I'm new to the forum, am interested in weather watching to predict good surfing and skiing conditions. I took the attached photo 2 years ago and I am interested to find out what you think is occuring in the photo as I wasn't sure what I was taking a photo of
Photo taken on the beach about 2 years ago - a beach obviously just hit by a hailstorm. Did you take it near Wanganui? The big hailstorm there earlier this month seemed (from news reports) to hit a coastal area of that city.
Location: Rainy Manurewa, Auckland - "City of Gales"
Unread postby Michael »
It looks like Castlecliff beach at the carpark above where the bathers swim..
Castlecliff and Gonville were the areas mostly affected by the hail a few weeks back ie there was none in Aramoho
tich wrote:Photo taken on the beach about 2 years ago - a beach obviously just hit by a hailstorm. Did you take it near Wanganui? The big hailstorm there earlier this month seemed (from news reports) to hit a coastal area of that city.
Yes Michael, I was in the carpark above Castlecliff beach when I took this photo, there was quite a lot of lightning at the same time. The hailstorm Wanganui experienced recently didn't produce significant hail in the central city and unfortunately I was unable to get out to take any photos of it.
Location: West Coast Road, Manukau Peninsula, North Island
Unread postby Manukau heads obs »
hummm, i think the setting sun makes it hard to know exactly what we are looking at...but i would have though if it was just an area of rain, the light from the sun would shine through the rain much more than it actualy has...
but i think there is some "trick of the light" going on....
maybe its a downburst with rain in it?
Brian, the precip is hail, which has the effect of blocking out the background light more than rain. And the way the precip spreads out a bit near the surface, makes it conclusive it was a downburst.
nice pic 
