Active low pressure trough 27th-28th Dec

[Manukau heads obs]

62 knots, 115 kmh wind gusts here now!
good rain too, 12mm so far
looking like the front going through now

[Orion]

David - thankyou for sharing that link to the Motueka River webcam. It is 10.3 degrees here right now & temp. seems to be still falling; pouring rain and southerly winds. Richard, do you still have blue sky? amazing to think the weather's so different over a relatively short distance. I would not be surprised to see snow on the tops after this - can often happen even in high summer.

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

The buller river continues to rise, i have taken many pictures that I will put up in the nearby future. Rain has began falling here again in Westport. 82mm in a 24 hour period for this part. 56 of that falling between 10pm and 6am. Looks like I wont be able to make a journey north today!

[Tornado Tim]

Got to 100mm/hr when the center of the front passed

9.2mm so far

[Michael]

Light rain too here for about an hour now,wind changed to the west or WNW now can tell by the water coming out of the guttering

[Hypno]

Rakaia got up to 5700 cubic metres , must be an impressive site to see, waimak is at 1800.

[jamie]

Got to 100mm/hr when the center of the front passed

9.2mm so far

wow i only just got close to 60mm/h BUT ive had 18mm now.

[Captain Salty]

Kelly's Creek bridge washed away! between otira and aickens on SH73

[03Stormchaser]

Pohara update, sunny skies but blowing an absolute gale!! Seen plenty gazbeos blowen over and a big two roomed canvas tent rolled over right next to us on top of 2 people. Just talking to a guy from mot said just whole trees going down th river and collingwood has been cut off. Ment to have had been
80mm here overnight!! Which seems huge, flooding on the roads and the sea like ive seen it up here, very dirty brown, with trees in it and a dead cow has washed up!

[David]

Got to 100mm/hr when the center of the front passed

9.2mm so far

Pretty uninteresting here, light winds and mostly light rainfall. Few bursts up to 10mm/h occasionally.

[Storm Struck]

There's some variation in temperatures from Christchurch south to North of Christchurch, its 15.9C here rain has stopped again.
Theres a big blue patch of the sky to the N-NE but murky still to the South and SW, quite odd must be in a sheltering affect at the moment and there goes the sun now.
The rain has been more in brief showers here, heavy earlier on but with some near gale force gusts 40-55kmh.
Up to 10mm so far for this event.
Theres also abit of thunderstorm activity off the Kaikoura coast fairly far out to sea, 1pm radar showed possible hail SE of Cheviot.

[Manukau heads obs]

rain easing up here now, sky brightning up, a very nice to get 18.7mm here

[Shepherds Valley WX]

Metservice advised winds easing this afternoon in the Wairarapa............ ah, no, wind gusting 120km/h here now and 10 min averages increasing. Sigh, my new poplars are getting smashed and stripped of all leaves by the week of gales we have had.

STRONG WIND WARNING

AREA/S AFFECTED

Wairarapa
FORECAST

Severe gale northwesterlies should continue to ease during the afternoon.Gusts of 130 km/h may continue in some exposed places until about 5pm.

[jamie]

im growing a giant pumpkin as a work compition. just went and checked on it. sadly they dont like rain and 65km/h gusts.

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Stuck in westport for the night as the river levels continue to rise. Just had a beefy shower here, first one in 2 or so hours. Many people out and about with the camera's looking about.

[Orion]

Take care over there, CHCH Weather Chaser: travel safely home.

[Storm Struck]

Finally getting some decent rain here now, steady bordering on heavy at times and the wind is now southerly rather than SW.
Although it looks like this will come to end soon by the radar image at 5pm.

[spwill]

Christchurch on 11.5C.

[Michael]

Look at it out there.Stronger now then any northerly,guess what direction!

[TonyT]

Rakaia got up to 5700 cubic metres , must be an impressive site to see, waimak is at 1800.

Heard from someone a short time ago stuck in the middle of the SH1 bridge, traffic is being turned around and sent back southwards, possibility of damage to the north end of the bridge. Water is raging down the river just metres below the bridge, the river is full bank to bank (and that bridge is almost exactly a mile long!).

[Dean.]

Rakaia got up to 5700 cubic metres , must be an impressive site to see, waimak is at 1800.

Heard from someone a short time ago stuck in the middle of the SH1 bridge, traffic is being turned around and sent back southwards, possibility of damage to the north end of the bridge. Water is raging down the river just metres below the bridge, the river is full bank to bank (and that bridge is almost exactly a mile long!).

Came back from ChCh around 4pm and we drove through a foot of water on the northern side of state highway one.River was bank to bank,highest I have ever seen it.Traffic was banking up on the southern side.

[RWood]

Look at it out there.Stronger now then any northerly,guess what direction!

The tension is killing me.

[Storm Struck]

The southerly is departing along with the low, rain stopped just after 6pm so should be cooler night ahead.
Up to a total of 18mm since about 5am until 6pm, enough to last a week or so and if we dont get too many more NW days.
I am sure areas south of Christchurch recieved more though?

[Manukau heads obs]

real nice sunset developing here now, due to the jet stream high cloud

ps, big drop in the DP here after the front

[Michael]

Looks an impressive edge on the front on the satellite map.