NZ Weather Forum

Well it has looked promising for a storm all week here... But being an Easterly or NE there has been nothing... Not even any rain...

Bit of lightning starting to pop up now in the usual area again.. SouthWest NI, northern Manawatu hills..

ricky wrote:Bit of lightning starting to pop up now in the usual area again.. SouthWest NI, northern Manawatu hills..

Yep as of a wee while ago the wind has changed... Huge cloud starting to build up along the Tararuas...

Keep us posted! does seem to be closer to you / Tararuas today.. each day the activity has moved slightly south..

Will do... Also have Radio Sport on... It is AM and that is getting the crackles now...

Dark clouds east/NE of Wainuiomata/Orongorongos but ptly cloudy overhead and to west with hot sunshine. Maybe something will happen here yet.

Dark clouds east/NE of Wainuiomata/Orongorongos but ptly cloudy overhead and to west with hot sunshine. Maybe something will happen here yet.

Starting to hear thunder now... Report of large funnel cloud near Fielding...

Front... Looking NE...

Here are some pictures of a large funnel cloud that dropped out of thunderstorm, just to the W of Palmerston North. This was in the last 0.5hr.

I need to get myself a better camera.

It seems the funnel clouds were spotted by the PN Airport, as per the latest METAR and SPAR info:

PALMERSTON NORTH (NZPM):

METAR NZPM 150120Z 14003KT 12KM VCTS FC FEW025 BKN040CB BKN250 24/16
Q1014
RMK CB TO N FUNNEL CLOUDS OBS TO W LIGHTNING OBS TO NW W=

SPAR NZPM 150123Z
VIS 30KM RED 12KM VCTS FC TO SW CLD BKN040CB LIGHTNING OBS=


I saw both this funnel cloud ( as per photos), as well as a smaller one that developed a minute earlier, further N along the same cloud base.

Very warm and muggy in Invercargill today. Temp 25 degrees at home . We had a very active thunderstorm last night from about 5.15 pm until 6.45 pm. Lots of c-c shots and some c-g . Lightning every 1.5 seconds or so .. Continious thunder .. Blew my neighbours sewing machine to bits with one shot over the house. I followed the storm in from Drummond trying to keep ahead of the gust front. A local farmer thought he saw a funnel cloud which I observed as well although it could have been dust but there was circular motion and rising to the base of the Cb moving through paddocks. I had about 13.5 mm in about 30 minutes but the storm was weaker by the time it arrived at Invercargill.There was heavy hail near Heddon Bush piled on the side of the road. Interesting thunderstorm forecast for Southland for tomorrow . Currently soem Cu growth out to the east towards Mokoreta and Tokanui

Great to see those Funnel cloud photo's Greg.

Very active over SI now few storms perhaps some perhaps inland southland and some on the coast about timaru also to the north near Cheviot or Hamner although I can't see anything here under all this low cloud arghhh .
Tomorrow id say still looking awsome.
Cheers
jason.

Theres an active CB north of here rumbling away pretty regularly at present. Definitely much closer to Amberley than the detector suggests.

Just as I mention it, along comes gregg with the pics... Great stuff...

Well it was a fizzer here... Kept itself to the Ranges... A few bangs and that was it...

Plenty of CC strikes visible now. BTW, we've had clearish skies all day with a mixture of blue and cirrus, I take it from Jason's post that nearer Chch you are still under the low stratus?

Edit - a few CGs now too, strikes only a few km north of here. The strikes showing up on the tracker are being ploted about 100km too far north.

Yes Chch still under a grey blanket, so can't see any of the action to the north. Cloud not as thick as yesterday, though. Some more drizzle overnight, but no more today.

Yes Tony and still is although if any storms drift this way it should clear due to cloud mass in thunderstormswhich they usually do or else it would be a blind storm to view .
Lightning going off along coast eastern side from timaru-Ashburton according to tracker not sure how much that is off range and of course what looks to be 3 cells to the north one of which would be near you tony.
Cheers
Jason.

Awesome contrast of cloud over the Tararuas at 5:10pm...

And just as fast as a magic wond can be waved the low cloud cleared about 5pm could see that storm had moved more west by the time it had cleared although not beafy enough with too much higher cloud around still got pic of this towering CU to my N-NW perhaps near you Tony.
Breif light shower of rain too just after it cleared.
Looking forward to whats in stall tomorrow here's hoping aye.
Cheers
Jason.

Looks like there was a decent sized Thunderstorms In North Canterbury. Im very happy with my forecast!!

Also looks like southland/Otago are getting hammered with a nice sized storm. Good work with the Funnel cloud photos!

Good to read the thunderstorm reports.

Yes, a decent sized funnel near Palmerston North. The Manuwatu is a hot spot for funnel clouds. Thanks for the pics Greg.

Some further rumbling thunder and distant lightning to the north again in the last half hour.

Yes Tony another storm starting going off to the north last night about half past ten.
Great start to the day was overcast but has now cleared full sunshine and some good heat to get through today yus .
Busyiest Thunder outlook on MS I have seen in awhile be interesting to see whats up for tomorrow.
Cheers
Jason.