NZ Weather Forum

The southern part only though, and of course I was at Tekapo all day. At least we got some decent rain at last.

Send it back... It was a fizzer here...

spike_01 wrote:Send it back... It was a fizzer here...

I think it was cenetered over Kurow (as usual) but plenty made it through to Omarama apparently.

Microburst near Balclutha!!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3513194a11,00.html

Foggy Hamilton wrote:Microburst near Balclutha!!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3513194a11,00.html

Crikey!

Lots storms been going off around down south from about Ashburton southwards and there's been some nice towering too mostly to my north and also a CB to the SW.
Here's todays wrap up of pics since iam going out soon.
Cheers
Jason.

and one more of a turkey tower if you might like to call it.
Cheers
Jason.

Steamy weather here at the moment, with a little thunder and rain.

The location of that severe wind event was near Winton, about 30km north of Invercargill, not Balclutha. (Wednesday). Interesting to see some damage documented. When I get a chance I would like to do some research on the storm. From memory the satellite should an intense cb north south across Southland.

Nice turkey photos there Jason.

No storms here in Chch today; in fact we've had a fine mild (low 20s, with much less humidity )day with only thin high cloud. Goodbye (for the time being at least) to the low cloud and drizzle.

tich wrote:No storms here in Chch today; in fact we've had a fine mild (low 20s, with much less humidity )day with only thin high cloud. Goodbye (for the time being at least) to the low cloud and drizzle.

Ya lucky bugger. We've been sweltering down here (and still are!)

The grass is always greener...
Heat is better than cold anyday.

dogmelon wrote:The grass is always greener...
Heat is better than cold anyday.

Nah! I love the cold! And snow! Except when it gets into my undies (don't ask...)

Re the Southland storm Wed14th Dec
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3513194a11,00.html


Looking at Invercargill sounding this was a severe multicell rather than supercell. Two vehicles on the property were pitted by hail stones with wing mirrors smashed. The owner of the property said the stones were upto 50cent size. Alot of trees on the property were brought down by a microburst but tornado can not be ruled out. If it was a tornado it would have been the landspout type (non mesocyclonic). [/quote]

some good hilly country in the Balclutha area
great for breeding thunderstorms...the hills rise up above the valley where Milton is (i know the area reasonly well, spent 12 weeks working on a sheep farm there)

That storm was near Winton (Invercargill), not Balclutha.

Yes, the Milton area can get good thunderstorms at this time of year. But storms like the one featured in this thread are almost unheard of in Southland or Otago. Quite a freak occurance. To get a humid unstable subtropical airmass over Southland is very unusual.

Fart a crowbar it's all going off here now never sen skies go up and black so quickly Thunder rumble to my North just before and no wonder why wind has swung from Southerly to Northerly in 10 minutes.
Tracker pickig storm inland somewhere near Oxford maybe hmm wonder whats in stall.
Cheers
Jason.

TV1 Weather reported "2 lone thunderstorms inland" from Chch. 7pm radar shows what looks like one somewhere in the Lake Coleridge Area, but also another larger area of active shower activity from about Hanmer north to Nelson Lakes.

Didn't come to much still was very interesting at the time low cloud here now although dark low cloud has that look as if its gonna pour down so who knows.
Iam just gonna whisper this could be few possible thunder days next week Tuesday especailly.
Cheers
Jason.




We live in hope as the long wait for storms goes on

I did note a Cb top to the north this afternoon but it looked quite futile, and also conditions around looked very unsuitable for thunderstorm development. So I don't suspect it to be much.
Could be something more interesting from tomorrow onwards especially into next week here, rather than the rest of the country. Could see our first tornado here about Thursday next week although ...?

JohnGaul
NZTS

NZstorm wrote:That storm was near Winton (Invercargill), not Balclutha.

Yes, the Milton area can get good thunderstorms at this time of year. But storms like the one featured in this thread are almost unheard of in Southland or Otago. Quite a freak occurance. To get a humid unstable subtropical airmass over Southland is very unusual.

Well it was a beaut. I was working in Invercargill for the week. Well actually on Wednesday from 3pm, "working" actually meant "golf". The locals had told me all week that there had been buildups to the west but they had never made it to the city. Wednesday's sky just looked different. About the tenth hole, furthest from the clubrooms, about 5pm, I told my playing partner that we are leaving and we walked straight back. Thank goodness we did as the first lightning came almost as well got to the car and the skies opened 5mins later. The clouds were amazing in shape, huge dark circular and multi layered preceding the event. There was heaps of in-cloud lightning and an amazing CG not far from me. As it came over from Winton it appeared to split into two storms, one heading almost south that fizzled out and one off to the north.

And of course.... no camera apart from the cellphone . Totally useless

Nice report though, Phil
I think that ....

JohnGaul
NZTS

Fujita Phil wrote:I was working in Invercargill for the week. Well actually on Wednesday from 3pm, "working" actually meant "golf".

Golf is hard work to some of us!

Thanks for the report Phil.

The cell phone camera is always handy. You can get 3megapixel cameras on cellphones now.

Can anybody explain the 'sculptured look' on the cloud base. My guess is that it is likely an oregraphic appendage cloud rather than a structural feature of the storm. Thanks for the interesting photo Phil.

Phil, do you have any other photos of that cb or did you just take the one? And was this taken in Invercargill?