Wintry weekend looming

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Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

Aaron here is something I found on STUFF

TORNADO MOVES 100 TONNE LOADER

THURSDAY , 02 OCTOBER 2003


Westport harbour authorities have just discovered that a recent tornado in the town had shunted a 100-tonne coal loader about 15m along its wharf.

"We thought Solid Energy had moved it and they thought we had moved it, but the wind moved it," said harbourmaster David Barnes. "It's got clamps on the wheels and everything, but it's moved 15m... We're amazed it didn't shear anything off."

The rail-mounted loader was usually moved with a 10-tonne winch.

"We will be revising how we secure the damn thing in future," Mr Barnes said.

Tuesday's tornado packed winds gusting more than 130kmh, along with rain and hail. It left a trail of damage and cut power to about 260 consumers just after 10am on Tuesday.

Mr Barnes said he could barely see a few metres when it swept across the harbour.

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Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

also this from the NZ Herald about the Westport storm

* Hurricane-force winds gusting at more than 130km/h ripped through Westport yesterday morning, leaving a trail of damage and cutting power.

The gales, accompanied by torrential rain and hail shortly after 10am, created almost whiteout conditions in central Westport.

Stormwater drains overflowed, causing surface flooding.

An extreme wind shift about 10.15am cut a swathe of about 3km south through Westport from the harbour, lifting roofing iron and ripping spouting.

Resident Derek Roberts saw a neighbour's trampoline take off, watched it turn 360 degrees in the air and smack against the boundary fence of another neighbour.

The impact dislodged a polythene hothouse from its foundations and it "floated" off across the roof of a house, Mr Roberts said.

Timber framing still attached to the plastic hothouse dragged across the roof of the house, breaking a metal chimney and a hot water overflow pipe before stopping against a tree.



I don't know if Westport has a local rag but it would be interesting to see reports of this storm.

Trying hard to drizzle here at the moment, yes, very stormy indeed !


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Unread post by Michael »

Still overcast and cold and raining with moderate winds from the Gale Direction :(
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Unread post by NZstorm »

7am satellite shows some nice cb over coastal Southland, so Invercargill should be getting some hail this morning. The air down there is certainly cold with the freezing level down to 600m. Some layered cloud to the southwest of Stewart Island looks to be a front of sorts which will bring snow down to quite low levels in Southland later this morning, this front will spread wintry weather northward over the South Island in the afternoon.

Currently raining in Auckland but should brighten up here to just a few showers by afternoon.
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Unread post by tich »

The first wave (not counting the few spits with the initial front late yesterday) of cold, showery weather seems to have come and gone from Chch early this morning, and it's fine and sunny now. (only scattered clouds) No hail that I've noticed (in central city) in this band of showers, but probably a dusting of snow on higher parts of Banks Peninsula as it was certainly cold enough.
I don't know if Westport has a local rag but it would be interesting to see reports of this storm.
Westport does have a local rag. You can view it in the central Chch library. I've done so and yes, there is a report on the storm you refer to John. It (the storm) was on the same day (Sunday) that Canterbury got its heavy snow dump.
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Updated: 9:00 AM EST on October 04, 2003
Observed at Macquarie Island, Australia
Temperature 29 °F / -2 °C
Windchill 14 °F / -10 °C
Humidity 60%
Dew Point 17 °F / -9 °C
Wind SSW at 27 mph / 43.5 km/h
Wind Gust -
Pressure 29.28 in / 992 hPa
Conditions Light Snow Showers
Visibility 6 miles / 10 kilometers


Very wintry in the south seas. I notice the barometer has been slow to rise down there which is a good sign that the weather is moving from west to east rather than northward. To get the very cold air up the east coast
of the South Island really need to see good ridging(high barometer down there).

Invercargills midnight sounding was interesting with the 500mb temperature at minus35C. You would only expect that in the coldest winter outbreaks. Freezing level was more like 500m. Midday sounding will
be very intersting. :)
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Unread post by tich »

A fine day here in Chch, but with a chilly southwesterly. It's what you might call a 'critical southwesterly - showers, hail etc, could easily arrive (though skies are clear to the southwest at present) with any shift of the flow towards the south, as they're predicted to do this evening. Apparently a different story about central NZ - according to the noon radar and temperature obs, Malborough, Wellington, and Wairarapa are getting significant shower activity (hail?) and ony 7C temperatures. (Castlepoint's on a wintry 6C)
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Unread post by Michael »

Looks like you have a beebop day down in Chch today so have we now also got a beebop day in Auckland this afternoon where it could go to a showery SW or alternately Southerly and abate ;) as you say Wellington is probably different as its exposed to the south
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Unread post by NZstorm »

2pm satellite shows shower activity moving up the West Coast. Very much a westerly pattern.

