General January Weather

[David]

I've got persistent convergence cloud-cover stuck over me at the moment, hanging around 20°C whereas I see some parts are 3 to 4C warmer than that.

[Willoughby]

How typical of an El Nino summer is it at the moment? Constant cool west to southwest winds over the upper NI and dry all over the NI and eastern SI with much colder-than-normal SSTs around Fiji to New Caledonia. A signal that tropical lows there wont be developing much from there for quite some time.

Attached are the latest Fire Weather Index and Drought Code maps from the NRFA.

I came across some footage of Haast River absolutely raging on Jan 3...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14031274@N07/4239640125/

[Tornado Tim]

Got some Pre frontal cloud (cirrus) coming over from the south.
I see a cluster of T-storms just west of NP atm.

How typical of an El Nino summer is it at the moment? Constant cool west to southwest winds over the upper NI and dry all over the NI and eastern SI with much colder-than-normal SSTs around Fiji to New Caledonia. A signal that tropical lows there wont be developing much from there for quite some time.

Attached are the latest Fire Weather Index and Drought Code maps from the NRFA.

I came across some footage of Haast River absolutely raging on Jan 3...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14031274@N07/4239640125/

Yes my FWI is around 12.9 atm. It has to rain 35mm in order to compensate for the loss of water according to my station:
http://wx-matangi.dyndns.org/weather/advancedinfo.php

[spwill]

Just spent a few days on the Coromandel, perfect weather .
We have had a great Summer so far over northern NZ but cooler than the norm with the lower humidity.
Need some rain this week.
photo, Hahei, the tractor end of the Beach.

[snowstormwatcher]

Rain now stopped and cloud has cleared enough to see there is fresh snow down to around 1300-1400 metres. we got 24mm of rain.

[Manukau heads obs]

cooler than the norm

yes, running over 1c colder than normal here so far for Jan

[Michael]

Very warm and windless today,no cloud till evening here.Enjoy while you can,it be howling again tomorrow afternoon.

[Tornado Tim]

The cold front looks quite good on radar hopefully it doesnt turn to custard.

[jamie]

yes the front does look good for now. hopefully it holds together.

not wrong about it being a cool jan. we are 1.4C cooler here until now. But for the rest of the month the data will be incorrect with the reception issues i am currently experiencing.

[Manukau heads obs]

tarakani looks to have some heavy rain with the front, might have even been some CB's?

[NZstorm]

Tracker shows a fair bit of lightning over Taranaki last hr.

[Manukau heads obs]

front out to the SW of auckland sure looks very active on the rain radar at 11:30pm!

[Michael]

Saw 1 flash of lightning at 3.20am accompanied at the time with heavy rain,now calm with a few showers then back to another montonous SW change for another week though hopefully the models next sunday looks an aberation.16c overnight quite warm.

[Richard]

Rain now stopped and cloud has cleared enough to see there is fresh snow down to around 1300-1400 metres. we got 24mm of rain.

Gees thats a nice drop of rain,we only got 6mm

[Manukau heads obs]

could see lightning on the approaching front before hitting the sack
we got a big wind squall (47 knots) and heavy rain (15mm) at around 4am

[Vertigo]

yes, the lightning died as it neared land, and seems to have resumed NE of auckland.. typical luck.

[Nev]

Still, we managed 8mm here, so not complaining.

I see Kerikeri got 6.4mm - hope they got some further north?

[Manukau heads obs]

5 to 10mm is not enough for drought areas though , at least for pasture (it will instead try and promote new growth, but without follow up rain, that new growth will burn off again, and will have just used up the plants resources)

looks like a pattern change is coming with easterly winds, in a week or so...

[David]

Yes, 6mm not going to do much here, not like we are really desperate here but the ground is rather dry

[Tornado Tim]

12.8mm of rain here

[jamie]

yes, the folow up rain is now very important. we managed 17.6mm which was fantastic to hear on the roof during the night. There might have even been more as the reception from the ISS is rather dodgey at the moment.

clear blue skies now with a fresh SW wind and i can se nice sharp Cu along the western ranges.

[Tornado Tim]

Yes Jamie that end of the cold front has got some quite good convection!

[DT-NZ]

Still, we managed 8mm here, so not complaining.

I see Kerikeri got 6.4mm - hope they got some further north?

Morning Nev,

Yes, the rains arrived early hours this morning ALL of it most welcomed in the FN, spoke with my lil fella they got 7mm in Hukerenui - will be going to RD1 to get another rain gauge to record and do readings for DB here.

Snapped this pic earlier on this morning looking N.

[DT-NZ]

How typical of an El Nino summer is it at the moment? Constant cool west to southwest winds over the upper NI and dry all over the NI and eastern SI with much colder-than-normal SSTs around Fiji to New Caledonia. A signal that tropical lows there wont be developing much from there for quite some time.
/

Thank's Fogs for the charts, question : are we here in the FN and MN regions now officially experiencing and going through a drought season?

[MoorfNZ]

Huge hailstorm here at the moment - came from nowhere.... pea-sized hail but lots and lots of it....
Deafening...