General January Weather

[spwill]

Christchurch is missing the NW flows for warm air supply, the current pattern is keeping the flow onshore which can be fairly nippy down there.. There was plenty of NW flow last January for Chch, the average max was 24.7C

Thankfully warmth over subtropical northern NZ is very reliable

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Christchurch is missing the NW flows for warm air supply, the current pattern is keeping the flow onshore which can be fairly nippy down there.. There was plenty of NW flow last January for Chch, the average max was 24.7C

It's been good without the NW flows. Watering hasn't been on the top of the agenda for chores out here at West Melton like the past 2 summers we have been here.

JohnGaul
NZThS

[dogmelon]

I spose thats a fair point about not having to water the garden so much. This cool, cloudy weather has made my Greenhouse Watermelon growing hobby difficult.

[Richard]

dogmelon -

Having warmer than normal sea temps out to the east is the main reason why its been so cloudy so much on the plains,thats why i'm pleased to have moved inland away from that gloom that my old home town of Rangiora like CHCH has seen weeks off.

The storms didn't in the end come to much ,but the cloud formations where just lovely

[dogmelon]

Thats some interesting info thanks Richard. Is the Amuri Basin where Culverden is? I've been through there and its been fair roasting. Away from the sea is nice although are the winters extra cold?

[Tornado Tim]

dogmelon -

Having warmer than normal sea temps out to the east is the main reason why its been so cloudy so much on the plains,thats why i'm pleased to have moved inland away from that gloom that my old home town of Rangiora like CHCH has seen weeks off.

Very nice location there Richard

[TonyT]

dogmelon -

Having warmer than normal sea temps out to the east is the main reason why its been so cloudy so much on the plains,

Sea surface temperatures are cooler than normal to the east of New Zealand at present, and have been for quite a few months.

[melja]

Great photos richard
Im off to lake sumner for the weekend fishing and hunting so hope to get some storm action when the change comes in, as off late the cloud build ups seem to be up in that area.

[Richard]

dogmelon -

Having warmer than normal sea temps out to the east is the main reason why its been so cloudy so much on the plains,

Sea surface temperatures are cooler than normal to the east of New Zealand at present, and have been for quite a few months.

Sorry Tony ya right,should have said east of the Chatham Islands

[Richard]

Thats some interesting info thanks Richard. Is the Amuri Basin where Culverden is? I've been through there and its been fair roasting. Away from the sea is nice although are the winters extra cold?

Is the Amuri Basin where Culverden is? -Yep Culverden's in the bottom of the Basin ,tends to get lots of fog where the town is,in winter it can stay all day

are the winters extra cold?- Frosts tend to be about 2-3C colder that coastal Canterbury Plains but daytime temps warm to about the same

[David]

I think it could be my hottest day of summer here so far....already 23.5°C!!
Hottest day so far here is 27.2

[snowstormwatcher]

Mostly fine here this morning just some broken high cloud already 25 degrees. Could see some thunder later on in the day metservice has a moderate risk for this area.

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Lovely morning here hardly a breath of wind out there, just a very light easterly and sitting on 24.5 degrees. Not a cloud to be seen

[Michael]

Southerly now,24c.

[Nev]

27C at Akld Aero at 1pm and was 28.3C here but dropping now with more cloud build-up.

[DT-NZ]

Currently 29.8 C out... feel's like mid 30's - heading to a lake to re-hydrate and float for atleast an hour - and, still NO RAIN!!!!

C'mon!!!!!!! RAIN -well, one may have to do a rain dance or summin like that ( DT feelin cranky b'cos of the horrid humid heat and lack of cool wind!!! )

[Manukau heads obs]

there could be some rain coming with the troughy easterly conditions over the next few days

[jamie]

dark clouds gathering. looks like we could get a little heat shower shortly. VERY hot and muggy even with a nice SE breeze.

i dont rate our chances of much rain here from this low this weekend/early week. but id love to be proven wrong

[Michael]

Hopefully a real easterly better still a NE.Still warm inspite the SW is Increasing.Shouldve known by the planes coming in screaming.

[DT-NZ]

there could be some rain coming with the troughy easterly conditions over the next few days

I hope so... steady, precipitation over a couple of days would be a most welcome relief... at the moment... here on the east - we keep missing out on rain and heat showers certainly, area's west have recieved rain ( heat showers ) but, not here in the DB area.

Well, the breeze is cooler now which is nice and the temp has dropped ... earlier on ( with my previous post ) it was unbearable, feel alittle chipper now

[DT-NZ]

Still warm inspite the SW is Increasing.Shouldve known by the planes coming in screaming.

Hmm....

[David]

Maximum was 28.8°C here at 1:18pm, very very warm!
I'm guessing I would have hit 30 if the cloudy skies hadn't moved in, typical something stops it on a potential day!

And what happened to the forecast SE? Been mostly SW here

[Lukemyster]

Interesting seeing the temperatures rise over 28C in most parts of Christchurch today for yet another easterly

The southerly change has just came through now, temperature down to 20C within 2minutes.

[snowstormwatcher]

Heavy drizzle here at the moment currently 13 degrees. Great photo there photosearch.

[Richard]

I agree too,great pic photosearch.

Fine morning so far,so much for the low cloud and drizzle that's been forecasted for north of Banks Peninsula