Monday Dec 29th Thunderstorms

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Mon 29/12/2003 13:52

I thought I would start a new thread since there may be several reports coming in today.

We have a big TS rumbling away to the north and northwest of us at preesent, no lightning visible yet, plenty of rain or hail falling out (probably over Waipara) but not here yet.

Only moderate CU development visible to the south with a sheet of altostratus above now blocking the sun.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Mon 29/12/2003 14:24

Nothing here in Chch, but shower activity throughout much of Canterbury according to 1PM radar (except for Chch, BP, Lake Ellesmere and the coast from Timaru southwards). It clouded over from the southwest in late morning, and while it looked threatening, this cloud hasn't delivered anything to Chch so far.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Mon 29/12/2003 14:35

Plenty of thunder and in-cloud lightning over the last 45 mins, sporadic rain with light shifty winds has changed to heavy rain with a 15 knot westerly. Lightening and thunder very close together now.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Mon 29/12/2003 17:25

Plenty of thunder and in-cloud lightning over the last 45 mins, sporadic rain with light shifty winds has changed to heavy rain with a 15 knot westerly. Lightening and thunder very close together now.

Still looks pretty wet in North Canterbury on the 4PM radar - the area certainly does need a good dose of rain. (it looked very dry when I was up there just over a week ago. Some rain in Chch from about 4PM; only spitting stuff, but enough to dampen the ground. Quite a cool, gusty southerly to go with it.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Mon 29/12/2003 20:42

Thunderstorm activity over Canterbury today was subdued by the cloud associated with that Frontal mass. If the front had of moved through later in the day, day time heating would have produced good Cb build ups and the leading edge of the front would have become very active.
There will be very unstable air over the NorthIsland tomorrow. Central North Island looks the place to be for storms. In Auckland if we get the SW conditions that have been forcasted then not much will happen here. Southerlies however would produce convective Thunderstorms in the area.
There's an amazing sunset over Auckland tonight.

CbFan · Unread post by **CbFan** » Mon 29/12/2003 20:50

Some distant sheet lightning last night, but nothing serious (1 arc / 5 min).

Also a wonderful sight tonight with that strange yellowy-orange "stormlight" at sunset illuminating some amazing mammatus from underneath. Grabbed a frame or two - unfortunately only with a 50mm lens.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Tue 30/12/2003 00:51

Well nothing seemed to happen at all here in Southshore or Chch for that matter. I do see on the metservice lightning map that there was activity in North Canterbury area (near you Tony), I heard some really good static on my radio at times so the lightning musn't of been far away.

You've hit the nail on the head spwill, thats one of the first things I thought when I got up in the morning, I saw the high cloud and thought, oh dear...... I was always still hopefull though that something would happen but nothing did (near me anyway). Actually I must say that up and down the east cost of the South Island there's been quite alot of lightning activity, just not near me!

Cheers
Aaron Wilkinson

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Tue 30/12/2003 08:48

Have an unstable looking sky around Auckland this morning with some Cb around( mostly weak) as that pool of unstable air moves across. Sunny weather today will turn the showers more Thundery .The southwesterly blowing across Auckland at the moment tends to bring too much low level wind and cloud for good convection locally.