NZ Weather Forum

iomkiwi wrote:From what Tony said it is already going, but obviously not available on the site yet. Maybe the change to 7.5 min updates will happen at the same time the west coast radar goes live.

That's sounds fantastic.
Shame it is not going now with the recent heavy rains in the area ...

...but there is more rain to come over there, so looking forward to the Hokitika radar to go go go go, live
It will be great for thunderstorms unless it gets hit by a lightning strike

The radar shouldn't go offline if hit by lightning anymore. Previously it blew the Telco DSL connection, that may still happen, but all the Metservice radars are now backed up by IPStar satellite connections

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:....
Shame it is not going now with the recent heavy rains in the area ...

.....

Bet the techies at metservice are loving it - gives them a good chance to calibrate it!

iomkiwi wrote:

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:....
Shame it is not going now with the recent heavy rains in the area ...

.....

Bet the techies at metservice are loving it - gives them a good chance to calibrate it!

True

iomkiwi wrote:...7.5min radar updates in high resolution on metservice website by the end of this week!

Excellent News!

Ironically the NT Berrimah Radar is down and the BOM Radar Tech is on holiday, I can't help wondering if he is over here helping Metservice with their instal.

do you mean the current auckland rain radar will become available as 7m updates and high res on the public M/S rain radar page soon?

Yes - all radars at 7.5 min and at a higher resolution. Not sure if it will be the full resolution but better than it is now.

Great!!
so the BOP rain radar being changed to that format was just a teaser?

The BOP one was changed for the Rena salvage operation.

yup, realised that
but also might have been a good test of public response etc?

Yes they have had a lot of positive feedback, that and good ad revenue helped them make the decision

maybe Phillip Duncan's constant nagging got to much for them too, hehe
(i.e maybe Phillip can take some the credit for M/S bowing to public pressure)
in any case, good deal!

exciting stuff!!!!

i do wonder why Dunedin/Otago doesnt deserve a radar though. That area only shows up on good high topped thunderstorms. General rain like yesterday the gap is quite evident. If i remember correctly metservice have no funding to put one in that area.

fantastic!

jamie.haultain wrote:exciting stuff!!!!

i do wonder why Dunedin/Otago doesnt deserve a radar though. That area only shows up on good high topped thunderstorms. General rain like yesterday the gap is quite evident. If i remember correctly metservice have no funding to put one in that area.

Yes Tony did comment on the fact people in Dunedin may feel left out, but this is the last of five radars they got funding for.

iomkiwi wrote: Yes Tony did comment on the fact people in Dunedin may feel left out, but this is the last of five radars they got funding for.

Maybe there might be an eccentric millionaire down there, who might be a real 'over the top' weather enthusiast, may build his own dopplar radar out there on the Peninsula

http://www.metservice.com/national/maps ... ew-zealand

7.5min updates are live. They go back an hour, and then you're looking at the 8 hour hourly updates.

tgsnoopy wrote:The radar shouldn't go offline if hit by lightning anymore. Previously it blew the Telco DSL connection, that may still happen, but all the Metservice radars are now backed up by IPStar satellite connections

Not sure who your source is on that, but its very wrong. We certainly arn't backed up by IPStar down here in Invercargill. I know they are considering it, but for us its a very very very long-term thing.

As for lightning, all have lightning protection. For us its attached to the radome, then onto the tower which is thoroughly earthed.

Yay! The 7.5min radar is going on the Metservice site!!!

I see there is a Westland tab for the radar too - that will be fascinating to observe! Canterbury real time radar isnt working currently but the others all are.

fantastic!!
thanks very much Met Service!

jamie.haultain wrote:i do wonder why Dunedin/Otago doesnt deserve a radar though. That area only shows up on good high topped thunderstorms. General rain like yesterday the gap is quite evident. If i remember correctly metservice have no funding to put one in that area.

Feel free to correct me on this, but 99% of the weather that hits Dunedin can either be tracked incoming on the Southland or Canterbury radars. Its rare to get weather coming in directly from the east there. Most is either from the North, South, or West, and can therefore be seen inbound to the area.

I think the mountains do limit lower atmosphere data considerably though (see radar coverage map), however more radars don't seem to be completely out of the question sometime in the distant future...

Weather Radars - MetService Blog
October 31st, 2010

...By the end of 2012 the network will increase to cover most of NZ with some patches in Nelson, Otago, several islands and upper Manawatu / Rangitikei / Wairarapa region. We are still working on funding for these areas.

P.S. I was kinda hoping that the 7.5 min updates might be at least 2 hours - otherwise great stuff!

Really cool!!! Thank you MetService - it is overdue! It seems that BoP and Canterbury radars currently only have the 120km options available.

Tahii - definitely agree!

Foggy wrote:Really cool!!! Thank you MetService - it is overdue! It seems that BoP and Canterbury radars currently only have the 120km options available.

The options are there, but not working currently for Canterbury. This doesn't surprise me, I can't get 120km on Metconnect either.

Nev wrote: P.S. I was kinda hoping that the 7.5 min updates might be at least 2 hours - otherwise great stuff!

Just to make you jealous, I can go back in 7.5min scans for DAYS on the RVP8 at the radar down here . Oh how I love my job oh so very much.