Awesome February !!!

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 17/02/2004 18:18

Looks like this February may be the best yet.

More bad weather to come $\:D/$

JohnGaul
NZTS

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Tue 17/02/2004 19:29

I'm sure the people in Picton and the Manawatu would like some settled weather

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 17/02/2004 23:18

Michael wrote:I'm sure the people in Picton and the Manawatu would like some settled weather

They will do probably now but then it could be Canterbury's turn next. Shame my video camera is in for repair

Picking up some sferix this evening but can't f

ind out from where ????

JohnGaul
NZTS

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Tue 17/02/2004 23:40

This is where it's coming from John, in circled area:

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Wed 18/02/2004 08:20

The atmosphere remained very unstable, even after the main storm had moved away. Hence the downpours in Picton and Wellington. It's almost as if someone has injected the drug P into the atmosphere

.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Wed 18/02/2004 13:28

Looks like a bit of a thunderstorm in Southland today aswell from about Omarama to Oamaru, Get anything Gary?

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Thu 19/02/2004 18:21

Aaron J Wilkinson wrote:Looks like a bit of a thunderstorm in Southland today aswell from about Omarama to Oamaru, Get anything Gary?

The day started beautifully, then the nastiness rolled in from the alps, and now it's raining. I heard a small amount of thunder, but nothing exciting, sadly.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Thu 19/02/2004 20:13

I was talking about yesterday Gary!!..

But you heard thunder today aswell..cool!

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Fri 20/02/2004 09:11

Aaron J Wilkinson wrote:I was talking about yesterday Gary!!.. But you heard thunder today aswell..cool!

Wednesday I was in Oamaru and there was quite a lot of thunder there - not to mention rain! Pleanty of rain...

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 20/02/2004 16:00

Good to hear Gary!

Outside at present there's some interesting clouds (dark based Cu etc), atleast it's something!

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 20/02/2004 16:40

A lightning strike has just occured south of Chch, Dunsandle or there abouts, something could happen, John are you ready?

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri 20/02/2004 17:30

At least due to a critical SW the crickets on in Wellington and we getting runs too

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Fri 20/02/2004 17:35

Yes Aaron, everything popped up from about 2:30pm onwards but I thought the clouds glaciated too early for any possible thunder development. I haven't heard any sfrericals

JohnGaul
NZTS

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Fri 20/02/2004 17:59

Where I work (near Jade Satdium) there was a brief heavy shower (of rain) about 4PM, but apparently it missed the central city - the ground was dry when I got home about 4.30. I thought I heard thunder about 20 minutes earlier, but there's an industrial area not far away, from which rumbling sounds are not uncommon. Still looks unstable, especially to the southeast. (you should have a better view Aaron)

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Fri 20/02/2004 22:32

The unstable skies and scattered showers cleared away from Chch about the time the sun went down. We were obviously in a critical southwest flow, with a disturbance causing the shower activity, probably aided by sunshine warming the ground. It's now clear and (almost) calm. (the calm before the storm?

)

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Fri 20/02/2004 22:35

A lightning strike has just occured south of Chch, Dunsandle or there abouts,

I just remembered - TV1 Weather mentioned a thunderstorm this afternoon at Lincoln, probably the lightning strike you mentioned Aaron.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sat 21/02/2004 00:13

tich wrote:
A lightning strike has just occured south of Chch, Dunsandle or there abouts,
I just remembered - TV1 Weather mentioned a thunderstorm this afternoon at Lincoln, probably the lightning strike you mentioned Aaron.

What thunderstorm at Lincoln????

There were no thunderstorms around to my knowledge??

The sky was definately unstable this afternoon but the clouds were glaciating too quickly for any proper thunderstorm growth.
I never recorded any sferix whatsoever and was feeling a bit peeved that nothing was going to happen

Anyway, I have been getting some good sferix from 10:30pm here but they could be out to sea??

