NZ Weather Forum

State Highway One Bridge at Ashburton is now closing at 7pm tonight.NZTA assessment tomorrow morning at 6am. no alternative inland route.

Tracy Herbert wrote: ↑Sun 23/07/2023 16:40 State Highway One Bridge at Ashburton is now closing at 7pm tonight.NZTA assessment tomorrow morning at 6am. no alternative inland route.

Interesting. I suppose the road across the Ashburton river at the forks is closed as well! I don't know if Scenic Highway 72 is open.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote: ↑Sun 23/07/2023 17:22

Tracy Herbert wrote: ↑Sun 23/07/2023 16:40 State Highway One Bridge at Ashburton is now closing at 7pm tonight.NZTA assessment tomorrow morning at 6am. no alternative inland route.

Interesting. I suppose the road across the Ashburton river at the forks is closed as well! I don't know if Scenic Highway 72 is open.

According to NZTA, there are no other alternative routes available. Inland is pretty dicey.

darcyplumb wrote:

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote: ↑Sun 23/07/2023 17:22 Interesting. I suppose the road across the Ashburton river at the forks is closed as well! I don't know if Scenic Highway 72 is open.

According to NZTA, there are no other alternative routes available. Inland is pretty dicey.

All bridges across the river are closed, only detour is the West Coast

Sent from my SM-A145F using Tapatalk

Ashburton river was bank to bank this afternoon but the 2021 floods were near touching the bottom of the rails

Sent from my SM-A145F using Tapatalk

Here's photo of the Waihi River in full swing taken from the Coach road bridge near Orari.
Normally there is just a trickle or no water at all.

Yes, a grey overcast day with constant rain all day with a total of 120mm recorded here. Light S to SE winds.
I wouldn't consider the rain to be heavy but constant.
Temperature hanging around the 9C mark for most of the day.
There was a notice saying that people shouldn't cross any fords today because of the flow of water.
Here is a photo of a ford near Orari that I stopped at in my truck and thought, "Should I cross?"
I didn't and reversed and went another way to cross that stream.

A further 35mm of rain in Rakaia since 4.23pm yesterday.

Total rainfall now for this event 139.5mm

138mm total for this event in my rain gauge in Central Ashburton. Rain has mostly stopped now, just some drizzle on and off. The water is taking a long time to drain away.

142.1mm for the event here and now it all clear and sunny.

More rain overnight reducing to drizzle then ceasing but remaining overcast this morning.
From noon, becoming brighter then cloud clearing to become fine and sunny for the rest of the day, although low cloud did return this evening from the north. Today's maximum was 12.4C this afternoon.
Don't know about all this "Possible Thundery" weather forecasted for tomorrow for most of the country?
I do find that MS these days do overcast thunderstorm weather these days as to compared to years ago.
Thunderstorms in July are a rarity in Canterbury but I can remember summer type of thunderstorm moved over ChCh in June 1996, I think, which had a lot of hail associated with it.Have to consult my diary.

There is some thunderstorm risk + hail for western parts of the Norh Island late this evening and tomorrow morning with the cold Cbs but it is mostly south of Auckland.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote: ↑Mon 24/07/2023 23:49 Don't know about all this "Possible Thundery" weather forecasted for tomorrow for most of the country?
I do find that MS these days do overcast thunderstorm weather these days as to compared to years ago.
Thunderstorms in July are a rarity in Canterbury but I can remember summer type of thunderstorm moved over ChCh in June 1996, I think, which had a lot of hail associated with it.Have to consult my diary.

I would agree John, very low risk. Still a strong SW change though later which could bring some hail.

Just checking the latest models now, the system coming in later this evening does actually look to be a thunder risk up the east coast of Canterbury.

mikestormchaser wrote: ↑Tue 25/07/2023 11:31 Just checking the latest models now, the system coming in later this evening does actually look to be a thunder risk up the east coast of Canterbury.

The thing I love most about thunderstorms in winter is that it’s dark early so the lightning looks spectacular.

darcyplumb wrote: ↑Tue 25/07/2023 11:46

mikestormchaser wrote: ↑Tue 25/07/2023 11:31 Just checking the latest models now, the system coming in later this evening does actually look to be a thunder risk up the east coast of Canterbury.

The thing I love most about thunderstorms in winter is that it’s dark early so the lightning looks spectacular.

The models do look interesting with closer inspection RE: this evening for coastal Canterbury it's just something you wouldn't see this time of year.. worth a watch anyway

mikestormchaser wrote: ↑Tue 25/07/2023 11:53

darcyplumb wrote: ↑Tue 25/07/2023 11:46

The thing I love most about thunderstorms in winter is that it’s dark early so the lightning looks spectacular.

The models do look interesting with closer inspection RE: this evening for coastal Canterbury it's just something you wouldn't see this time of year.. worth a watch anyway

Is there a rough time frame for potential activity this evening?

darcyplumb wrote: ↑Tue 25/07/2023 12:16
Is there a rough time frame for potential activity this evening?

Change due around 5pm ashburton/ around 6pm chch. If anything interesting is to happen it will be about then.

There are some beefy looking clouds on the horizon to the south of town - long time no see!

Just come back in from the Downs to have a look down there. Some instability but looks like a line of sea fog along the coast as well.
Interesting radar south of Timaru at the moment.

Weak gust front going through Geraldine, now

Gust front is just starting to move over Ashburton. It has a bit more structure to it now. Radar has also lit up big time south of here.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote: ↑Tue 25/07/2023 17:08 Weak gust front going through Geraldine, now

It heard you and said "hold my beer".

Rain splattering on south-facing windows now. 8.7°C.

An intense band has popped up inland near the Rakaia gorge. Lightning app is picking up strikes from here.
Looks like it might be developing a new band out over the plains, watch this space