Drizzly in Chch this morning, but...

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Wed 07/01/2004 12:08

...back to the hot, dry weather tomorrow, so today's minimal precipitation probably won't have any lasting effect on the ground here. I see the latest MetService short forecast doesn't mention northwesterly gales for tomorrow, even though yesterday's severe weather outlook had a moderate likelihood of these happening.

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Wed 07/01/2004 12:58

I see Metservice have posted a watch of nor'west gales for tomorrow evening and Friday morning:

CANTERBURY
ISSUED BY METSERVICE AT 1226hrs 07-Jan-2004
RISK OF A SEVERE NORTHWESTER IN EASTERN AREAS FROM WAIRARAPA TO CANTERBURY
MetService forecasters suspect the strong northwest flow associated with a cold front may give a short period of severe gales to parts of Canterbury,Marlborough, Wellington and Wairarapa overnight Thursday or Friday morning.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Wed 07/01/2004 17:35

Looks like inland parts of Otago and Canterbury are in for a windy time of it with tomorrows NW and turning gusty W friday. Heavy thundery rain on the way for the Alps/West Coast.

Skywatcher · Unread post by **Skywatcher** » Thu 08/01/2004 15:11

Fairly heavy rain started at about 15:00 - heavy for here at least

(about 0.6mm in 5 minutes). Quite large drops in a light ENE - starting to reduce the temperature from a high of 27.4C.

Cheers,
Steven

Skywatcher · Unread post by **Skywatcher** » Thu 08/01/2004 15:33

Didn't last long - now just the odd drop of rain, temps rising again and quite humid.

Cheers,
Steven

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 08/01/2004 17:20

Fairly heavy rain started at about 15:00 - heavy for here at least (about 0.6mm in 5 minutes). Quite large drops in a light ENE - starting to reduce the temperature from a high of 27.4C.

Didn't last long - now just the odd drop of rain, temps rising again and quite humid.

Only a brief spell of spitting rain in central Chch about 3.45-4PM, probably nothing to measure in a gauge (less than 0.1mm).[/code]

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Thu 08/01/2004 17:36

Hot here in Alex today

No rain, just high cloud and and the odd sunny spell.

Temp at 5.00pm was 33.6

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Thu 08/01/2004 17:42

It has been a humid day here with high overcast cloud,looks to be clearing from the west to blue skies,the temperature will probably rocket up from 28 degrees this evening,along with the wind.
Cheers.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Thu 08/01/2004 19:14

I see Christchurch airport has been upto 31C today with quite humid conditions.

Freezing levels have really come up again, as you would expect.
4000m over the South Island and a very high 5100m over the north of the country(NZWP). The 5100m is the same as Tonga/Brisbane today.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 08/01/2004 21:00

I thought I'd left on an element on the stove this evening, but the warmth was coming from a semi-opened window instead! About 25C in central Chch now.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Thu 08/01/2004 21:40

Hokitika AWS reports 18C with 100% humidity. So the air feeding into the alps is very moisture laden. Satellite pics today have shown some nice cb blowups in the front out to sea. A few of these should hit the west coast overnight. But this front is set to weaken as it moves northward into strong ridging.

By the way, Aucklands freezing level today is higher than Nandi, Fiji.

NZWP 541hpa which is about 5100m.
NFFN 567hpa 4,800m.

That wouldn't happen to often. But cooler temps nearer the surface have
keeped Aucklands max temps around mid 20's today.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Thu 08/01/2004 22:27

Andy wrote:Hot here in Alex today

Came back from the Cricket in Qtown and passed through your basin of hot rocks Andy

The car temp said 30C outside and so did the one in town and that was about 3.30pm. Thick high cloud, no sun, but hot as...nice.

I loved the odd resident watering their yellow/brown grass...it's dead man, there's no hope

Currently 24.3C here with a gusty NW

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Fri 09/01/2004 10:05

Well most people will be smiling here in Central this morning, as we have had 13.5mm of rain

Around 6:30am the wind picked up from the south with heavy rain, thunder and lightning, this lasted for about 1 hour.

Great to hear thunder so loud it shakes the house

First of the summer storms to hit Alexandra.

ATM clearing skies and light winds.
Temp 18 degrees
Pressure 990mb

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 09/01/2004 10:31

Hi people

I've been up in the Sounds since last Monday, going home tomorrow (Sat, 10th). The weathers been pretty boring with drizzle and continuous light rain, it picked up a little last night with some heavier rain and it got windy but has cleared a little this morning but still is windy and overcast, could rain anytime though. No thunderstorms to be mentioned of.

