March 29-31 - April Thunderstorms For The North

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Thu 31/03/2005 22:15

Shepherds Valley WX wrote:Hmm, while we are on about Metservice, why is that SKY Weather can get 15min rain radar updates but the Metservice site takes 3 HOURS between updates????

Sorry ifthis question has been asked before...it just intrigues me...

All the MetService is after, is profit... just like any other company,

If they would have 1 hour updates, no one would watch sky perhaps

Also I think that some smaller AWS's only transmit's data every 3 hours, like Kaitaia which is also on SKY's list and therefore most of the time, Kaitaia's obs are missing from sky...

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Thu 31/03/2005 22:22

I think the storm band might have just stalled now

Showers more likely tomorrow.. Nice fine day here, light winds 23c..
This time last year we got our first frost

Shepherds Valley WX · Thu 31/03/2005 22:40

I can understand the 3 hour updates in the case of Kaitaia obs, but how much of metservice's "services" are taxpayer funded? How can a Pay per view TV channel get AKL Rain Radar data every 15mins/30minsa and Metservice takes 3 hours? Even if Metservice updated every hour that would be better.

I don't accept the concept of Metservice only wants to make a profit, in my opinion (_IF_ Metservice is Govt funded) the data should be distributed freely to all parties as soon as it is available. I mean what use is a 9am rain radar when you are looking at the picture at 11am??

As a farmer myself who relies on the weather to make a living, this delay, in an age where up to them minute data is essential for business, is not really good enough.

Just my thoughts anyway!

I am happy to be told why it can't be like this!

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Thu 31/03/2005 22:54

Foggy Hamilton wrote:This time last year we got our first frost

We might tonight

Storm Struck · Unread post by **Storm Struck** » Thu 31/03/2005 23:14

Fujita Phil wrote:
Foggy Hamilton wrote:This time last year we got our first frost
We might tonight

Yes same here could gt down to 6C here brrrhh

cheers

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 01/04/2005 11:49

but how much of metservice's "services" are taxpayer funded?

We have discussed this issue on the forum before. The bulk of Met Service operations are funded by the NZ tax payer. The suggestion that the Met Service returns a profit to the goverment is humbug. But the current arrangement does save the goverment some cost. Hence, the goverment will be happy to keep Met Service user pays. Access to Met Service products is a political issue, and very unlikely to change.

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Fri 01/04/2005 14:14

Cumulus building very nicely today, very active convergance.. Thunderstorm risk reaches a 4 for the Waikato on John's scale...

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 01/04/2005 16:57

Foggy, Looking south, I have just seen a large cumulus go up and develop into a cb, in the space of a few minutes. Looks to have developed in the vicinty of the high risk area marked on map. How does this cb look from Hamilton.

Also T/cu cb out to west of Auckland.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 01/04/2005 17:33

This is the Waikato storm as seen from Auckland taken on 240mm lense. This cloud would be 100km+ distant. Quite an active cb in there now.
6pm weatherzone satellite should show this cloud up well.

ricky · Unread post by **ricky** » Fri 01/04/2005 17:51

those storms are become very active now!

though for some strange reason the boltek is placing them both much further away than they really are.... looks like the one to the north is over the Kaipara way now...

GraemeWi · Unread post by **GraemeWi** » Fri 01/04/2005 18:01

This is the one over the Kaipara - excuse the poor pano it's quite rushed!

GraemeWi · Unread post by **GraemeWi** » Fri 01/04/2005 18:05

Second try - lots of thunder - static on the TV

Andy - you must have an awesome vista of this storm from your farm?

G

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 01/04/2005 18:20

That Waikato storm is actually 160km distant, in the vicinty of Te Awamutu.

Storm out to NW of Auckland has a long anvil cloud coming across Auckland with some mammatus.

Shepherds Valley WX · Fri 01/04/2005 18:21

Gday Graham,

Yeah mate this beast is rolling towards slowly obscuring the sunlight... my lightning counter shows 17 strikes in the last 60 mins and increasing....

Thunder and lightning can be sees as it rolls up the Sth Head Peninsula...looking forward to a good show !!!

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 01/04/2005 18:25

Can see lightning now out to NW.

ricky · Unread post by **ricky** » Fri 01/04/2005 18:27

both seem to have calmed down all of a sudden...

Shepherds Valley WX · Fri 01/04/2005 18:28

Interesting to see this storm is not really approaching from the West, but more from the NNE, the centre of it is black with C-C lightning apparent. Exact location is almost directly over Parakai at present and tracking SSW.

Looks to be quite active and slow moving.

Shepherds Valley WX · Fri 01/04/2005 18:29

I would concur with that ricky , my detector has not recorded any strikes in the last 5-10 mins....

GraemeWi · Unread post by **GraemeWi** » Fri 01/04/2005 18:34

I'm wondering if the cell has split - there is a bit of a clearing gap developed and the northern 'cell' appears to be more lightning active now - seen two flashes in quick succession... so it maybe on again!

Shepherds Valley WX · Fri 01/04/2005 18:36

Yeah i can see that split quite clearly Graham, my detector has started picking up strikes again, altho nothing like before...

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 01/04/2005 18:37

I am seeing flashes to NW about every 20seconds from here. So still some action in there.

GraemeWi · Unread post by **GraemeWi** » Fri 01/04/2005 19:30

A bit frustrating when the great looking clouds fall apart - clear sky overhead now

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 01/04/2005 19:31

lightning looks to have ceased.

Photo here of a turkey tower just east of Auckland that got high enough to glaciate and produce heavy shower in the vicinity of Waiheke Island around mid afternoon.

ricky · Unread post by **ricky** » Fri 01/04/2005 19:48

looked quite nice from mt Eden.. most flashes were from deep inside the cloud from my perspective, but did manage to get a couple of photos I think..

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 01/04/2005 19:56

Big cumulus over Auckland this afternoon showing promise but failing to deliver although a shower was produced here.