Ground Hog Week or (Cold End To June)

[David]

Pretty calm here this morning, comsidering it was supposed to be very squally winds last night! Hopefully there will be some thunderstorms with the front today, since Sunday (including) there have been 5 days with thunder and that 1 day with hail on Tuesday. Another 7mm overnight here. Ground is soaked now!

Why on earth does the Auckland Airport weather data say "rain with thunder" from 11pm to 3am?! Was there storms in SW Auckland last night?

[jamie]

Why on earth does the Auckland Airport weather data say "rain with thunder" from 11pm to 3am?! Was there storms in SW Auckland last night?

Yup sure was. saw lots of lightning and heard thunder many times during the night.

[spwill]

I think it's fair to say Aucklands Thunderstorm season is during the winter months rather than summer. May to July seems to be a reliable time for them as is September and October.

[David]

5th consecutive day of thunder here, just confirmed by my dad there was some thunder around 5.30-6.30am, however I was asleep.

I like the look of what GFS predicts for next week - very cold upper air again, but will have to wait to see how the models change with time.

[Manukau heads obs]

Pretty calm here this morning, comsidering it was supposed to be very squally winds last night

David,between 11pm and midnight last night it was very squally here, winds averaged 35 to 40 knots with gusts to 50 knots or more regularly here (100kmh)
a few more branches on the road again this morning

[Cameo1]

hey what day is the herald with all the lightning strikes? or is it the Sunday star times? will be interesting

[David]

David,between 11pm and midnight last night it was very squally here, winds averaged 35 to 40 knots with gusts to 50 knots or more regularly here (100kmh)
a few more branches on the road again this morning

Yes Brian, but you are near the coast, so it was always going to be much windier there. Anyway still a chance for some wild squalls all day today with metservice predicting a high risk of thunderstorms with 110km/h wind gusts and hail up to 15mm diameter.

[Manukau heads obs]

and so that is why you need to apply your own knowledge about your own mircoclimate for you location to the forecast, instead of saying the forecast is not correct
just my 2 cetns worth

[David]

and so that is why you need to apply your own knowledge about your own mircoclimate for you location to the forecast, instead of saying the forecast is not correct
just my 2 cetns worth

Maybe I should have added, we have had a few violent squalls here in the last few years around 110km/h that have damaged trees in the local area, so it's not like they cannot happen here. If you noticed it is mostly only your area and the Airport area that have been getting winds 100km/h+ in the last few days.

I'm saying the forecast about "westerly gales" was not really accurate for the Auckland area in general. Sure there have been squalls around the region but not a sustained strong wind for most places.

[Manukau heads obs]

metservice predicting a high risk of thunderstorms with 110km/h wind gusts and hail up to 15mm diameter

I think they are being too optimistic
the rain radar does not show the showers to be moving as fast as they were, i.e the wind pressure field squeeze has eased over the NI now from what it was
(although the barometer is still low)

[Manukau heads obs]

in the warmer months, heating of the land makes it just as windy inland in a strong wind flow gradient
but its the tendency for the cold air to slow down and drag its heals over the cold land that makes the wind drop off inland in the winter

they have always said, in exposed places....or on western coasts, this week

[Vertigo]

the 500mb temps are rather warmer than they have been over the past few days, so i would not be suprised to see a weakening in the storms from here on out. added to that, we have a large high waiting to pounce on the country.. i think our run of luck may be up.

[GreggWard]

hey what day is the herald with all the lightning strikes? or is it the Sunday star times? will be interesting

Cameo, check out the following page, which shows basically the same information that is shown in the Sunday Star Times. If you look at it now, is shows from Taranaki latitude northwards, up the NI western coast, out into the Tasman Sea, as one huge area of solid lightning strikes:

http://www.geographynetwork.co.nz/websi ... viewer.htm

One thing I think is obvious in the image, is the sheltering that the top of the SI provides in a westerly airstream, to the SW part of the NI.

[Cameo1]

hey what day is the herald with all the lightning strikes? or is it the Sunday star times? will be interesting

Cameo, check out the following page, which shows basically the same information that is shown in the Sunday Star Times. If you look at it now, is shows from Taranaki latitude northwards, up the NI western coast, out into the Tasman Sea, as one huge area of solid lightning strikes:

http://www.geographynetwork.co.nz/websi ... viewer.htm

One thing I think is obvious in the image, is the sheltering that the top of the SI provides in a westerly airstream, to the SW part of the NI.

Thanks GreggWard

[Lawrence]

It's nice to see the press are finally thinking that something unusual is happening. I heard on the National programme that met service is stating that this weather system with prolonged storms was "not unusual" for New Zealand for this time of year.

It says there've been about 30,000 lightning strikes over the past couple of days, which is described as a very high frequency of strikes.

http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/sto ... d=10518833

[spwill]

Cb clouds out to our west this morn.

[GraemeWi]

Just had another squall with very strong wind and hail in Henderson. It didn't last long, maybe 2 minutes ... and some thunder

[jamie]

wikid i saw it out west before and it looks like a beast. just getting the first spits from it now.

[Cameo1]

thunder here, constant to the south west sounds like

[GraemeWi]

There is a second cb with a glaciated top following in from the west, so we should get some more shortly

[Cameo1]

beautiful cloud to ground with loud thunder, approx Green Bay/Titirangi

[Cameo1]

It's nice to see the press are finally thinking that something unusual is happening. I heard on the National programme that met service is stating that this weather system with prolonged storms was "not unusual" for New Zealand for this time of year.

It says there've been about 30,000 lightning strikes over the past couple of days, which is described as a very high frequency of strikes.

http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/sto ... d=10518833

Sorry, bit slow here, was that sarcasm or a typo on your behalf? What are you saying exactly?

[Cameo1]

hey what day is the herald with all the lightning strikes? or is it the Sunday star times? will be interesting

Cameo, check out the following page, which shows basically the same information that is shown in the Sunday Star Times. If you look at it now, is shows from Taranaki latitude northwards, up the NI western coast, out into the Tasman Sea, as one huge area of solid lightning strikes:

http://www.geographynetwork.co.nz/websi ... viewer.htm

One thing I think is obvious in the image, is the sheltering that the top of the SI provides in a westerly airstream, to the SW part of the NI.

yeah that is UNBELIEVABLE!!!

[Lawrence]

Sorry, bit slow here, was that sarcasm or a typo on your behalf? What are you saying exactly?

sarcasm

[Cameo1]

oh right, so are they still refusing to admit this spate of storms is unusual? If they are, then thats just plain stupid!