Cold change on Thursday

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Wed 09/03/2005 19:48

No thunderstorms tomorrow predicted by MetService for the east of the South Island, but hail predicted for the far south, plus snow to about 900m down there. Whether we get just a few showers here in Chch tomorrow evening or a period of rain, who knows. But looks like being a relatively short-lived cold outbreak.

Storm Struck · Unread post by **Storm Struck** » Wed 09/03/2005 19:53

Could be brief late afternoon/evening rain followed by showers and hail as the NW turns SW.
Although there might be some TS over Southland area during the morning as the cold front moves north.
Cheers
JASON TIPPET.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Wed 09/03/2005 20:01

Luckilly for some of us the fronts are weak plus the cyclone activity is keeping the anticyclone belt down preventing it going to far north but say it will turn stormy in May due to warm seas coupled with cold S outbreaks will start infitrating by then

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Wed 09/03/2005 20:09

Luckilly for some of us the fronts are weak plus the cyclone activity is keeping the anticyclone belt down preventing it going to far north but say it will turn stormy in May due to warm seas coupled with cold S outbreaks will start infitrating by then

Are you sure you are not working for NIWA Michael.

Looks cold at Invercargill today (for March). Freezing level around 1400m, thickness 5390.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Wed 09/03/2005 20:18

Just looking at the maps theres such a pronounced NW "monsoon" crossing the equator this year compared to the last few so I am surmizing what could happen and the mid latitude low pressure systems near Hawaii etc

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Wed 09/03/2005 22:22

looks like thunderstorms down the south east of the Island at the moment!

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Wed 09/03/2005 23:06

Thunderstorm potential now reduced to 1now which is a real shame.

Steve, you were right in an earlier post that nothing much would happen on Thurday. One up to you
Would of liked to see something happen before the boring March weather settles in.
The weather after the southerly should
deteriate (NZTS)/improve (NZAAA)
from friday but then what do you expect with all this TC activity in the sub-tropics forcing these anticyclones over us

JohnGaul
NZTS

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Thu 10/03/2005 14:03

23c in Dunners at 1pm, just 9c at Nugget Point!

The biggest temperature drop ive ever felt in Hamilton resulted from a thunderstorm, 18c to 11c within 10 mins (not much!)

Weather atm is warm with towering cumulus, light NW

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Thu 10/03/2005 14:37

Cold surge hitting Alexandra now.

Strong N.W this morning and 21 degrees dropping to 8 degrees now Blusty southerly, heavy rain, and some thunder and lightening.

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Thu 10/03/2005 16:52

5c in Dunedin & Queenstown at 4pm, that's crazy!!

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Thu 10/03/2005 16:57

Why?
It'll be like this when the souitherly blasts through ChCH later (Timaru should be in for a shock shortly)

JohnGaul
NZTS

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Thu 10/03/2005 17:21

'cause that temp change is unheard of up here in the sub-tropics

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 10/03/2005 17:37

5c in Dunedin & Queenstown at 4pm, that's crazy!!

They were the coldest places in the 4PM obs, but some other places in Otago and Southland were in single figures as well. Snow was forecast to 800m in the far south, but I could imagine levels (falling, probably not settling) briefly getting even lower with those temps. Still warm (but with a gusty westerly or northwesterly) in Chch though, but as John says, we''ll get that change. (though probably not getting down to 5C)

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Thu 10/03/2005 18:16

Yea a nice cold change, snow level to the south looks to be around 8-900m and a bit lower to the west 6-700m.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 10/03/2005 18:24

My barometer has just started to rise, and it's clouding over in Chch - the cold change is probably near.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 10/03/2005 18:50

Southerly has arrived, just as gusty as the west/northwesterly prior tot he change - Jeff's station down to 12.7C at 6.40PM. Mostly cloudy now, but still dry in central Chch.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Thu 10/03/2005 19:48

7pm Rakaia radar image is interesting - looks like a broad band of hail across South Canterbury, moving northwards.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 10/03/2005 20:24

Down to about 9C in Chch now, and it's been raining. 7PM radar shows the heaviest precip just offshore - that band of rain is probably what we're getting now.

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Thu 10/03/2005 20:24

TonyT wrote:7pm Rakaia radar image is interesting - looks like a broad band of hail across South Canterbury, moving northwards.

do you think any of that will reach chch?>

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Thu 10/03/2005 21:07

Quite a bit of snow falling on Benmore Peak today, and it continues even now.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 10/03/2005 21:55

do you think any of that will reach chch?>

The band of rain reached Chch, but only liquid stuff that I've seen in central city. Only spitting now.

Quite a bit of snow falling on Benmore Peak today, and it continues even now.

Down to a wintry 6.5C in Chch now, so quite possibly snowing (but probably not settling) on Banks Peninsula tops.

Storm Struck · Unread post by **Storm Struck** » Thu 10/03/2005 23:12

Yes wow what a day not just the Tornado but when the SW wind came through she roared I couldn't beleive it.
I guess my gut reaction was that the SW wind wouldn't be very strong but This one was one you would see in the Winter.
I don't know what it was like in CHCH maybe it gets stronger the further north it moves over exposed lands.

As soon as I thought the SW was easing a little a big gust came whipping past and to the left of my eye one section of a willow tree 5 meteres away from my house completely shredded itself even taking some small twigs with it. The reason it was intersting was the fact of how guick it hit.
Sirens from Woodend and Kaiapoi went off over the peroid of time when the wind was violent.

So what was the wind like in town for everyone else Tony T what was it like out your way???.
CHEERS
JASON TIPPET

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Thu 10/03/2005 23:19

Heavy rain in Invercargill this morning until about 1.30pm with a clearance. Temperature dropped then light hail showers from about 4pm.

Cold

In Gore tonight (don't laugh) and cold here, still with the odd shower laced with small hail

Chris Raine · Unread post by **Chris Raine** » Fri 11/03/2005 10:19

Just to add I went to Queenstown yesterday at lunchtime and struck the frontal passage just south of Lumsden with a violent southerly squall, small hail, heavy rain and a thunderstorm. One strike hit a tree 30 meters from my car. This strike was quite blinding which slowed me down quite dramatically . Gave me one hell of a fright.

Later on at about 1345 the front arrived in Queenstown with a violent southerly squall and heavy rain. One the way home it snowed from just north of Kingston all the way to Athol with snow settling in the paddocks from Kingston down to Fairlight. Altitude about 350 meters

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Fri 11/03/2005 10:46

Cycling to work this morning in winter clothing, 2.6C at 7:20am. Coldest morning of the year so far.

The norwester was stronger at home yesterday then at work in NW Christchurch near the airport which is opposite to my normal observations.

The southerly was very gusty when it arrived and temperature dropped from 23C to 6C in about 3 and a half hours (6pm to 9:30pm). Heavy rain for a time but only 7.4mm recorded for the evening.

Saw 1 tree branch broken just up the road from home but not other damage on the way to work this morning.