JohnGaul
NZTS

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sat 21/02/2004 00:18

tich wrote:The unstable skies and scattered showers cleared away from Chch about the time the sun went down. We were obviously in a critical southwest flow, with a disturbance causing the shower activity, probably aided by sunshine warming the ground. It's now clear and (almost) calm. (the calm before the storm? )

Interesting disturbance with a lot of Dead glaciated Clayton CB forms around. Despite the very low barometer, not enough ''ommmph' around. Energy probably used up on the storms in Wellington/Manawatu last night !!!!

JohnGaul
NZTS

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sat 21/02/2004 00:52

Yes John, the clouds seemed to glaciate very quickly and there wasn't enough 'ommmph' to get them going. I can only see one Cg strike on the map and thats all that happened in that Dunsandle / Leeston area by the looks of things, then again that metstrikeweb thing doesn't record sheet lightning and others can go undetected. Those clouds seemed to do something as they got offshore in Pegasus Bay with some lightning strikes showing up. I think those good sferix your getting John are from some thunderstorms right out off the east coast, when night comes it also seems to make the AM band get better aswell. Then again, I can actually her them aswell, and on newstalk ZB. When I hear them on that station lightning is generally closer I feel due to it being at 1098 khz or whatever instead of 1600 or 1700 khz which can pick up lightning ages away! But Steven G's lightning counter has no counts on it so far, it did though pick up that thunderstorm that occured out in the Leeston / Dunsandle area earlier in the day.

I got a shower where I was in town, big splogy spots but they were falling very singlarally if there is such a thing. It wasn't very intense but the drops were big (that's better). When I got home the clouds did look good off the coast but very glaciated as John said.

Here's a pic from today:

This was the most punchy cloud I saw all day, note areas of glaciation about.

This is just a zoomed in shot, did a bit on my computer to hence badish quality. Main area of green trees in foreground is Hagly Park (the Gardens?), mountains are of course the southern alps, with a little snow on them!

wxgirl · Unread post by **wxgirl** » Sat 21/02/2004 07:12

That is a really bizzare shot Aaron ... it makes it look as if the Alps are as close to Chch as the Port Hills!

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Sat 21/02/2004 08:14

Yes you have the 3ZB outlet of ZB on 1098AM,It can vary around the band and you can have a MUF(Maximum usable frequency) can be up in the 4 meg area for example and all skip including spherics suddenly stop.
Could you hear the sound easily on Radio I 1593 as well as 3ZB?,What was 675 like or was it quiet?
At night the signals bounce off the ionosphere including spherics 100's of km away so when its fine the crackle and hiss of distant ts can be heard well in the tasman and often why the ts sounds continous then too

Aaron J Wilkinson wrote:I think those good sferix your getting John are from some thunderstorms right out off the east coast, when night comes it also seems to make the AM band get better aswell. Then again, I can actually her them aswell, and on newstalk ZB. When I hear them on that station lightning is generally closer I feel due to it being at 1098 khz or whatever instead of 1600 or 1700 khz which can pick up lightning ages away!Here's a pic from today:

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sat 21/02/2004 21:23

I actually didn't think to check Radio I (1593 I assume), but I've never checked 675 for lightning at all, will try next time to see how well it picks up the sfcerix! Genurally if I can here it on News Talk ZB then it can definately be heard on the higher up frequences.

Ah so thats what it's called, the ionosphere, cool!

As for the pic wxgirl, thats why I put it up!

I to thought it looked 'bizzare' in that the alps look so close up to Chch, it's probably due to infinity on the focus on my camera, which keeps everything in focus past 20-30 meters or something like that.

Here's the originall with no cropping or anything:

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Sat 21/02/2004 21:46

Nice Photo Aaron LW(Long Wave)144kHz-340kHz gets better(usually) spherics on but you need a reciever or good radio for that band.There were some spherics on my radio tonight but its probably SI west coast /tasman weather

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sat 21/02/2004 23:20

Could be thunderstorms here in Canterbury tomorrow judging by the way Karen said tonight's weather forecast on TV One.

The barometer is rising up from a very low point and any NE development in a critical W/SW flow can lead to interesting convective cloud development which could lead to a thunderstorm

JohnGaul
NZTS