are advised to watch for rising creeks and river levels.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Sat 27/12/2003 20:26

The forecast was some thunderstorms with hail east of the SI divide too.Here its been sunny and hot today with a light WNW

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Sat 27/12/2003 22:46

Looks good for a flash or two Sunday. I'm off to Oamaru, hopefully should get a little more action there than in Dunedin (well here's hoping)

GreggWard · Unread post by **GreggWard** » Sun 28/12/2003 10:26

Phil, I hope you have better luck than I did seeing any lightning.

Last night was a non-event here in the northern Manawatu. It looks like the lightning and storms mostly occurred out to the west of the lower NI. However the top of the SI looks like it got clobbered last night.

Chris Raine · Unread post by **Chris Raine** » Sun 28/12/2003 14:11

Nothing visible or heard in Invercargill,but we have lost of Cb's around especially in Foveaux Strait along with Cb's drifting off the western ranges today.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Sun 28/12/2003 15:28

Scattered cumulus around Akaroa; unstable enough for scattered shower activity for about the last hour, but not (yet) thundery looking. Scattered thunderstorms/hail forecast for Canterbury today and tomorrow, but latest forecast has them mostly inland. But the Xmas Eve storm around Little River wasn't predicted by MetService, so a storm here can't be ruled out. Quite alot cooler than the last few days.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sun 28/12/2003 16:21

A Cb poped up over this side of the peninsula which I'm sure could of been seen from central Chch but it was very short lived as upper level shear seemed to tear the thing apart before it could get anywhere. The clouds (Cu congestus) before hand were nice and crisp / explosive looking, no lightning seen, I got the SLR and took some shots. Whens my digi coming! Oh sigh.... patience Aaron.....

Cheers
Aaron Wilkinson

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Sun 28/12/2003 16:38

Looks like it could be all on for tomorrow, Monday. The whole of the SI looks like being one big heat low under a very unstable cold pool, which is the classic recipe for deep convection (well, one of them). Expect CBs and TS to pop up all over tomorrow. John, get your video camera charged up and ready...

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Sun 28/12/2003 17:42

I've just had a look at a recent Satellite photo and Otago looks Thundery this afternoon with several good looking cells moving out to sea and more build ups over land. Looks like smaller shower cloud over South Canterbury . Hope you guys down south get some good photos.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sun 28/12/2003 20:30

I don't think John's in Chch at present, I'm sure were he is on holiday he'll have that camera charged! He's somewhere around the South Island at present, can't remember where he or even if he said where he was going but I'm sure it wouldn't be far from Canterbury.

I'm going to have to get more film for tomorrow and since I'm on holiday I've got the day free, yehaa!!!

Here's the sat pic you might of been talking about spwill, good Cb's. Mayby Deano got to see one or two to the south of him today, mayby some action on camera?

Cheers
Aaron Wilkinson

Chris Raine · Unread post by **Chris Raine** » Sun 28/12/2003 21:24

We had a thunderstorm about 20km north of Invercargill between 1830- 1900 hours. Went for a drive, saw lots of fork lightning over the Hedgehope -Glencoe area . Investigated and found lots of small hail piled up in drifts . The hills were covered down to about 200 meters. Now looking very stormy to NE at sunset as I type this. Weak spherics on AM band currently.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Mon 29/12/2003 09:18

There looks to be already a lot of cloud over Canterbury this morning with the passage of that Front , that will prevent the sun from heating the land needed for good convection. There is still likely to be Thundery showers with the front but today looks like the sort of day down there were good strong heating from the sun(late morning-afternoon) would produce strong Thunderstorms. It will be interesting to see if any storms develop behind the Front.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Mon 29/12/2003 09:36

Coming back from Akaroa to Chch this morning, I could see dark unstable looking cloud offshore to the south (looked like a CB forming) and towards the Alps. 7AM radar showed shower activity in South Canterbury - heading this way? Fine so far about Chch/BP, with only wispy high cloud, but looks like the possibility of action here later. But with these sort of systems, they tend to affect scattered areas, so there'll probably won't be thunderstorms everywhere. But even if you don't get one, you'll probably get a good view of one, even if it is in the distance.

