Stromy Start to New Year

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Tue 03/01/2006 20:47

Quite solid rain at times as I was returning from BP to Chch late this afternoon, considering that we're in west or northwest flow.

Must be bucketing down about and west of the Alps. And not warm either - a chilly 7C at Milford Sound at 4PM.

Flutterbye · Unread post by **Flutterbye** » Tue 03/01/2006 20:55

Our temperature plummeted several degrees with that downpour earlier. Central Otago has been a lot cooler than normal today.

Cheers
Lyn

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 03/01/2006 22:03

in the lower NI where I was had westerly-NW gales yesterday but no real rain I saw but abated abrptley in Wellington but were there on the way back at night and had fresh W here today.Lots of pine cones on SH1 at Foxton

Manukau heads obs · Tue 03/01/2006 22:13

yes, big sell off the coast here today
i can see the waves crashing against puponga point inside the harbour from here, going about 40 feet up the side i would say!

Skywatcher · Unread post by **Skywatcher** » Tue 03/01/2006 22:19

tich wrote:Must be bucketing down about and west of the Alps..

1mm recorded here today, more than 20mm at Castle Hill and 90mm to 8pm at Arthurs Pass. That brings their "annual" total for 2006 to 212mm

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 03/01/2006 22:27

We have had 1.1mm of rain here from this overthrow from the NW.

I don't know about thunderstorms here tomorrow. I've got a 3 thunderstorm warning out, just in case. The barometer is low so anything can happen?

MetService are saying 'Heavy showers' with the SW change?
I can't see it??

Are they thundery showers without thunder?

JohnGaul
NZTS

Manukau heads obs · Tue 03/01/2006 22:47

very windy in wellington 2 nite
check out this exposed site....next to the airport i think:
http://joker.41south.net.nz/weather/weather.htm
120kmh!

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Tue 03/01/2006 23:00

Yes, it's strong tonight. But yesterday afternoon when the flow went westerly it died completely with 24C and blue skies. OK this morning but wind back with a vengeance in the afternoon. Still no problem for a bushwalk....

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 03/01/2006 23:24

unusual direction shows SW there,Ithought it would be sheltered from that direction especially being exposed to the S or SE.

Yes it was a lovely afternoon there with a little wave cloud only towards the hills

Manukau heads observer wrote:very windy in wellington 2 nite
check out this exposed site....next to the airport i think:
http://joker.41south.net.nz/weather/weather.htm
120kmh!

squid · Unread post by **squid** » Tue 03/01/2006 23:45

opps a bit tired there most people can read through it anyways starting to get windy again here gusts to 60kph and the baro on 1003

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Wed 04/01/2006 07:16

Michael wrote:unusual direction shows SW there,Ithought it would be sheltered from that direction especially being exposed to the S or SE.

Yes it was a lovely afternoon there with a little wave cloud only towards the hills
Manukau heads observer wrote:very windy in wellington 2 nite
check out this exposed site....next to the airport i think:
http://joker.41south.net.nz/weather/weather.htm
120kmh!

Probably some local channelling, with Wgton's complex topography. The city and locations south of Horowhenua (sometimes a bit further north as well) are definitely sheltered from gradient SW flows. WSW or W gives local sheltering but generally that breaks down just north of the city. SSW can get in sometimes - but usually very brief, in a "buster" situation. However "Wahine" day had SSW directions in most parts here. Our street is partly sheltered from NW but yesterday evening's gusts were pretty strong.

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Wed 04/01/2006 07:34

Fresh snow on the hills and ranges around here, and quite cool. A fair bit of rain fell as well, so woohoo for that.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Wed 04/01/2006 08:08

Fresh snow on the hills and ranges around here, and quite cool.

I went through Omarama late yesterday afternoon I noticed how cold it was there with heavy showers coming in off the western ranges. Interestingly that rain spread further east to the coast. I guess with the upper air being cold and unstable it was possible for the showers to do that.

I'm in Timaru this morning, light westerly here but that southwester isn't far away. Looks like its coming in about 6 hours to early for interesting weather. Given the unstable lapse rates, thunder/hail would have been a certainty in Canterbury today if the change was coming through in the afernoon.

squid · Unread post by **squid** » Wed 04/01/2006 08:56

awoke to rain and blustry Nw winds benn quite a windy night baro bottomed out at 997 currently 999 still warm proly cool down when the wind swings more to the west later on

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Wed 04/01/2006 09:13

Fairly big temp spread across NZ this morn at 7am.
Pre frontal humid 21C in the North down to 9C in the deep south. Queenstown on 6C with snow on those Mnts.

Heavy showers on the way for us today however it looks like that Thundery stuff to the west of the SI will struggle to get further north than Taranaki.

