Severe hailstorm in Hokitika last Tuesday or Wednesday?

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Fri 09/07/2004 21:16

Heard about this storm from looking at the Greymouth paper in the library last night. Hokitika really got hammered - shops damaged and some residents comparing the heavy blanket of hail to a severe snowstorm at Arthur's Pass.

Can't recall whether it was on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sat 10/07/2004 01:16

Do you think this would've been caused by really intense but small hail or quite big hail?

Sounds interesting!

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Sat 10/07/2004 10:11

Do you think this would've been caused by really intense but small hail or quite big hail?

I'm not sure - probably not really large hail at this time of the year (or probably any time of the year on the West Coast), but most certainly intense. And I think the stones would have to be more than the little ones you normally get in winter showers to cause damage to shops, but I can't imagine Hokitka's storm resulting from the scenario (ground heating by sun followed by unstable air) that usually results in storms with big hailstones.

GraemeWi · Unread post by **GraemeWi** » Sat 10/07/2004 10:26

Could just be small hail / slush blocking gutters and downpipes which can causes leaks in ceilings etc...

Cheers,

G

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sat 10/07/2004 12:01

Yes, likely to be smaller hail blocking drains.

On the 16th September 2003, hail stones upto the following dimension were reported from near Greymouth. 6.5cmx6.0cmx3.0cm. An odd shaped piece of hail like that is likely to have been an amalgamation of smaller stones, fused togeather within the turbulence of the cb.