General January Weather

[tgsnoopy]

OK... so, I'm diffinately going through TS withdrawals @ mo especially after seeing those fantastic storm pics taken recently from down south.

Symptoms and signs of TS-missmuch-itus withdrawals would be... in no particular order.

1. Imagines that every grey cloud during a dry season will turn into a some fantastic CB.

add your own symptoms...

I must admit I'm starting to feel a little that way inclined myself.

Still, it's only about a week off the date of a great storm last year, so fingers crossed

[NZstorm]

Yep, weather has been boring here in the north. Summer is often our rest season for interesting weather.

There is the possibility of afternoon/evening thunder/hail over the central North Island/Hawkes Bay/BOP later on Monday given the passage of quite a decent upper trough.

[tgsnoopy]

Doh, that'd be my luck, it looks like I'll be working with the boss on Monday, so no chance of an escape to chase.

[Nev]

...Also reported in the region yesterday was 1500 lightning strikes in the 4 hours it took the storm to pass (500 of which would have been at sea), 5-8mm hail, rain-rate of 7.6mm per hour at Invercargill Aero and an accompanying drop in temps from 15C to 8C (some say 16C to 7C).

Southland Times said 7.6mm fell within the ten min period, and also that 16C to 7C drop, I'd trust your resources more though. ...

There were several different versions of the same story that day (7th), but yes, figures from MetService's Invercargill Aero site suggest that 7.6mm fell in about the 10 minutes just before 2pm, plus another 3.2mm just after 2pm (more rain fell that evening/morning, so 26.8mm in total for the 24 hrs to 9am). Temps around this time also dropped from 15.6C to 7.8C within about 30 minutes, then went back up again.

[jamie]

had the treat of an awesome sunrise thismorning. shame i dont have a point and shoot camera i can take with me. was one of the best ive ever seen. and it made the 3.8C morning worth it. i had all my winter wollies on

i sure am getting sick of this dull weather. i dont mind the fine days but the wind just doesnt stop. every day its up around 30-50km/h. its really drying out the ground extra quick this wind is.

[Tornado Tim]

Yes it was a cool 1 last night, although not as cold as you Jamie. 5.9°C the low here.

[Michael]

We do need some NE rain probably in many places plus some more interesting weather such as a complex depression with some humidity.

[DT-NZ]

Still, it's only about a week off the date of a great storm last year, so fingers crossed

Yes, the toes and fingers are crossed!!! ( there another symptom - I'll have to add that to the TS-missmuch-itus signs list (smiles)

[DT-NZ]

We do need some NE rain probably in many places plus some more interesting weather such as a complex depression with some humidity.

Yes, rain is desperately needed in the FN and MN regions - these regions and area's inbetween (inland) really need it, sorry to bleat on about it - but, the immediate and major concern is fire now as area's up here continue to dry out - anyway the water trucks have been kept busy.

[Manukau heads obs]

northland and soon areas further south, will need a slow moving tropical low to bring steady rain over a few days
breif showers from the SW are doing nothing, and the constant SW winds are drying things out badly now here (it does not stop here at night too)
but at least for auckland south, the dry has not started early, in fact, its all about 'normal'

[snowstormwatcher]

Nice day here just some high cloud easterly wind overnight low of 5.6 degrees

[Tornado Tim]

RH is quite low here atm: around 35% here, a bit higher at Horsham Downs (45%).
If the RH stays low (around 50-60%) just b4 nightfall and the wind dies down (like it usually does) I can see a cool night being on the cards around 6-3°C

[jamie]

Yup, air is dry as here and as you said Tim the wind will die down as usual and it will be another very cold one in the morning.

I have not been watching the tropics but have there been any other storms apart from the one in December that Fiji got?

DT....are you able to take some photos of the country side? i bet there isnt a blade of green grass up there.

[dan]

I've just been up in Northland visiting and the grass is so yellow and dead it looks like everything has been weed sprayed.

[Tornado Tim]

oww we might have a t-storm event possibly coming up on Tuesday.
It seems a trough is going to pass through then.....
A little far out at this stage but this is what I have got atm:

[Nev]

I have not been watching the tropics but have there been any other storms apart from the one in December that Fiji got?

Not really. There was a brief risk of a TC forming last week I think, but conditions fizzled. TC activity in the SW Pacific this season should be about normal, with about 8–11 expected, but El Nino generally tends to favour developments a little further east than normal, which means NZ may largely miss out on their effects.

[DT-NZ]

DT....are you able to take some photos of the country side? i bet there isnt a blade of green grass up there.

Hi jamie.h

Yes, I will be doing this over the next following weeks and months ( does there need to be dry topic for Northland you think (?) also, there is still green blades of grass out there - however, with this continuing dry up here - we are observing the countryside slowly changing and turning the colour of dry wheat and oats when it's ready to be harvested.

Below a cropped larger pic in link taken on the 20th of last month - and smaller image attached.

FN - cropped larger image.

Tommorrow at exactly the sametime, day, location and place I will take another photograph of the attached image - it will be interesting to note, observe the difference and changes of the countryside as they occur over the next coming weeks and months.

All future dry images I take will be done over a 7 day period in sequential timeline period - those images will be uploaded here accordingly.

[DT-NZ]

Dry pic taken last Sunday - the intention that day was to take a look at the streams out over on the west and see how low they were and if there was any presence of blooms etc.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the line of an approaching warm front coming from off the west coast - quickly scanning the horizon I hurriedly looked for a good line and angle between the two (sky and earth ).

Once I saw it I erm politely *lol* asked the driver to stop and pull off safely to the side of the road and snapped this pic!! the contrast and colours between the dry countryside and approaching front... nice!!!

After snapping this pic and we drove through Awanui township and then onto Kaitaia there were some puddles on the road from this front.

Link to larger image.

[Michael]

Lucky if you live near the dateline at our latitude though no one does,hardly any SW wheres we have all next week almost.

[David]

Highs have been about 21 to 23 the last 5 days here........would like some hotter days back!
although the nights have been good for sleeping

[Michael]

yes you still need a blanket as well at night,normally its too hot for much
At this rate January seems to be cooler and drier than normal for most of us,(even Alexandra hasnt been that hot)Heard cicadas in December but not this month.

Highs have been about 21 to 23 the last 5 days here........would like some hotter days back!
although the nights have been good for sleeping

[Richard]

Normally the heat kicks in here first/second week of Jan which sees 42 days over 30C on average,only had one so far.

[snowstormwatcher]

Rain here coming in from the northwest 4mm so far.

[snowstormwatcher]

Rain has stopped now we may get some more this afternoon with the southwest change. Just noticed that there is a light dusting of fresh snow on the higher mountains above 2000m.

[Manukau heads obs]

talking about droughts in the far north, ECMWF have a low in the north tasman and which will hang around with a NEr, and so should get good rain for the upper NI, in a week from now or so (if this situation holds out)