The weather has the Met Service guessing again!

Manukau heads obs · Sun 18/07/2004 22:25

no easing here on the coast yet
still reguarly gusting over 30 knots
(reached gustst o 41 knots this afternoon, average of 35 knots at one stage (it was a gale as predicted)

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Mon 19/07/2004 18:49

Woke to a dusting on Flagstaff and Mt Cargill this morning. Not the 200m as predicted but around 600m. Well actually they predited snow showers down to 200m but I wasn't up through the night, so who knows.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Mon 19/07/2004 20:08

Cloudy day on Banks Peninsula with some drizzly showers. No snow visible on the hills (forecast to 400 metres, earlier predicted to 200 metres), but probably cold enough, just not enough intensity in the precipitation - maybe light snow fell, but didn't settle. I wouldn't be surprised if Dunedin's hills also had snow falling lower than was settling (TV1 Weather showed it only having a 6C maximum, along with the other Otago centres.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Mon 19/07/2004 20:25

Very chilly air, but it is just a low level change. Cold surface changes are very stable as the upper air ends up being relatively warm. Cloud tops look to be around 2000m, hardly enough depth to create precip. Freezing level at Invercargill around 500m but thickness 5360. Front always looked very weak. And when fronts are that shallow they have little or no affect inland.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Mon 19/07/2004 20:29

Rule of thumb for snow showers in Dunedin is you want to see the Isobars on the weather chart heading South, way down South, Antarctica way.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Tue 20/07/2004 18:57

Signs of sea level snow in coastal Otago are

Lots of big cb's on the satellite over SE South Island. (havn't seen much of that in last couple of winters). Sea level snow comes from high topped cb's. 5000m+

Surface temperatures at Campbell island of around -2C or -3C with southerly quarter winds. (havn't seen that at all this winter).

Also need mean wind direction of around 220deg or wind more into the south. 200deg is perfect for snow at Dunedin, 240deg results in clearing weather (apart from frontal passages).

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 20/07/2004 19:35

Raining here tonight

Manukau heads obs · Tue 20/07/2004 21:18

nothing like the rain they are getting in northland
25mm there now
see:
http://ps.gen.nz/~richkids/brynderwyn.htm

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Tue 20/07/2004 21:34

Manukau heads observer wrote:nothing like the rain they are getting in northland
25mm there now
see:
http://ps.gen.nz/~richkids/brynderwyn.htm

Brian, did you mean 250 mm? The last time it rained here in Omarama (approx two weeks ago), even we got 27mm in an hour or so, and it barely dampened the surface layer. Heck, Aucklanders get more than that before breakfast, right Michael?

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 20/07/2004 22:37

YEP

Gary Roberts wrote:
Manukau heads observer wrote:nothing like the rain they are getting in northland
25mm there now
see:
http://ps.gen.nz/~richkids/brynderwyn.htm
Brian, did you mean 250 mm? The last time it rained here in Omarama (approx two weeks ago), even we got 27mm in an hour or so, and it barely dampened the surface layer. Heck, Aucklanders get more than that before breakfast, right Michael?

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 06/08/2004 14:57

I didn't relise but there was a tornado on the 17th near Mt Maunganui on the 17th of July, BOP.

And the media called it a "mini tornado", I'm sure that would please you John

Here's the artical: Bay Of Plenty Times, was on the NZHERALD website though.

Mini tornado and floods hit Bay of Plenty

17.07.2004
12.00pm

The Western Bay of Plenty was hit by a mini-tornado, slips and power cuts as rain lashed the region overnight with warnings of more to come.

In the worst single incident, a conservatory was ripped off a verandah at 3am when what police described as a "mini-tornado" hit a house in Oceanbeach Rd, Mount Maunganui.

The rest of the neighbourhood appeared to escape damage.

The heavy rain and rising river levels have prompted Environment Bay of Plenty to issue flood warnings.

Flood manager Bruce Crabbe said that with Matahina dam planning to spill from midday today and more heavy rain forecast, people in the region needed to take real care.

Areas west of Kawerau could expect up to 100mm later today while those to the east would receive up to 140mm by midnight.

He urged motorists to stay off the roads today.

Rain also caused widespread surface flooding across roads, closed sports grounds and led to outdoor events like the Wellington race meeting at Trentham to be abandoned.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Fri 06/08/2004 15:04

Yes, Aaron, I did see that article. It was on Jeff Northcott's News Stories on his weather site. I thought you may of seen it, so I didn't mention it.
It was only a mini one anyway and police are not meteorlolgists so they wouldn't know anyway?

JohnGaul
NZTS

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 06/08/2004 15:18

Yes, thats where I found it John. A good weather resource area is that.