General December Weather

[NZstorm]

A huge amount of lightning over Westland earlier today with good spill over of the electrical activity into the Wanaka region judging by lightning tracker.

[Andrew Massie]

Starting to feel quite muggy here - wondering if there's a chance of some thunderstorms later if there's a southerly change (as forecast)?

Ha ha! I've been thinking it, but not saying it!

EDIT: The 6pm rain radar looks quite significant in TC, John.. Back to other topic?

[Michael]

Suns shining today no wind looking good,21c.

[jamie]

another brilliant day here. Looks like ther is a hay maker high comming in mid next week.

[David]

Stunning day here, clear skies and 23ºC with not much wind. Very little temp change for the last 2 hours.

[jamie]

temp still climbing here and starting to get rather warm. 24.4ºC and the dew point at 17.4ºC helping the heat. Heighest gust today has only been 19km/h. the last fine days we have had, we would have had a good wind by now but today there is nothing.

[David]

Has only peaked at 23.8º here, since the forecast NW breeze never arrived to heat things up - a gentle NE sea breeze developed instead.

[Tornado Tim]

26.7°C here, man its warm!

[spwill]

Yes , a lovely day, dewpoints of 17C making the day feel very warm, sunny 25C.

Cold air arrives onto NZ early next week and cold in the upper levels, eastern SouthIsland looks favoured for perhaps some thundery weather.

[Weetbicks]

Today is what you call a writeoff in Chch.

[Myself]

The air coming up early next week does look really cold. Not looking forward to it. I'm talking at low levels here, sub zero 850hPa temperatures just are no fun in "summer"! Would be a very big change for the likes of Gisborne/Hawkes Bay if the ECMWF is right about the low spinning up just off shore.

[jamie]

heck it really got baking just before the wind picked up. got to 26 with the dew point getting very close to 20. as i was getting the cows in i could see some big cloud buildups to the SE. I could only see them with my polarised sunnies on though. so it was a long distance away. but with not a cloud in the sky here it was very interesting to see towering cumulus.

[Tornado Tim]

This is still a bit way yet, but......

[NZstorm]

That looks like a big upper trough to cross the North Island early week. I hope that the deepening low off the east of the NI on the 12Z gfs run for Tuesday doesn't come off. It would mean stable SW for the upper North Island.

[tgsnoopy]

It would mean stable SW for the upper North Island.

That would be right. No instability here. Sigh.

[Nev]

Interesting prediction from Weatherwatch this morn ... typo perhaps? ...

Heatwave for eastern, northern NZ
...The heat will be on the cricket series in Napier where temperatures are likely to exceed 40 degrees in the sun on Saturday with gusty nor'westers developing.

Also, I'm not sure if MetService has its own definition of the term 'heatwave' and while there may not be a universal definition, the definition recommended by the WMO is when daily max-temps exceed the average max-temp by 5C for more than 5 consecutive days.

[Manukau heads obs]

maybe 40C on the cricket pitch?

a cool westerly sea beeze stopped us getting warm here yesterday....we had reached 22C just before that arrived...but the sea breeze dropped out temperature back to 20C
tasman sea temp only 18C at the moment....has warmed up quickly lately as a large area of warmer than normal water in the tasman drifts towards the NI

[NZstorm]

I don't like 'in the sun temperature' forecasts. For the sake of forecasting I think we need to be consistent and keep forecast temps to the likley screen max temp.

.

[David]

I see 26 is forecast today, sunny here now and already just over 22º

[jamie]

I don't like 'in the sun temperature' forecasts. For the sake of forecasting I think we need to be consistent and keep forecast temps to the likley screen max temp.

.

i agree.

[David]

I see 26 is forecast today, sunny here now and already just over 22º

Damn I don't think I will get 26 now, as its cloudy and down to 21º now with a light NE'er.

[Weetbicks]

There were some amazing cloud formations over chch this lunchtime. I wish I had my camera with me @ work. Looked like mammatus clouds.

[Philip Duncan]

In the sun temperature was due to the cricket being played, Radio Sport were keen to know temperatures for those out in the sun watching it. Pretty rare that we mention it. Thanks for the feedback.

[Michael]

I guess you could get into your car if you enjoy being roasted on any sunny summers day regardless of the weather and if the windows were wound up it be close to 50c and say the index is extreme,you really need a good place for the wind through the shade.

I don't like 'in the sun temperature' forecasts. For the sake of forecasting I think we need to be consistent and keep forecast temps to the likley screen max temp.

.

[Michael]

Unfortunately All next week back to November.

That looks like a big upper trough to cross the North Island early week. I hope that the deepening low off the east of the NI on the 12Z gfs run for Tuesday doesn't come off. It would mean stable SW for the upper North Island.