NZ Weather Forum

a little bit of activity along the south east showing up on the lightening detectors. hopefully something makes it here later this evening

Looks like the southerly has hit Oamaru with 8.4mm of rain in the last hour and 10 degrees there. Partly cloudy here with a few weakish Cu clouds around but nothing to interesting currently 19 degrees.

There has been some weak thundery activity down south canterbury way, more on the coast i am picking which is where some reasonable shower depth and activity is.
Wind is now NE here and picking up, currently 20.6C .
This front intensifies as it moves up the island this evening, so it could be something to watch certainly.

Watching with interest as this maybe the most exciting weather for this summer
Still light SE here and 18C. Some not very interesting cloud westwards.

JohnGaul
NZThS

Just as i thought, 5pm radar showing some areas of red and the trackers are picking up strikes.

Thanks for the posts that prompted me to check the rain radar and temps. in Oamaru and Timaru. 20.2 degrees here now; and, climbing on a chair and peering to the south, I believe I can see high dark cloud on the horizon. Will update as events unfold.

Jasestorm wrote:Just as i thought, 5pm radar showing some areas of red and the trackers are picking up strikes.

Yes
Picking up a few distant sferics, possibly from down that way

JohnGaul
NZThS

Thunderstorm here now heaps of lightning with a near gale southerly also just started hailing.

Ah - Huh, so that is where it is, you lucky person

JohnGaul
NZThS

Wind on the ground moment ago was north easterly, with that dark cloud now roiling up from south. Spots of rain on southeast window, and splurts of static on my lightning detector, which is a radio turned off-station... it works. Temp. now 18.2, pressure steady so far, humidity dropping which I find odd (62% at 5.30, 60% now.)

Thats some not bad storm activity around South Canterbury and inland to Fairlie, it will be interesting to see what happens as it moves up the coast.
Snowstormwatcher is that a lightning flash to the right in that photo? or just a hail shaft/ sunlight

Distant thunder here with the wind slowly turning southerly!
Dark to the south.

Wind veering through easterly now and rising. Getting very dark. 16.6 degrees. 61% humidity. Pressure steady.

Wind v.strong sthly, 5 mins ago. Hard rain. Lots of lightning-static, thunder overhead. Hail. 14 deg and plummeting. Pressure rising. Posted from mobile - disconnected computer. Rain lashing window!

Sounds really good what could be coming up from the south.
Ive been in Rangiora today and on the way back home hit the rain at Waipara ,been 4mm today and sounds like more to come.
High of 19C before the rain hit

Looking interesting now towards "Thunderstorm Corner" with cloud thickening
Some hail shafts to the NW from that uninteresting cloud and looks like a bit of a convergence cloud to the NE.

Bring it on

JohnGaul
NZThS

Some decent rain in there !

Development to the SW now, this other cloud is interesting with some possible rain just west of here too.
That is an intense rain radar shot, possibly hail there too.

Jasestorm wrote:Snowstormwatcher is that a lightning flash to the right in that photo? or just a hail shaft/ sunlight

Not exactly sure Probably just sunlight shining through the cloud as the lightning didnt start untll about 10 minutes after i took that photo.

Just moderate rain here now last thunder was about 15 minutes ago. Temperture has dropped right back now was 20 just before the change came through now down to 8 could be some snow on the mountains tommorow morning.

Lightning very close, rain not so heavy but wind still very strong. 9.0 deg. Pressure rising. Humidity 76p.c. Visibility ?700metres.

Looking @ the radar it looks like the rain is about 1 hr away from Christchurch.

Speaking of radar, why is it that on the metservice rain radar, green is labelled as "possible hail". I have NEVER seen green on the radar in my life ! Surely red is possible hail.

7pm radar isnt so promising. The very intense stuff hasnt really moved from the Timaru area. However, some solid rain is pushing further north and extending the band. I see Metservice says thunder south of ashburton and just rain further north...maybe they have got this one right....I hope not though!

Rain radar does suggest that yes, but the southerly still has to meet up with the fresh NE yet so the next half an hour we will know.
Just getting some light rain now, wind still fresh NE, further more to saying that just re checked the tracker and the strikes are back.

Jasestorm wrote:Rain radar does suggest that yes, but the southerly still has to meet up with the fresh NE yet so the next half an hour we will know.
Just getting some light rain now, wind still fresh NE, further more to saying that just re checked the tracker and the strikes are back.

HERE'S HOPING!

Raining moderately in christchurch now, so much for my theory