Lows and cool change, Apr 26 - May 3

[David]

I wonder what our chances of a thunderstorm are on the 29th/30th heavy rainfall front, it looks like quite a vigorous punchy one. Hopefully it will bring the April rain total ABOVE average for once.

Quite foggy all night and this morning here, and across much of Auckland (and Hamilton). Looking quite dense in some places. First fog here since 27 September 2006!

[Willoughby]

Just done an overdue topic rename and David I merged your thread into this one.

Fog clearing pretty quickly here right now, and warm with an overnight min of 15.6C.

[NZstorm]

My only concern with tomorrow nights front in the north is that the models show a tongue of warming upper air coming down Tuesday ahead of the front, I hope this doesn't snuff out thunderstorm chances for us. But given its a dynamic front with good residual moisture ahead of it we should get a thunderstorm. Fingers crossed.

[Vertigo]

nice little Cb off the coast of Taranaki this morning, producing lightning too.

[David]

Surprised that there are 17 heavy rain warnings for regions across NZ but none for Auckland or Waikato
"HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED ON TUESDAY IN AREAS EXPOSED TO THE NORTH AND WEST "
Auckland and Waikato are exposed to the west though?

[jamie]

Well Jim said it.... Its going to be berserk

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

How is Gores maximum 10 and minimum 12? Silly metservice! Should just refer to it as overnight..

I missed Gore's temperatures. Did the minimum get warmer than the maximum? That would be a world record if it did ?

There have been lots of instances where the minimums have been warmer than the maximums. R Wood would fill you out on these. This depending on what time of the day the readings were made.
Traditional times for readings are from 9am to 9am.
Nowdays, people who do computerized readings, use midnight to midnight which makes more sense really.
I use a semi-manual system, so my readings, here at West Melton, go from 10pm to 10pm.

JohnGaul
NZTS

[Michael]

Think the minimum max was 18° today in Invercargill,Dunedin and Wumaroo but that probably encompass Gore.

[David]

Surprised that there are 17 heavy rain warnings for regions across NZ but none for Auckland or Waikato
"HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED ON TUESDAY IN AREAS EXPOSED TO THE NORTH AND WEST "
Auckland and Waikato are exposed to the west though?

I see in this evening's revised weather warnings, Auckland and Waikato are now included

[GreggWard]

Thick fog here in Palmerston North tonight. It's not due to clear till around 7am tomorrow. Not a very common occurrence for Palmy.

[Manukau heads obs]

up in bay of islands
heavy rain overnight, 20mm at kerikeri
the first rain band obviously developed very quickly and came through quickly....
stopped now
but I see a new frontal line will most likely develop ahead of the main front in the tasman...and boy is that active, and with lots of big active cb's in the tasman!!!

[spike_01]

Hi guys..

Taking an interest in this system.. Looks like we might cop it down this way.. Will be interesting to see what happens..

[David]

Hey guys the rain is already cleared from Aucks? Some good heavy falls overnight, totaling almost 10mm, quite unexpected.
The main front is looking quite action-packed on the infrared satellite - in behind the front its a mess of exciting weather!

[jamie]

The sun just popped out here, but still looking very ominous, which will help the convection processes surley. Fingers crossed we get some action today.

[NZstorm]

yes the sun would help the convection process massively but its looking overcast here atm.. The ingredients are certianly there for thunderstorms later today, lets hope it happens over us.

[RODALCO]

The 12 o'clock news reported a good drenching in Rotorua with some streets flooded.
Albany dry and warm at the moment 20°C.

[Vertigo]

a very nice rainband to the east of northland today, looks like its heading for the east cape.

also some active Cb's off the west coast heading our way its a good day all right!

[Vertigo]

one very well defined (on rain radar) cell just to our west, though it looks like itll just miss us to the south. hamilton might get the most out of it! there is a smaller line of storms to the north of that one, heading this way, also very active.

[Willoughby]

Had 18mm overnight from a convective-mass that formed right over South Auckland and came southwards from there.. soo nice to hear on the roof!

Now hopefully we see some action from these cells due shortly. The line behind the three blow ups NW of Westport is a heck of a lot more organised thus better storm chances coming up for the Tasman region.

Quite a bit of low level shear progged over the Gisborne area tonight also, could get interesting there, attatched is a Gisborne modelled sounding for 12am Wednesday.

Cloudy 20C/18C here right now, bring on the storms!

[TokWW]

Forecasts for tonight in the Waikato and exposed areas - Coromandel, Northland etc... include heavy thundershower warnings from Paul Mallinson...

http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/ind ... stormwatch

Watch: Issued by MetService at 11:21 am Tuesday 29 Apr 2008
Valid until 10:00 am Wednesday 30 Apr 2008

This watch affects people in the following weather forecast districts:
Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Bay Of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupo, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay,

A warm moist unstable northerly flow ahead of a cold front (currently lying west
of the North Island) will bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to much of the
upper half of the North Island. Thunderstorms are expected to develop in
Northland and Auckland this afternoon and then further south and east, but north
of a line from Mt Taranaki to Taupo to east Cape. Within this area, that is over
eastern Waikato, eastern Waitomo, parts of Taumaranui, Taupo, Coromandel
Peninsula, Bay of Plenty/Rotorua and much of Gisborne, some of these
thunderstorms are likely to be SEVERE with localised rainfall rates up to
40mm/hr or more possible. There is also a low risk of isolated tornadoes,
especially near the front in eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne on
Wednseday morning.
This very high rainfall rate threat is expected to develop from later this
afternoon or evening and slowly ease from the west overnight, but persist until
late Wednesday morning in eastern Bay of Plenty and Gisborne.
SUCH RAINFALL RATES CAN CAUSE FLASH FLOODING AND SLIPS.
Issued by: Paul Mallinson


Issued by MetService at 02:32pm 29-Apr-2008

For the northern half of the North Island from Taranaki to Taupo to Gisborne
Rain becoming widespread today with heavy thundery downpours in many places. The rain easing to showers in Northland tonight and in other areas Wednesday morning.


Rain gauge is ready...

I have a new PC box to get going tonight - it has a new modern MoBo not sure what cpu style but it has to be better than my rubber band style brick I have now for my Wx stn.

Graeme

[David]

MS might have to revise their weather warnings - which were from 10am to 9pm, but the rain has taken much longer to arrive. Lots of lightning strikes out in the Tasman so we should get some heavy rain this evening, maybe it will extend into early Wednesday morning...

And why does the radar show it all moving from the NW, when the front is supposed to be moving from the west...strange

[jamie]

Nice deep blue look to the sky towards the NW at the moment. Hopefully we get some nice lightning tonight. Cant wait to see a CG hit the sky tower. Last year i had a crap view but this year i couldnt have a better view of it.

[ricky]

are you in grafton hall j--me--h ? yes good view from my lounge too seen it hit a few times

[jamie]

are you in grafton hall j--me--h ? yes good view from my lounge too seen it hit a few times

Na, top of grafton gully 5 floors up. On the corner of Grafton rd and Khyber pass. I was in O'Rorke Hall last year.

[NZstorm]

I have mentioned this before but some years ago, 1999 to be precise, I saw the sky tower hit something like 15 times in one storm. Quite surreal to see the same building being repeatedly hit.