Brief southwesterly blast lashes the east

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Mon 31/05/2004 12:22

Banks Peninsula got hammered by about an hour of southwesterly gales and rain between 4-5AM this morning - I know, I couldn't get back to sleep. Thunder and hail were forecast, but we got none of the former (no s'ferics on radio - anyway you wouldn't be able to hear it anyway), and probably no hail either. The gales were strong enough to partially disrupt the power - lights dimming etc.
After 5AM the worst was over - it cleared to partly cloudy, and the wind 'eased' to just strong and gusty at times. Cold, but not cold enough for snow on the hills. Fine and sunny as I got back to Chch this morning - they probably didn't get the overnight storm nearly as badly.

C-Nimbus · Unread post by **C-Nimbus** » Mon 31/05/2004 13:54

This picture shows the impending storm at 3am, just before it hit banks peninsula

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Mon 31/05/2004 17:53

This picture shows the impending storm at 3am, just before it hit banks peninsula

The radar shows how narrow the band of bad weather was. The pink could well indicate thunderstorm activity, but seems like such activity didn't reach BP, even though the rain and gales did.
It has clouded over again this afternoon in Chch - 3PM radar shows some light rain or drizzle over the peninsula. Nothing in the city, but streaks in the cloud look like horizontal virga - well that's my guess, probably the very strong windflow pushing it along rather than down.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Mon 31/05/2004 18:19

....well yes as on my other posting, the gales arrived around 3:50am.
I only recorded 0.5mm of rain so much of the severe weather must of moved out to sea. When i got up at 6:50am it was fine and calm but there were Cb-ish looking clouds Aaron Wilkonson's way off Pegasus Bay moving off to the NE. The winds had well died down.
More gales on later this week, more so down south apparently
Yes Ben, I saw the virgary 'ice.streaks' in the upper cloud.
Looks like strong and very cold SW up there.

JohnGaul
NZTS

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Mon 31/05/2004 19:45

Heard the wind rushing through the tree outside the bedroom window about 4:15am. Looking at my records, the wind peaked between 4:20 and 4:30am at 60km/h, the highest gust I've recorded this year.
A 48km gust between 5:10 and 5:20am and it fizzled out from there, 11km/h at 7am. Only 0.2mm of rain.
Could see the front as I was clearing as I was cycling to work this morning.

18 degrees should be pleasant tomorrow.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Mon 31/05/2004 20:00

Not brief up here with storm force gusts tonight

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Mon 31/05/2004 23:46

Yes John, I saw those Cb'ish looking clouds moving off to, but they had no anvil (from what I saw).

Good gusts here during the night aswell.

I charged the camera batteries but you could just tell things weren't going to produce anything, day or night. But situations have proved different before, always be ready I say.