Northern depression 8th-10th Sept

[David]

metservice have yet again failed to get it right - only 5mm here? And where are the SE winds gusting up to gale force? Wind here now is lighter than it was earlier today. They also forecast rain tonight and tomorrow morning, but the rain radar shows the band to have already crossed Auckland, so where's the rest of the rain supposed to come from?

[gllitz]

Nice example of shadow over Christchurch caused by the Banks http://satellite.landcareresearch.co.nz ... d09097.jpg

I reckon! Has been sunny, but a wee bit chilly, most of the day here...some cloud around midday, but has since cleared nicely...was even able to mow lawns!!) I was expecting cloud and drizzle all day due to MS forecast......
Nice SAT pic!!

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I welcomed the cloud today and did expect a possible spot of drizzle or some bit of precipitation to fall from the clouds.
We have just had 3 days of totally clear skies, lotsa sunshine, and now it looks as though it's returning back to that
Clear skies from middle to late afternoon

JohnGaul
NZTS

[squid]

a bit of a fizzah this time however the potential was there has the depression moved right over the NI or down to the west of the NI it would have been a different story. you will have wait until next time, these depression should be fairly frequent during this summer with nutrual/weak la Nina conditions expected to be present.

[Andrew Massie]

Some big cu clouds over chch now.. GO!

[Lawrence]

Yeah, gone fairly dull now here in the city,some large dark clouds over the Banks, 13.4C.RH 80%,Baro reading 1008 and steady.

[Manukau heads obs]

SSW wind picking up speed here now
gusting to 36 kts now
long sunny spells now too for a change

[TokWW]

Some broad CU forming in SW this afternoon - very dark underneath after the18degC pm peak and cool southerly underneath - stopped while biking home to take a pic with the bright white tops and black undercarpet - left my camera in the office....

Roll on the afternoon heat...

[Willoughby]

Yes, nice to see large Cu starting to develop! High of 18.7C today.

[tich]

Dark looking clouds around Chch this afternoon (esp to south), but nothing on radar.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Nice Cu line to the north of here in West Melton this afternoon. I didn't take a photo as I've got lots of Cu shots.
Also noted some Cb forms this evening, along the Alps whilst coming back from the vets at Rolleston

JohnGaul
NZTS

[melja]

yes and sum big drops of rain at work around lunch time on tram road with sum hail at the end.

[Storm Struck]

Had 2mm this morning from light rain or drizzle which must have fallen in the early hours, as when I woke up the grounds were wet but very localised to the east coast as it was dry in town.
These localised areas of moisture would have added to the forms of CU today the typical summer heat convective clouds except just lacking the extra omph to go any further.
Great to see though even just the CU forms something which is probly more normal around the Waikato.
Cheers
Jason.

[mikestormchaser]

Some big cu clouds over chch now.. GO!

Yes i seen those CU forms this evening Andrew looking good! kept abit of an eye on them as i drove home, once again didnt know much was going on but did get dark inside lol

[David]

Had a shower this morning which briefly got very heavy, would have guessed 3-4mm but rain gauge at home recorded 2mm. Also saw 2 cumulonimbus clouds far to the E/NE

[David]

What's up with the Auckland storm tracker right now! Shows heaps of strikes in the Tasman up to 22/min and 655 last hour. Surely must be incorrect? Meant to be fine tomorrow!

[Willoughby]

^Hehe, that's the boltek picking up sferics from off the coast of Australia this evening. On clear nights, you'll see that it'll start picking up strikes all the way beyond Vanuatu some nights. That reminds me I should finally fix the cable

Some more wet weather on the cards as the departing high directs a moist northerly flow over the North Island. Post frontal looking very warm too!

[Michael]

Meant to be fine tomorrow!

Doesnt really look it,clouds moving in from the SW right now and the usual morning bank sitting out to the SW

[ricky]

Yes Fix the cable Foggy!

Yep the lightning tracker here was having a field day last night and this morning with all the thunderstorms in the Western Tasman..
I have the ranging set up to work as well as possible with our generally weak and sporadic NZ thunderstorms.. when there are really large ones they will often range a lot closer than reality !

[spwill]

Should be out of this cool air soon and into a warmer flow with higher dewpoint air = warmer nights. Looks like a Ridge will keep the north and east of NZ mostly dry

Have been in Raratonga. The E/SE Trade winds there at this time of the year are just as annoying as the Auckland Spring SW and that Chch Summer NE.
I think Hawaii is a much better spot for a Winter escape as the Islands there are high enough for the western side to be sheltered.

[Michael]

Youre lucky to be able to get away often.Some of us have to live with it but this has been the 2nd day this month its been sunny,last one last Thursday

Have been in Raratonga. The E/SE Trade winds there at this time of the year are just as annoying as the Auckland Spring SW and that Chch Summer NE.
I think Hawaii is a much better spot for a Winter escape as the Islands there are high enough for the western side to be sheltered.

[RWood]

Should be out of this cool air soon and into a warmer flow with higher dewpoint air = warmer nights. Looks like a Ridge will keep the north and east of NZ mostly dry

Have been in Raratonga. The E/SE Trade winds there at this time of the year are just as annoying as the Auckland Spring SW and that Chch Summer NE.
I think Hawaii is a much better spot for a Winter escape as the Islands there are high enough for the western side to be sheltered.

Rarotonga is not particularly sunny at all. Most of Hawaii is, especially in the leeward zones. If you want lots of sun but not fierce heat during our wintertime try somewhere else again.

[spwill]

Generally the Trade winds keep Hawaii weather comfortible through Summer however they do drop out from time to time as Lows pass to the South and it can then get very humid.
I never get sun burnt in these places like I do in a NZ summer.

[RWood]

We didn't get sunburnt when we spent a month in Hawaii Sep. 1995 - but there was a simple reason - the heat was so fierce around the built-up areas that we had to be in at least partial shade at the critical times of day. On the other hand in clear skies in the Andean foothills in an April, with a midday temp. of only about 16C, we had to be careful.

[Razor]

Well I got back last week from 2 weeks in Raro and Atiu. Weather was mixed but generally sunny most days, a nice breeze to stop it getting too hot. I came back with a great tan

The weather patterns up there have been highly unusual the past few years according to the locals, they are suggesting its another sign of climate change. They are seeing things they have never seen in the past apparently.

And interestingly, they are worried it is an active cyclone season up there coming up in the new year