Depressing Depressions!

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Thu 25/09/2003 21:25

Looks like a very non-anticyclonic but a very depressing depression period coming across us with a period of low barometric pressure readings for the country.

I just thought I would mention this as this type of situation could bring interesting weather but nothing that would make Michael happy!

JohnGaul
NZTS

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 25/09/2003 22:13

Depressions are very unpredictable in their movements, but here in Chch we should resign ourselves to the likelihood of Sunday being a cold and wet day, possibly a rain event similar to that of last November. Please please pray it won't be anything like the October 2000 storm. But that was an exceptional event, hopefully not to be repeated in its severity in the near future. I imagine the high country getting a good white dumping from this system, possibly to quite low levels if enough cold air is pumped into it. BTW there looks like some pretty wintry southerly outbreaks lined up for the coming week. Could be interesting - let's hope we get some fine days as well.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Thu 25/09/2003 22:16

My guess is nothing will happen here in Chch during this depression unless a low goes just east of Canterbury.

This is the 72 hour prognog, if that low split in two about Dunedin and then one went up east of Canterbury we might have something. But then again I'm a novice! What do you predict John, Steven. I agree with Steven though, South and North Islands west coast should get some thundery weather! or something interesting at least.

Just posted this and saw your post go up Ben so I thought I'd edit this one.
I wouldn't mind a tornado or funnel cloud as long as it's not in a populated area, but are they (FC/tornadoes) going to listen to me? I don't think so. Statistically it would be highly unusal for there to be a FC or tornado happen methinks, A good thunderstorm wouldn't be that bad though, eh John?.

Cheers
Aaron Wilkinson

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Thu 25/09/2003 23:26

Immmmmmmmmmm interesting.
The latest satelite pic shows lots of cold unstable air moving eastwards across the south Tasman sea towards the South Island.
Regarding that prog for Sunday, anything could happen.
Should the NZTS go to Cobden and anticipate a mini tornado...
or just stay here in ChCh just in case something interesting may happen here !!!! ???
As I say , when the borometer is low anything can happen.

Aaron, this type of scenareo would porbably just produce grey skies and boring S to Sw over ChCh possibly like Oct 2000.
We are due for another "24hr, 50mm dump" however.

JohnGaul
NZTS

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 26/09/2003 08:02

Contrasting airmasses today over NZ. Quite cold and unstable in the south with hail in Southwest. Much warmer and stable further north.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Fri 26/09/2003 11:40

Gales in Amberley Thurs night early Fri morning, averaging around 40 knots for a while around 11.30pm and again between 12.30 and 1.30am. Plenty of cloud to cloud lightning visible in the NW sky, some very nice arcs clearly visible etched across the sky.

More CBs on the ranges now, looks like we might see some showers here soon.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Fri 26/09/2003 12:07

Strong, gusty northwesterlies in Chch this morning, but warm. I see high cloud increasing to the north and northwest, but some of this cloud is strange looking. Is there a fire to the northwest of Chch?

MetService's latest long-range mentions rain or showers for most of NZ for Sunday with snow to low-levels (what do they define as 'low-levels'?) in the south of the South Island. No mention of heavy rain, though their website forecast is very brief.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 26/09/2003 12:41

I expect thunderstorms to develop on the trough as it spreads north.

Overcast with persistent drizzle here in Auckland today with cloud deck around 200m. Temperature 17C with humidity 95%. This is how the Sky Tower looks today. Very grey and buried in cloud.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 26/09/2003 14:12

What time last night was this lightning TonyT?

Got to go out now and buy a new cable release for my camera!

Cheers
Aaron Wilkinson

Would you call the weather in Auckland toaday good Micheal? from looking at Stevens pic I'd say no.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Fri 26/09/2003 14:54

I noticed it at the same time as the gales, I would guess it was there from before to well after they eased.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri 26/09/2003 19:10

You can count on the fingers on your hand the number of settled fine days in Auckland each year
Even London probably gets more sunshine than here!

Aaron J Wilkinson wrote: Would you call the weather in Auckland toaday good Micheal? from looking at Stevens pic I'd say no.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sat 27/09/2003 06:07

Thunderstorms have started developing out to sea just west of the Waikato/Auckland in the last hour. With the high dewpiont temperatures I have been anticapting this storm development. At the moment Waikato is in the firing line for these.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Sat 27/09/2003 07:32

The Sferics are currently running on the radio I can get ie. Hauraki 1017AM ChCh currently(with the thunder activity) still so the Canterbury people maybe able to hear them for another hour or so.
The weather here is overcast and drizzly as usual with the likelyhood of rain as per normal.We have a light WNW here but the cloud direction looks more NE

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sat 27/09/2003 07:50

Michael...this is the first real gloomy spell for a while.

