Moist NW flow and severe weather, Upper NI, 5 Dec -

[Manukau heads obs]

interesting how that blog shows the thunderstorm outlook with warning about potential tornadoes
but that part was added 2 hours after one occured...bit late...

we still have the humid air mass...which originated from north of New Caledonia....
so might still get another clearing rain band develop yet as the colder air in the tasman arrives

edit: even if there was a watch or warning for tornadoes, the only way that would have prevented the deaths was the workers on the construction site would have said, hey, too dangerous to be working on a construction site..time to go home..

edit: talking to my brother south of Drury...he got torrential rain, flash flooding, etc

[melja]

Sad to here of the loss of life and not sure if warnings would have prevented them but once again a very poor showing from metservice, when will someone at that place be held accountable for there inability to spend our money on things that really mater and not some stupid new web site.
Rant over.

[spwill]

A few more photos from Hobsonville early afternoon. I would say over 100 houses with some damaged.

[RWood]

Sad to here of the loss of life and not sure if warnings would have prevented them but once again a very poor showing from metservice, when will someone at that place be held accountable for there inability to spend our money on things that really mater and not some stupid new web site.
Rant over.

Oh yes - and do you really think it was possible to predict an event like that accurately? Even if it were, there's no guarantee that those working on the site would have cancelled any activities. Since you're so cocksure of yourself, why not take it up directly with Metservice. I won't hold my breath ...

[Manukau heads obs]

WOW!
I would say you are looking at 70 to 80 knot wind damage!

[mikestormchaser]

hmmm Interesting to read about this, i heard about it all once i got home.
Radar to me doesnt show any hook echo in my opinion anyways but i could be wrong.
sorry to hear the loss of life aswel with the deaths envolved very sad indeed!!

[bmo]

3news just reporting on air that they have just received reports of a tornado in the bay of plenty

[Willoughby]

A look at the videos out kind of look like rear-flank downdraft winds?

Since these radars are dopplers - maybe they can show the velocity data?

[Thunder]

Man, bad damage!

Yesterday evening I txt Phil (boss) saying I think there could be a tornado between midday and 3pm about Auckland / Waikato today. Issues I had was generally we see them on the west coast of the NI in slightly cooler months of the year. But still thought it was something he should keep an eye on in the morning as the wind profiles looked nteresting.

As Brian says it was that NE flow ahead of the NW that I saw also and reminded me of the Albany one and perked my interest when looking at models.

But still no sighting of a cone coming to the ground unless it was all rain wrapped and too hard to see anyway, guess it will come out in time.

It's still so hard though to be able to predict something like this accurately as generally they are blue moon events and since we don't get them of the regularity that America does I could understand and I would too myself go on about normal business. It's devastating for those who have been affected.

[Manukau heads obs]

Jim Hicky said on the TV1 4:30pm news update that the weather station at Whenupai recocorded 128kmh winds
which is like 70 kts...which is what I estimated above....

[bmo]

Aerial video of the damage from TVNZ http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/tornado ... eo-5267772

[melja]

Sad to here of the loss of life and not sure if warnings would have prevented them but once again a very poor showing from metservice, when will someone at that place be held accountable for there inability to spend our money on things that really mater and not some stupid new web site.
Rant over.

Oh yes - and do you really think it was possible to predict an event like that accurately? Even if it were, there's no guarantee that those working on the site would have cancelled any activities. Since you're so cocksure of yourself, why not take it up directly with Metservice. I won't hold my breath ...

Well why have a warning system at all then it works in other parts of the world and im sure given the OSH laws we have that given 20min warning of approaching extreme weather (Tornado or not) the workers may have been told to get out.
Sure it may not work all the time but saving 1 life in 100 is still better than none, that's what the warnings are for.

[NZstorm]

I heard a report on the radio of cars being rolled which indicates winds in excess of 100knots.

The set up is certainly supportive of a tornado and the gfs had been signalling severe thunderstorms for about a week. So it was very well predicted by the gfs.

[Michael]

Was any pictures taken of the actual tornado?

[Willoughby]

Was any pictures taken of the actual tornado?

May have been rather hard to get a photo if it was rain-wrapped.

Photo here by Chris McKean of a flattened house in Hobsonville: http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images/na ... ado_E1.jpg

[Tornado Tim]

Its not so much about forecasting tornadoes, its more about data used for nowcasting which could help prevent people from being caught unaware whats developing around them.