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Mon 29/12/2003 12:03

Hello from sunny Marlborough
I am currently camping up in the sounds Aaron so did not get to see any action on the plains yesterday.
But we experienced a hell of a storm up here Saturday night,felt almost subtropical,40mm of rain overnight with lightning and thunder,a great experience in a tent(well for me anyway).
Sunny and warm today(Monday),about 23 degrees.

Cheers.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Mon 29/12/2003 13:30

Weather crappy and wet here today

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Mon 29/12/2003 19:27

Just think New Years with gale force wintry SW Showers

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Tue 30/12/2003 01:03

Dam! Looks like I'm going up to the sounds a bit to late. I'm going up to my Aunties batch in the Kenapuru Sounds on the 3rd of Jan or it might be the 2nd, not sure yet. That would of been awsome in a tent! I hope mayby there's a night time lightning storm while I'm up there as my Uncles batch has a nice deck with shelter and would be the ultimate place to do night time lightning photography, my chances are slim though. How long did the lightning persist for Deano? And may I ask a silly question, did you have your camera?

Cheers
Aaron Wilkinson

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 30/12/2003 08:17

Come on Guys and Gals Its almost New Years Eve and we dont want rain,thunder etc to spoil the holiday season

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Tue 30/12/2003 20:50

GreggWard wrote:Phil, I hope you have better luck than I did seeing any lightning

Well Oamaru's skies were quite active on Sunday between 2pm and 9pm and then quiet. I never saw any bolts as such but a lot of flash and thunder. Heavy rain drops and large hail but the hail was sparce.

But of course, well the way my partner described it, Dunedin sounded even more active. That would be my luck, but it was the best bit of thunder I've heard for sometime.

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Tue 30/12/2003 21:56

Looks like Richmond near Nelson got qute a severe local storm yesterday from this report on Stuff
Richmond swamped by rain and hail
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/nelsonmail ... 07,00.html

A quote from the story:
Richmond resident Peter Knowles said he had never seen anything like the storm, despite having lived in the area for 37 years.
His lawn was covered with hailstones between 4mm and 6mm in diameter.
"(There was) virtually no grass showing ... the lawn was flowing like a river then down came the rain and it went white."
Mr Knowles said most of the rain fell over just 10 minutes.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sat 03/01/2004 13:19

GreggWard wrote:I hope Manawtu gets the thunderstorms forcast in the weather warning below. Looked very unstable at middle levels, this afternoon, with many lines of Altocumulus Castellatus streaming in from the NW:

Severe Weather Warning

Issued by MetService at 03:28pm 27-Dec-2003

HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT ABOUT THE LOWER NORTH ISLAND
RANGES
A front west of central New Zealand is becoming more active and
MetService forecasters expect it to bring a spell of rain along with
a few thunderstorms to Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington and Manawatu
tonight. Strong northwesterlies ahead of the front are likely to
increase the chance of some heavy falls about the Tararua Ranges from
about 9pm this evening to about 8am on Sunday, with up to 80mm
possible about higher slopes and lesser amounts on lower western
slopes.After 8am the rain band should move away to the north and
become weaker.
Although the duration of heavy rain may be fairly brief, people in
the area are advised to watch for rising creeks and river levels.

This front was responsible for the Upper Hutt thunderstorm and heavy rain that was reported in this Monday's Dominion Post.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpo ... 79,00.html
The storm was not as spectacular as what was reported by the DP.
The next day I went in search of the scorched aerial but found nothing.

JohnGaul
NZTS

NZ Weather Forum

Looking interesting tonight for south of NI and north of SI.

Looking interesting tonight for south of NI and north of SI.

Re: Looking interesting tonight for south of NI and north of