Currently overcaste stratus with light drizzle. Temperature 17C, humidity 92%. Very Noisy and sometimes frequent static on am band. Thunderstorms about 40km away now to W and SW.

I notice Met Service have adjusted their forecast to inlcude the odd thunderstorm.

Manukau heads obs · Sat 27/09/2003 08:37

thunder rolling around the area here now
Lots of counts on my lightning counter!

very murky weather here the last few days, clouds right down on the hill tops

the rain radar shows it as a narrow line of CB's
should move onto the auckland area, but will probably weaken

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sat 27/09/2003 11:18

Went for a drive down to Bombay(30km south) and found the weather quite different down there with steady rain and some thunder. Saw a few flashes as the low cloud cleared and could see the anvil cloud.
Weather south of the thundery line looked to be clearing with just patchy stratus. I drove back to Auckland to return to very low cloud and drizzle.
No thunder in Auckland city, but still getting static on am band.

Manukau heads obs · Sat 27/09/2003 11:34

we had a brief clearence, with blue skies, but the murk is back now here
more lightning counts again, new boil up moving in

the CB passed between me and waiuku...i kept loosing the phone conneciton to someone i was talking to in waiuku
i had a report of a strike only 100m, estimated, from someone house in pukekohe...it set off there car alarm!...and the flash was clearly visible from inside the house....and 1 second to the thunder

it looks to be a jet stream indcued upper level thing (the upper level clouds are moving fast when i was able to see them breifly

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sat 27/09/2003 11:54

Static has really picked up again.

The 11am satellite showed a nice cb just west of Auckland.

Still very grey here. Cloud base around 100m.

Manukau heads obs · Sat 27/09/2003 13:20

we had heavy rain,10mm in 50 minutes....and some more thunder
still raining...

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sat 27/09/2003 13:35

AHH NO, not Auckland again, getting more thunderstorms!!!!!

Lovely fine bluedome day here in ChCh with a breezy westerly blowing.
Different story tomorrow although now it seems likely that the majority of the rain, snow etc will be from North Canterbury onwards according to MetService.

JohnGaul
NZTS

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Sat 27/09/2003 14:02

Lovely fine bluedome day here in ChCh with a breezy westerly blowing.
Different story tomorrow although now it seems likely that the majority of the rain, snow etc will be from North Canterbury onwards according to MetService.

Yes it now looks like eastern Malborough/Kaikoura will feel the full force of tomorrow's storm, though North Canterbury (Waipara northwards) could get heavy falls as well. Heavy falls of snow as well - I imagine there could be snow to low levels in inland places like Hanmer tomorrow. BTW, I wouldn't want to be crossing Cook Strait tomorrow either.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sat 27/09/2003 14:15

Yes, Blue sky here in Southshore to. A few nice Cu clouds are just ESE of me, whether thall go any further, who knows?

I looked towards the alps last night which was very calm wind wise and saw some flashes from the lightning going off, very sparse (every 5-8 minutes) and only sheet so no point in trying to get them on camera.

Cheers
Aaron Wilkinson

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Sat 27/09/2003 14:23

Well its the proof of the pudding Auckland is more wintry than Christchurch and Wellington as well with less sunshine tallys than most centres in NZ

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:AHH NO, not Auckland again, getting more thunderstorms!!!!!

Lovely fine bluedome day here in ChCh with a breezy westerly blowing.
JohnGaul
NZTS

Manukau heads obs · Sat 27/09/2003 14:23

more close strikes, more heavy rain, now 28mm for the day...
i see a good boil up just to the norht of the city on the latest rain radar (2pm)

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Sat 27/09/2003 14:39

Cold in Invergargill at 12 noon, 6 degrees. At the other end of the scale Napier at 24.5 degrees.
Metservice are currently forecasting a high of 12 for Christchurch tomorrow. That might occur in the morning depending when the colder weather arrives.

NZ Weather Forum

Depressing Depressions!

Depressing Depressions!

Not Auckland again !!!!!

Re: Not Auckland again !!!!!