Manukau heads obs · Wed 04/01/2006 09:42

front gone through here
weak,not much rain, good temperature drop though
northland had pre frontal/warm front type rain this morning, which we missed here

there could be a 2nd better front develop for us up here?

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Wed 04/01/2006 09:50

I noticed that Wanganui gets quite sheltered to from the westerly direction as far as not a lot of rain comes in however still gets the wind though. unlike Auckland almost every cloud it rains

RWood wrote:
Probably some local channelling, with Wgton's complex topography. The city and locations south of Horowhenua (sometimes a bit further north as well) are definitely sheltered from gradient SW flows. WSW or W gives local sheltering but generally that breaks down just north of the city. SSW can get in sometimes - but usually very brief, in a "buster" situation. However "Wahine" day had SSW directions in most parts here. Our street is partly sheltered from NW but yesterday evening's gusts were pretty strong.

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Wed 04/01/2006 10:08

Yes, Wanganui's mean rainfall is only about 880mm with the sheltering from the NE an important factor. But interestingly New Plymouth gets more sun, the most in any "western" location in the country - current 30-year mean is at least 2190 hrs/annum.

Storm Struck · Unread post by **Storm Struck** » Wed 04/01/2006 10:11

Bit of cloud about this morning with very light W wind so hopefully we see some Thunderstorms with the change.
Brief rain quite nice from the west last night leaving behind that fresh west coast signature scent of moist air

.
A storm at about 1am along the Alps with some flashes to the west as well.
Sorry John but if storms do eventuate looks like hail of 10-20mm is possible don't worry Iv'e gotta over my vege's too as if they havn't been betterd enough already from the winds the other day

.
Ill stop there or else ill jinx the weather.
Cheers
Jason.

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Wed 04/01/2006 10:11

Yes, Wanganui's mean rainfall is only about 880mm with the sheltering from the NE an important factor. But interestingly New Plymouth gets more sun, the most in any "western" location in the country - current 30-year mean is at least 2190 hrs/annum.

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Wed 04/01/2006 10:22

NZstorm wrote:I went through Omarama late yesterday afternoon...

And you didn't call in for coffee?

The rain has had bugger-all impact on lake levels, at least visually...much of the gain will be generated off very quickly, especially now that most everybody has returned home. Tekapo A and B are both online again now.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Wed 04/01/2006 10:35

Had a bit of (spitting) rain in Chch a short while ago, but sun then came out. However, the southerly is now freshening, and cloud is building to the southwest. According to 10am radar, the change has already given rain to South Canterbury.

Storm Struck · Unread post by **Storm Struck** » Wed 04/01/2006 11:36

Wow

I see MS have Moderate risk out tomorrow for Severe thunderstorms here yus

with strong Wind gusts of 90-110kmh and large hail possibly 30mm in diamter now im definatly gonna have to cover my garden.
Some CU from south to west southerly fresh but cool now it's a game of waiting.
Dare I mention with conditions like tomorrow's could there be chance for Tornadoe's?

and I wasn't joking either.
Cheers
Jason.

gllitz · Unread post by **gllitz** » Wed 04/01/2006 11:55

"Wow I see MS have Moderate risk out tomorrow for Severe thunderstorms here yus with strong Wind gusts of 90-110kmh and large hail possibly 30mm in diamter now im definatly gonna have to cover my garden.
Some CU from south to west southerly fresh but cool now it's a game of waiting.
Dare I mention with conditions like tomorrow's could there be chance for Tornadoe's? and I wasn't joking either.
Cheers
Jason."

EEK!

"Valid to: 12:00 am 6 Jan 2006 NZDT
Issued at: 11:11 am 4 Jan 2006 NZDT

Yet another trough is forecast to move over the South Island in the afternoon and over the North Island in the evening.

With temperatures aloft being quite cold and still reasonable surface temperatures and moisture available in Canterbury, there is a moderate risk of several severe thunderstorms forming in Canterbury during the afternoon ahead of and on an expected southerly change. These storms have the potential to produce some large hail - possibly up to 30 mm or so. There is also the potential for wind gusts of 90-110km/hr in their vicinity. They are likely to form in south Canterbury in the afternoon and move northeastwards into more central and northern parts in the afternoon and evening."

Fun to watch, but NOT to be in...I've been in enough of these kinds of storms in the States to not like being in them...still fascinating, though....

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Wed 04/01/2006 12:48

Some heavy showers going through here at present, 9mm so far at rates of 35mm/hr at times.

I'm eagerly awaiting to hear some "grrs and grrps" from Kaiapoi this afternoon...

NZ Weather Forum

Stromy Start to New Year

Yikes!