Cheers
Aaron Wilkinson

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Fri 09/01/2004 12:07

A few mm's of rain from the northwest overnight,gusty but not gale force winds.Fine sunny weather now with 25 degree temperature.
I was down on the Canterbury coastline earlier where the wind shifted to the south and temp dropped to a cool 18 degrees,some cumulus cloud towers were developing out to sea up towards Banks Peninsula.
Cheers.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Fri 09/01/2004 12:19

I had 7mm this morning between 6.30-10am, but I didn't hear any thunder.

We just had a TS pass over here about 10mins ago

. 2mm of rain, lots of thunder and sparce large hail, the largest about 7mm in diameter. Passed away pretty quick though.

Chris Raine · Unread post by **Chris Raine** » Fri 09/01/2004 13:48

We had light to moderate showers between 1130 and 1230 out of reasonable Cb's . No TS or hail though. Now cleared up.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Fri 09/01/2004 13:50

I was down on the Canterbury coastline earlier where the wind shifted to the south and temp dropped to a cool 18 degrees,some cumulus cloud towers were developing out to sea up towards Banks Peninsula.

I've noticed these clouds to the south of Chch. The southerly didn't seem to reach here - still pretty warm, though I think the flow has turned westerly with a rise in the barometer. According to Jeffsweather there has been a drop in temperature witht he change, but only by about 1C (27C down to 26C) - not noticeable to the person in the street.

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Fri 09/01/2004 14:41

Seems to be a westerly system over Mid Canterbury now,blustery winds and the temperature has dropped to 23 degrees.

Interesting to note that Ashburtons rainfall for 2003 measured 748 mm compared to Christchurch at 459mm only 80km up the road.
Mid Canterbury had borne the brunt of several rain bearing systems during the year which Christchurch missed out on,reports Niwa in todays newspaper.Also sunshine hours here were only 1980 which seems low.

cheers.

wxgirl · Unread post by **wxgirl** » Fri 09/01/2004 17:23

Hi there! Thought I better finally register after looking at this site quite often on the sly. It's great to hear everyone's views, see their photos and find out what's going on around the rest of the country weatherwise. I had to finally log on as just HAD to mention that it didn't dip below 24 in Chch last night (around 26-27 for most of the night). Unfortunately, temps were lower than this yesterday morning (19.3) so the actual Min will be different but had this have been recordable as our min, it would have been the highest ever minimum temperature recorded in Chch (well, for the airport anyway (22.6 Feb 1970- haven't been able to get hold of mins from Gardens yet- 21.7 is the highest there Feb 1955). Honestly feels like the old tectonic plates have slid us up closer to the equator over the last few weeks! Cheers, Angeline.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Fri 09/01/2004 17:51

I had to finally log on as just HAD to mention that it didn't dip below 24 in Chch last night (around 26-27 for most of the night). Unfortunately, temps were lower than this yesterday morning (19.3) so the actual Min will be different but had this have been recordable as our min, it would have been the highest ever minimum temperature recorded in Chch (well, for the airport anyway (22.6 Feb 1970- haven't been able to get hold of mins from Gardens yet- 21.7 is the highest there Feb 1955).

Good to see another Chch person on this site. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a record warm night, especially as temps were still in the mid 20s in the central city just before midnight.

Honestly feels like the old tectonic plates have slid us up closer to the equator over the last few weeks!

Feels more the interior of Oz. If we were closer to the equator in this part of the world, we'd be running the risk of big cyclones like what just hit Niue. We could do with the rain, but not the severe winds. (the latter, unfortunately seem more likely here with this currwent weather pattern)

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 09/01/2004 19:47

Hi Angeline. Given the temperature at Christchurch airport was 30C at 9pm last night I thought the forecast minimum temperature for Christchurch of 20C was looking a bit low. The airport tends to be a hot spot for Christchurch in NW conditions, possibly because it is that much further inland and picks up the NW breeze better than the more coastward suburbs.

Some huge rainfalls on the West Coast. TV1 report 85mm in one hour for some location. I can believe such intense rainfall occured given the particularly moist unstable air.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Fri 09/01/2004 21:59

wxgirl wrote:Hi there! Thought I better finally register after looking at this site quite often on the sly

Hi Angeline...welcome aboard. I was warmly welcomed when I joined and wanted to carry on the tradition.

Phil
(clear night, 15.5C currently, W to SW breeze)

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Sun 11/01/2004 14:14

Another warm day,overcast and 31 degrees.
Bring on some storms,I dont mind the heat but this weather is boring.

Cheers.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sun 11/01/2004 15:41

Deano wrote: Bring on some storms,I dont mind the heat but this weather is boring.

Cheers.

Dosen't look promising. Fronts are too weak to do anything decent here.
Even the storms of recent I haven't heard much about any thunder or lightning with them. That's why I haven't mentioned anything about them on this forum.
I thought that e Southern Alps may of been lit up with electical activity on Thurday night but I saw nothing. Even the sferics on the radio were few and far between.

JohnGaul
NZTS