NZ Weather Forum

anyone got a record of the sat picture in that area of the west coast at the time?
sounds a long lasting strong tornado

Manukau heads observer wrote:anyone got a record of the sat picture in that area of the west coast at the time?
sounds a long lasting strong tornado

No, thats the trouble.
In a remote place like Marsden, even though just south of Greymouth, where also cell phone coverage is not all that great,there would not be such a report as if evident in an area that has lots of radar,satellite coverage like the city of ChCh/Auckland whatever.
Bring on the Hokitika Rain Radar, I say.

JohnGaul
NZThS

Wow sure sounds like a decent tornado with all the trees destroyed....EF1 strength? Although the description of EF2 includes "large trees snapped or uprooted" so I'm not sure...

There's the NOAA archive around that time,
25th 2:15am http://satellite.landcareresearch.co.nz ... n25030.txt
25th 5:11am http://satellite.landcareresearch.co.nz ... d25030.txt

and our chch storm at 5:49pm on the 24thhttp://satellite.landcareresearch.co.nz ... f24030.txt

The 1pm radar around Murchison on Wednesday looks interesting...

Nev wrote:The 1pm radar around Murchison on Wednesday looks interesting...

Looks like it was a strong land spout.

I did mention the tornado risk on Wednesday but my comment related to Taranaki. But in the end Taranaki didn't get the instability. But the same conditions would have applied to the upper western South Island. So not at all suprised to see there was tornado reports. I think the big powerful systems that run into the west of the country produce a lot more tornadoes than we know about.

i think the west coast of the SI topography helps alot....NE wind running down the coast ahead of the front producing shear etc

i think the west coast of the SI topography helps alot....NE wind running down the coast ahead of the front producing shear etc

Yes. I think Taranaki gets a bit of the same effect.

a couple of nice pics on the MS website
http://www.flickr.com/photos/metservice ... 5/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/metservice ... 8/sizes/o/

That first photo looking over Lyttleton Harbour, is that a gustnado to the right of the photo at the end of that spit?.
If you look above the gust front is nearly overhead signaling the strong to gale southerly, everyone knows how quickly it came through that evening.
I wouldnt want to be on one of those play boat yachts when the southerly came through and with CG lightning

Jasestorm wrote:That first photo looking over Lyttleton Harbour, is that a gustnado to the right of the photo at the end of that spit?.
If you look above the gust front is nearly overhead signaling the strong to gale southerly, everyone knows how quickly it came through that evening.
I wouldnt want to be on one of those play boat yachts when the southerly came through and with CG lightning

I know that area pretty well, although may look like gustnado that area leading up to there is a very dusty/gravel road also used for Ocean sewage outfall equipment etc, I would think its most likely just dust being blown up by the wind, but would like to think im wrong!!

LYTTELTON

Sorry, when you grow up there, you get defensive about the way people spell it..! Ask people in Feilding!

Hi everyone, here is a photo I took just before 7pm on the 24th March.

Interesting photo taken from Dunedin looking NE of the same thunderstorm cell that moved up the east coast of the South Island on the 24th March before just scathing Christchurch.
http://www.metvuw.com/