Midday Invercargill sounding indicates cb tops to around 6000m, not high enough for thunder. No doubt some good hail showers though. Freezing level 800m.

Should stay fine this afternoon in Auckland Michael, but the showers may come back with chance of hail overnight or in morning. But looks like we are in for a spell of fine weather next week which will be welcome. :)
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Unread post by tich »

2pm satellite shows shower activity moving up the West Coast. Very much a westerly pattern.
My barometer has gone down - obviously the flow's gone more westerly in Chch before the next cold southwesterly change. (which should arrive this evening)
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Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

My barometer has gone done a little too - I see a low formed in Cook Strait according to the MetService noon day weather chart.
Blue dome afternoon here with all cloud disipating. Wind now more westerly-ish. Air temp cool.


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Unread post by NZstorm »

Yes Ben, front this evening with hail likely.
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Unread post by NZstorm »

Cold in Auckland too, with just 13C. 4/8 cu. SW12kts.

Some nice shower cloud coming onto the south of the South Island.
I guess areas like the Catlins will get a good snow fall.
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Unread post by Thunder »

Hopefully something will happen with the arrival of this front here in Chch this evening.

Image

There looks to be something coming up the east coast of the South Island, the front?

Wind is tending ENE here at Southshore which helps the situation, at least I think it does.

Image

What's this bit of cloud? Looks good.

Cheers
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Unread post by NZstorm »

The sat pic shows the showers becoming widespread over the south island.
I think there will be alot of hail mixed in with this well glaciated cloud and snow in the hills ofcoarse. Isolated thunderstorms will develop in the convective cloud as it drifts further north, these mainly in the west. ;)

The convective cloud just to the north of Northland in the second picture is remarkable for its persistence.
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Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

Aaron J Wilkinson wrote:Hopefully something will happen with the arrival of this front here in Chch this evening.
I don't think so.Too cold and justa weak front moving through tilting the flow much colder as it passes over.
As I said, it's up to timing and depending of the situation.
Too westerly here at the moment and dry and cold and dark.
After the front goes thru' tonight there is the possibility of some hail showers .. but then it should be another mainly fine day tomorrow here although quite cold.
Just tapped the barometer now and there is a tendancy for it to go uop so the southerly can't be far away. Judging by the 6pm radar, it won't be much!!!


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Unread post by Michael »

It will be just more showers and gale force winds for us again tomorrow -High in the north tasman low towards the chathams usual blah :(
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Unread post by Andy »

Snowing here in Alexandra for the third time today, it won't settle as clouds just blow through and will be short lived :)
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Unread post by NZstorm »

Michael...you are correct but you need to add 'bitterly cold' to your prediction. Sunday will be a day to stay in bed.

Not suprised there are flurries in Alexandra Andy. :)
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Unread post by tich »

Cold gusty southerly has reached Chch - now about 7C and becoming showery.
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Unread post by Chris Raine »

Hi from Invercargill

Woke up this morning to a skiff of snow on the grass and moderate snow shoers and snow pellets falling between 0800 - 0830. Temp was 1 degree. During the day things warmed up to a modest 6.5 degrees with occasional shoers of rain and small hail. Moderate rain and sleet from 1500 and an increasing SW. At 2200 occasional showers of snow and snow pellets at sea level. There is snow on the road around Gore. Temp currently about 3 degrees . More to come?
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Unread post by tich »

At 2200 occasional showers of snow and snow pellets at sea level. There is snow on the road around Gore. Temp currently about 3 degrees . More to come?

Possibly also snowing on Dunedin hill suburbs - only 2.8C in Dunedin at 9PM. Some passing showers here in Chch.
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Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

Nothing here in Christchurch, well here in Somerfield, so far
the southerly arrived at 9:15pm
Borometer rushing up

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Unread post by Thunder »

Yes, the cold Temps during the day were the concerning thing for me to John (I'm always hopefull!). (12:08am) Light rain showers passing through with one containing I think tiny little pieces of hail.

I've been woundering were you have been Chris, I was thinking "Were's that guy from Invercargill gone", your back now! (were you on the old NZ Weather forum?) I think Invercargill can sometimes get the same type of weather the West Coast gets when they are getting lots of thunderstorms etc in a westerly type of flow, where as here in Chch the alps blocks all the interestings stuff. Looking foward to reports and stuff from down your way in future!

THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL!! (I wish!) CHEERS!!

Cheers
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Unread post by NZstorm »

My parents in Mosgiel (just outside of Dunedin) say its snowing there this morning with a light snow on the ground (2-3cm). Mosgiel is 1m above sea level.

Midnight sounding from Invercargill has the freezing level around 400m
and the 500mb temperature minus37. Incredibly cold and must be one of the coldest soundings ever recorded in the month of October at Invercargill.

Weather in Auckland is as Michael would decribe it............
Blustery showers, 10C. Maximum temp today will be 13C.
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