NZ Weather Forum

Piece from stuff.co.nz from yesterdays thunderstorm in Invercargill, a few photos too

Early Christmas plans were wrecked yesterday for a Makarewa family after a freak thunderstorm ripped off part of their roof.


Owners Norman and Cis Bennett, both 83, were enjoying an early Christmas visit from their daughter and her family from Australia when the storm hit.

The daughter, Lesley Toohey, said she had been standing in the garage with her parents when the weather changed dramatically.

The high winds ripped tiles off a large section of the roof and left others hanging precariously, she said.

"The rest of it's ready to go. If we get another wind, it's gone.

"There's water all running down the electrical points, in the laundry, just everywhere."

Just before "the little cyclone-type thing" young children had been in the house, Ms Toohey said.

"Less than half an hour before that we were sitting having lunch at the dining table with my son, my husband and their (the Bennett's) great-granddaughter, who is 5 months old."

The couple's insurance had been paid two months ago, but Wallacetown chief fire officer Bill McLachlan said the couple were now deciding whether to remain in the house.

"They were busy discussing after being in the house for god knows how many years whether they were going to stay in a hotel. That's their biggest worry at the moment," he said.

Otatara weather forecaster Andy Fraser, of 45S Weather Services said a cold front hitting Southland combined with warm air caused yesterday's flash thunderstorm and downpour.

"They're nothing abnormal at this time of year, with the right ingredients," Mr Fraser said.

As quickly as the wild weather had come, the skies cleared, leaving a fine but overcast afternoon.

However, another cold front bringing unsettled weather was likely for today.



http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4780277a6568.html

Could be a few thunderstorms around tomorrow in the same regions but that depending on the NWster any further north[-X

JohnGaul
NZThS

Yes may well be a few thunderstorms about tomorrow witch as John said in areas most likely the same as yesterdays.
Wouldn't surprise me if we had the good old strong NW blowing and see the TCU along the wind change, But see it getting pushed well offshore but we'll see! fingers crossed

Much more favourable tomorrow over a wider area than yesterdays i would think.
We have a deeper pool moving up the west coast with brief spillover rain to eastern areas especially in South Canterbury before the SW change.
While the second cold front sorts itself out and belt its way northwards bringing the change with it.
Cheers
Jason.

Looks like another good day for a thunderstorm in Dunedin tomorrow. Yay.

Meant to report in yesterday but was busy. I was working out at Invermay (North East of Mosgiel/West of Dunedin) and the storm was amazing and very big! The storm lasted about 40 minutes. Lightning about every 30 seconds and thunder was nearly constant. An amazing show but my temporary office doesn't have any windows so I had to visit other people who did! The best storm I've seen in Dunedin/Mosgiel for many years.

a lot of instability in the tassie tonight...

Looks like the Mt Cook & Mackensie country area has been getting heavy falls of rain since about 7am.
Warm night overnight with around 19C the low, and a fresh gusty N-NWer this morning not strong though yet.
There might have been some lightning between Invercargill and Milford Sound before, must be the passage of the second cold front.
I am not surprised to see a high risk for South Canterbury and Otago but it doesnt make sense to drop to a low risk outside the area as i would have atleast thought a moderate risk up to about Kaikoura for this evening.
We will soon find out as the afternoon progresses.
Cheers
Jason.

I think that southerly has come through a bit soon? Maybe there is some warmth in eastern Otago still heading to the coast. Still hoping for the clap later in the day

I am not surprised to see a high risk for South Canterbury and Otago but it doesnt make sense to drop to a low risk outside the area as i would have atleast thought a moderate risk up to about Kaikoura for this evening.
We will soon find out as the afternoon progresses.

I'm not sure about thunderstorms reaching this far north in Canterbury - there's a warm gusty northwesterly in Chch this afternoon, which usually inhibits thunderstorm activity in following southerly changes.

Winds tending more west now and interesting looking skies at 430pm. See below!

There certainly is some rapaid development going on out there now, i can see those CU clouds from here.
Look at the difference between the 3-4pm radars, i sense something is a brewing i hope i am right .
Some of those gusts out here today have been quite strong again up to gale force at times.
Cheers
Jason.

Mark, I think your two photo's show wave cloud generated by strong winds off the Alps .

Yes im not entirely sure really about thunder at the moment, i don't really see much in the skies yet and to me, and Mark those clouds did look very NW type
I wouldn't get hopes up yet, nothing appeals to me at this stage but its not over

Yes they are NW clouds but its not often you will see even CU clouds of that nature when its NW here crossing from the alps before the change.
Colder air is hitting the lower south island at the moment, might be interesting even if we get a good dose of rain that will be good.
Abit of a dud radar at 5pm from the MS showing nothing that seems to happen every so often for some reason.
Cheers
Jason.

Jasestrm wrote: Abit of a dud radar at 5pm from the MS showing nothing that seems to happen every so often for some reason.
Cheers
Jason.

thats due to the fact theres no moisture/rain about in this area that will be the reason

Yeah, but the moisture can't just suddenly disappear from everywhere at once.

There certainly is some dark CU clouds about now so once the SW change hits most of the clouds will turn precipitive with a good dose of rain hopefully.
SW is just going through Timaru now and up to around 77% humidity compared to the 40% in Christchurch.
Also 6pm shows a few heavy showers developing as well.
NW wind has completly died off now too with very little wind present.
Cheers
Jason.

just started raining here in Temuka, been some nice and strange looking clouds floating by this last hour

Southerly has arrived here few sporadic drops of rain, and a very impressive black blanketed sky above at the moment.
I am not sure but i think i heard a thunder rumble to the SW, both trackers pick up strikes i am not enitirly sure they are accurate though.
Cheers
Jason.

Jasestrm wrote: I am not sure but i think i heard a thunder rumble to the SW, both trackers pick up strikes i am not enitirly sure they are accurate though.
Cheers
Jason.

Saw a flash to the SW of here at 10:10pm

JohnGaul
NZThS

Saw a flash myself at the exact same time John.
Been some really unstable looking clouds about tonight, had bit sporadic rain earlier but nothing much apart from that.
Some big CU down south to before

tornadoman18 wrote:Saw a flash myself at the exact same time John.

...but sadly nothing since then,

JohnGaul
NZThS

Didnt come to much in the end last night, but it was looking quite unstable and thundery looking for quite some time.
Photo below i took around 7pm of a NW Cumulus cloud which just kept peeling away above and developing more and more over time.
Ohh well looks like some welcome rain for early next week, to keep us going for maybe a week.
Cheers
Jason.