Lots of action over the Alps last night.

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Sat 27/03/2004 09:05

I'd say the West Coasters got some lively stuff. We saw lightning in that direction flashing away for most of the night, and the odd squall blew in and dumped some rain.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Sat 27/03/2004 09:32

Black to the South. Raining. A few bits of hail. 8.6C and dropping. I thought I was at least going to get the lawns done this morning before it all hit.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sat 27/03/2004 09:51

Yes Gary your right! I see the stikes on the Metstrikeweb map. And it looks as if some of that action came over onto the Canterbury plains last night to, had I been awake it would of been clearly visable, bugger! I wasn't awake

I've got to make myself a lightning alarm!

Brilliant morning here in Chch, according to Jeff's weather station, 22 C so far and no wind plus a big blue sky, I hope that S comes this way or something, Mayby?

Skywatcher · Unread post by **Skywatcher** » Sat 27/03/2004 11:25

I took this panorama of the front at about 8:30 this morning looking NW from the top of Halswell Quarry.

Now 23.8C here with 27% RH and a gusty NWer - better get out and enjoy it with a forecast "high" of 12C for Monday

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sat 27/03/2004 11:51

Yes, the radio was rather sfericky late last night and I went out to see if I could see anything westward but nothing.
It seems that somewhere was having a bit of a 'hum-dinger'

NW now blowing a bit of a gale here in ChCh.
MetService is forcasting strong SW with hail and thunder around BP
Should be fun

I hope Micheal dosen't mind that we some gale SW for a change

JohnGaul
NZTS

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sat 27/03/2004 13:15

Getting windy here, after my comment of no wind it soon picked up and is blowing hard now.

That quary was my old stomping grounds Steven, good views from up there.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Sat 27/03/2004 14:14

As long as you take our gales We have had enough

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:I hope Micheal dosen't mind that we some gale SW for a change
JohnGaul
NZTS

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Sat 27/03/2004 17:54

My wife tells me there was a tiny amount of only-just-snow (ie almost still sleet) blowing about at groundlevel here this morning when she went to work, and there's certainly some fresh stuff on the mountains now.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Sat 27/03/2004 19:17

Build-up of cloud to the south and southeast following the southwesterly change early this afternoon. Travelling over to Banks Peninsula, I soon realised this cloud was well to the southeast and moving offshore. However, cloud is now increasing out here near Akaroa, so showers might not be too far away. Looks like we're now in a critical southwest flow and this should continue tomorrow - so likely to be a mixture of sunny skies and the odd passing shower.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sat 27/03/2004 19:23

Looks to be action taking place out in the Canterbury bight area, mayby it'll come near us? Temp is cold though.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sat 27/03/2004 23:04

Lightning is currently going off, off the coast here, only sheet as I can see at the moment. It also appears to be flashing over Bank's Peninsula but I can't here any thunder as it must be to far away. It isn't that frequent but not to bad, depending on how things look I may go down to the beach if any forked lightning starts up to see if I can get a pic! Seems unlikely though.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sat 27/03/2004 23:35

Driving back from West Eyreton tonight after 9pm, numorous lightning flashes were observed out to sea in a large Cb just north of BP.
I did have my video camera with me but the lightning was about in about 10 to 15 minute duration so not worth taping.
More lightning is flashing away as I write this around the back of the Port Hills. I can hear some rumbles of thunder. I have caught one lightning shot on video $\:D/$
Ben would be hearing a rumble or two

JohnGaul
NZTS

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sun 28/03/2004 00:15

Good work John, I could see a Cb arrive (about 15 minutes after my last post) even though it was/is dark and thought lightning was very likely, and then "Flash!" a nice piece of sheet which illuminated some cumulus in the foreground giving them a distinct outline. I was like "Cool!" Some thunder followed but not very loud and distant, I set up the camera and would you know it there have been no more flashes since! If anything else comes up I'll try again but grrr!!, very infuriating.

Here's a pick looking towards Sumner of which I've just took previously trying to get lightning. If some had happened it would of made a great shot.

Edited about 5 mins later: Just looked at Sat pics and this Cb is the last moving up the coast so I'm of to bed as there is no more activity, the Cb looks to be a bit bigger than Bank's Peninsula. Yes John, hopefully Ben got something!!

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Sun 28/03/2004 08:58

Was it a good show? We could see the lightning flashes off to the NE from down here in Omarama. I guess it must have been pretty widespread activity.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Sun 28/03/2004 09:51

Yes there was thunder and lightning not long after I posted my last message. (computer was turned off, so I couldn't send another message). Later there was heavy hail for a while, but any more thunder/lightning was now distant. Partially cleared up after about midnight, though I noticed a faint distant flash to the west when I woke up sometime around 4AM. Also, a gusty southerly/southwesterly sprung up during the early hours. Partly cloudy and cold out here this morning with the wind still gusting strongly at times. (most probably even worse down in the far south)

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sun 28/03/2004 16:05

I don't think there will be much happening tonight. It's gone more southerly now and cooler. The sky is sort of filling from the south with a cold altostratussy look. There could be the odd disturbance??
.... but as I say, 2 nights of lightning flashing away, coastal or inland, in a system is quite rare here in Canterbury

JohnGaul
NZTS

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sun 28/03/2004 16:31

Rare indeed, but there's a chance!

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sun 28/03/2004 16:36

Weather is boring here but tornado season is just starting in USA.

This storm has produced tornadoes and 6cm hail in the last few hours over Kansas/Oklahoma.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Sun 28/03/2004 16:48

Tornadic Supercell would be a great name for a band.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Sun 28/03/2004 16:50

Or a wife...

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sun 28/03/2004 17:53

Getting windy here with rain now, seems to cold for thunderstorms but then again it was about 7 degrees last night when that storm was going off, still....... We'll have to see.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sun 28/03/2004 18:32

Aaron, yesterdays(last nights) ts action was caused by an active cold pool crossing the South Island with deep instability. That cold pool has weakened and moved on. Upper air more stable today.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Sun 28/03/2004 20:36

Yes Steven, if anything, this outbreak tonight looks less unstable, But....I can see Cb's on the sat pics and at present I'm getting heavy bursts of rain on the roof! However.....Cb's don't always mean lightning. Know I'll try again if anything happens. I'd say Canterbury this thunderstorm season has had some good thunderstorm activity, not always on me which I'd like but the region as a whole.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Sun 28/03/2004 22:13

The reason we dont get these storms in NZ because its simply not hot enough here and persistant westerlies

NZstorm wrote:Weather is boring here but tornado season is just starting in USA.

This storm has produced tornadoes and 6cm hail in the last few hours over Kansas/Oklahoma.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 02/04/2004 16:11

As not to create another thread I've put this here incase nothing happens which will probably be the case.

I see a low has formed off and on the east coast here (below Chch), anything could happen??

I actually see on the metstrikeweb site that a strike has occured somewhere south of Chch I guess, perhaps on the port hills somewhere? hard to tell with the scale of the map but yeah, somewhere near Chch. Seems wierd as I haven't seen anything threatning.

I do see some Cu outside though beginning to build with dark bottoms but still, we'll have to see.