Settled weather for the week starting 4th August

[Vertigo]

relatively calm weather after the past few weeks of storms. unstable skies in auckland today, but nothing major. i do see a nice smallish Cb outside my window with a developing anvil, heading east, but i doubt its got much height, and seems a bit weak.

looks like some settled weather for the next few days, at least until the next low passes by.

edit: good spotting

[David]

Well to me Thursday is the only settled looking day for western regions, with Tuesday and Wednesday still forecast for showers and Fri/Sat rainy. Could change though.

The showers yesterday surprisingly accumulated to another 18mm here! Just 3mm today. I was hoping for a sunny clear day before the next low comes but it is not looking like we will get one

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Vertigo, ya might wanna change your title to "4th August"

[David]

Vertigo, ya might wanna change your title to "4th August"

LOL! I didn't even notice that! 8o

[Michael]

Yes this is Auckland not Hawkes Bay.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Yes. It does look to be wetless for the next couple of days, well until the WE but there could be more stormy weather next week, especially for the NI, again
Could be getting the 'spring westerlies' early??

JohnGaul
NZTS

[Michael]

Sooner the better we get to spring,means well be closer to the 1st 1/2 of the year starting in January.

[Manukau heads obs]

not settled looking here yet!
update: we got some hail from that

[NZstorm]

Cool shot Brian, not suprised about the hail, very cold atmos today.

Looks like a round of instability/thunderstorms coming through here late Friday/Saturday.

[Nev]

Thought this story from the 'Taranaki Daily News' might be of some interest...

'Lightning strike stops pumps'
Wednesday, 06 August 2008 - By KYLIE ROBERTSON

Two forked lightning bolts terrified attendants and customers at the BP service station in Eltham yesterday. ...
"There was a bolt of lightning and then I could smell smoke coming from the building"...
Jollene Hunt, one of the BP attendants working at the time of the strike, said her first reaction when all the power went down at the station was "Oh, bugger". ...

(full story...)

[Michael]

Rather ho hum day (sun teaser) here because of the SWer 13° though low only 9 or 10 here.

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Its beautiful here in Christchurch now. Out in Halswell not a breathe of wind its 15 degrees with warm sunshine. Really feels like spring. Jeffs weather up the road showing 15 as well.

[Vertigo]

dont know about that michael... there was a spot of rain this morning, but the sun is out in full force today, now!

[jamie]

good pictures of mercer on stuff.co.nz at the moment. worth a look

[Nev]

A link might be helpful ...

'Floodwaters besiege Mercer farm house (+slideshow)' - Waikato Times

But yeah, looks a bit like New Orleans in 2005!

Was 15.0°C and mostly clear here on Waiheke, with a couple of brief little spits this arvo.

[Michael]

Yes the sun was predominant but still too much cloud and windy enough for my liking.Got to 14° fresh SW.This is the best we can hope for and to expect for winter/early spring.

[spwill]

Got to 14° fresh SW.This is the best we can hope for and to expect for winter/early spring.

There will be warmer days, the average max for Auckland in August is about 15C .

[NZstorm]

the average max for Auckland in August is about 15C .

Also, NIWA have predicted the next 3 months to be warmer than normal for the North Island.

[Nev]

The last two August and Septembers in Auckland also averaged 5-6 hours of sunshine per day.

October's usually the one for wind; "Gales of the Antarctic Dawn" as Bob McDavitt puts it.

[RWood]

For all its wind, last October was a sunny month in many areas and I'd swap it for this July any time.

[tich]

Up to 16C in Chch today and no morning frost. Big change after many days below 10C.

[Michael]

Remember August 2005 was sunny here,and 04 was but cold.

[David]

This is the best we can hope for and to expect for winter/early spring.

I would have to disagree with that
You obviously cannot remember the 2 or 3 sunny calm days in early July.
I tend to think, after observing weather for several years now, that the 'clearest' days occur mostly in winter, but generally there are few of them. Fine summer days tend to have scattered small Cu formations, probably because of more intense ground heating. Take this January just gone as an example - plenty of fantastic days but not one in my records completely clear for the entire day. I seem to recall a prolonged period of clear sunny weather in mid-winter several years back, 2003 perhaps, if anyone can recall?

[spwill]

October's usually the one for wind; "Gales of the Antarctic Dawn" as Bob McDavitt puts it.

Yes, for Auckland, October and November are months that under perform( low sunshine and windy ) due to the westerlies that crank up over NZ at this time.
I see the Niwa outlook for the start of spring is for weaker westerlies this year.

[RWood]

Here are some approximate % of possible sunshine values for a few sites [horizon info. used for the calculation is not "current" but gives an idea of seasonal variations for a given site]. Values are monthy followed by annual, quoted to 0.5% rounding.

Kaitaia (1951-2006) 54 53 51.5 51 49 45 49 50 50 48 49 50 50
Auck City (1933-1985) 55 54 50 51 47 42.5 47.5 47.5 46.5 48 49 52 49.5
Mangere (1964-2006) 54 54.5 51 50 46.5 41 45 46 44.5 46 47.5 48 48
N Plymouth Aero (1973-2006) 57 60 56 55.5 48.5 44 48 50 47.5 49 49.5 50 51.5