First of all: The media organisations around here are useless when it comes to advertising and broadcasting a Severe Storm Warnings.
They only seem to show Severe Thunderstorm Warnings only if it conveniently in the "Weather section" of the News at 6 PM.
There needs to be something done about this, such as an EAS temporary TV takeover for a particular region getting the Severe storm.

The data thats provided to the public such as Radar while it may be up to date provides poor detail (excluding BOP, CHCH), it is not geographically referenced to fine enough resolution which makes it useless for people wanting to know when severe weather will hit them.

I am so sick of hitting my head against that brick wall when it comes to Metservice and the profit/data availability war.
Id even be prepared to go on TV for this issue because this is blatantly happening under peoples noses and it could lead to people dying because people where not informed enough when severe weather hits.

Even if it were, there's no guarantee that those working on the site would have cancelled any activities.

Yes but that would be speculation, wouldn't you rather that that the "lack of data availability" avenue was ruled out if a person died because of severe weather.
I am not getting at you Rwood, I get your point completely it just that there will be always a question of doubt on this matter. A matter that could be closed.......with Metservice doing the right thing.

My Rant also is over....

[NZstorm]

Was any pictures taken of the actual tornado?

There was a lot of low cloud/mist around so we'll have to see. And storms were HP as Foggy has noted.
I notice Mercer had 65mm is a short space of time on the EW site. Ricky got 30mm. Waitakeri in West Auckland 43mm.

[RWood]

I am so sick of hitting my head against that brick wall when it comes to Metservice and the profit/data availability war.
Id even be prepared to go on TV for this issue because this is blatantly happening under peoples noses and it could lead to people dying because people where not informed enough when severe weather hits.

Even if it were, there's no guarantee that those working on the site would have cancelled any activities.

Yes but that would be speculation, wouldn't you rather that that the "lack of data availability" avenue was ruled out if a person died because of severe weather.
I am not getting at you Rwood, I get your point completely it just that there will be always a question of doubt on this matter. A matter that could be closed.......with Metservice doing the right thing.

My Rant also is over....

Have you ever taken the matter up with Metservice? My reading of another aspect many warnings/watches is that there are a lot of complaints when the phenomena concerned don't eventuate.

[GraemeWi]

I managed to get home via SH18 just as they were re-opening

Significant tree damage - large trees with limbs and tops broken off, maybe snapped half way down.
Motorway emergency phone post broken off at ground level (too slow to get a picture)
Motorway light posts with the tops broken off maybe 2 or 3 of them
Motorway signage gone with just posts remaining

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IMG_1034.JPG

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[littleheaven]

Jim Hickey with a video report containing a photo of a funnel cloud in the area that the damage occurred:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/jim-hic ... eo-5267814

[Tornado Tim]

Have you ever taken the matter up with Metservice? My reading of another aspect many warnings/watches is that there are a lot of complaints when the phenomena concerned don't eventuate.

I actually did a while ago, but my email never got replied to. Surprise surprise.
Metservice themselves read this forum, its not like they going along without this being noticed.

The meteorologists themselves I am sure are feeling an a tight squeeze atm.
They are restricted to what money they get from the government to pay for the data they give out to the public.
The 7-min radar updates wasn't actually paid by the government, it is self paid by Metservice from Advertising. The recent radar installs weren't funded by the Government, it was Metservice itself who paid.

Its not so much Metservice itself it's the Government, but I really don't want to go into politics.
What Metservice should do is contact the Government directly about this issue.....

[KiwiWeather]

Torrential Rain in South Auckland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THVmWvmB5DI

[Manukau heads obs]

I heard a report on the radio of cars being rolled which indicates winds in excess of 100knots.

Incredible...its more like it was USA instead of NZ

Prime news showed an eye witness report that there was rotation alright
maybe straight line winds and a tornado?

[03Stormchaser]

Below photo shows what could be a rain wrapped tornado over Orewa Beach, taken from Waiwera up on the hill so Auckland will be in the distence. (At this is what Ive been informed)

64653_10151142344352076_579460416_n.jpg

[03Stormchaser]

Trying to work out if this is related to the one that hit Hobsonville or another completely seperate tornado/waterspout as it appears over water here.