Thunderstorms 18th December

[NZstorm]

Getting the odd heavy burst of rain here now.

[spwill]

Decent heavy shower here currently and lightning strikes showing up NW of Auckland so perhaps a bit early to be calling it over NZstorm.

Thundery cells are in the Kaipara area, more heavy rain for them.

[kelhb]

Absolutely insane storm in central Hawkes Bay, we started off on SH 50 at 12 and headed south down through Tikokino etc, rain levels were utterly intense and have NEVER heard thunder like that before, was just continous.
Have some pics which Ill upload shortly.
Totally awesome day! The farmers down that way will be very happy I would imagine.

[snowstormwatcher]

Thunder here out towards mt dobson with a few flashes of sheet lightning doesnt look very severe though.

[David]

Absolutely hosing down here. Rain rate hit 120 mm/hr!!! Water running all down the section..

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Looking nice in TC. What's it like your way Orion?
I hope something eventuates as I can test for sferics on my wee free transistor radio courtesy of Meridan Energy

JohnGaul
NZThS

[kelhb]

This was when things started to turn ugly, note the blue/green tinge, I have never seen that before and looked really strange in real life

STB_1315.JPG

IMG_1330.JPG

And I just learnt that its really hard to take photos when youre as excited as what I was lol

[Tornado Tim]

Good shelfy in the second shot kelhb. A green/blue tinge in storm means a good amount of hail.

[Orion]

Have been away from puter for a bit: some fantastical clouds around Mt Peel; 30.7 degrees, 31% humidity; pressure slowly rising.

[Manukau heads obs]

could see the CB in north taranaki/king country around 4pm from new plymouth with the sun on it (white and billowing)
looked very tropical, overshooting top,nice
did not have camera with me

[kelhb]

Good shelfy in the second shot kelhb. A green/blue tinge in storm means a good amount of hail.

The shelf cloud looked absolutely stunning, but eh the angle we were travelling at, it just didnt do it any justice!
Hmm hail you say? We went right through it and didnt encounter any, much to my husbands relief I should add, I think he was having visions of US style hail punching through the windscreen lol

[snowstormwatcher]

Good thunderstorm here now moderate rain with constant thunder and plenty of lightning.

[Orion]

A radio off-station now picking up splurts of static from lightning every 30 - 40 seconds.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Good thunderstorm here now moderate rain with constant thunder and plenty of lightning.

Can see the outfall, ie glaciated cloud from here. Moving from the west. However,not looking as impressive as what it did earlier Cloud height looks too low in the upstreams.

JohnGaul
NZThS

[Captain Salty]

Good thunderstorm here now moderate rain with constant thunder and plenty of lightning.

that'd be the bright white blob SE of Tekapo (3:20pm) eh?
http://satellite.landcareresearch.co.nz ... d18120.jpg

[Orion]

Static now every ten seconds or so - counted six bursts in the last sixty seconds.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Static now every ten seconds or so - counted six bursts in the last sixty seconds.

Not picking up much on my Free-bee radio from Meridan Energy
Might have to send it back

JohnGaul
NZThS

[snowstormwatcher]

Good thunderstorm here now moderate rain with constant thunder and plenty of lightning.

that'd be the bright white blob SE of Tekapo (3:20pm) eh?
http://satellite.landcareresearch.co.nz ... d18120.jpg

Yes that does look like the area that the storm developed out of. Can also see a possible storm somewhere down in east otago.

I had an idea we would get a storm today conditions were ideal high dewpoints plenty of heating and moderate easterly brezze. Still getting the odd rumble of thunder now but looks like most of the action is over. Still raining moderately 4mm of rain so far.

[Chris Raine]

I've just been down to the Palmerston storm if you can call it that ,impressive anvil but little if any rain falling any thundery activity has died . Appears to be tied up with weak front passing over North Otago , Impressive line of Tcu passing overhead currently

[GreggWard]

Thunder and lightning to the North. Should get a good shower within the next 0.5hr.

[Dale]

Waste of a day, with the downpour & fog this morning around 8am, pretty much screwed everything up. Just added more latent moisture, the DTSH didnt even get a chance to get going here & basically everything went HP, lots and lots of surface flooding throughout Pukekohe from even the most basic shower.. bit of a bummer really, some zap zap would be nice.

[Tornado Tim]

Thunder and lightning to the North. Should get a good shower within the next 0.5hr.

Yes My Aunty and Uncle in Feilding said they have had quite a bit of Lightning and Thunder

[DT-NZ]

This was when things started to turn ugly, note the blue/green tinge, I have never seen that before and looked really strange in real life.

Great pic's kelhb

[pomem]

Awesome picture of Sat's storm in the Hawkes Bay Today

http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/n ... y/3934537/

[Storm Struck]

Awesome picture of Sat's storm in the Hawkes Bay Today

http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/n ... y/3934537/

That photo of the storm almost has a mesocyclone look to it, just with curvature of the wall cloud and outer spreading edge.
Good photo though with the green pasture makes the storm look more violent.