Active Front / Gale NW'ers - Sept 10-13

David · Unread post by **David** » Thu 12/09/2013 19:20

Rain has returned here, up to 30mm now.

seej · Unread post by **seej** » Thu 12/09/2013 19:55

Nothing here. Stinking humid inside and not a breath of wind.

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Thu 12/09/2013 20:26

More good photos here that were shared to Stormchasers.co.nz from around mayfield.

https://www.facebook.com/helen.boyd.982 ... 2619&type=

car123.jpg

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Thu 12/09/2013 20:37

NZstorm wrote:Good job Aaron on the radio today! On the Larry Williams NewstalkZb show talking about the storm.

Thanks NZstorm! I find radio interviews a little tedious but will hopefully get better with them.

Man the wind blew like heck up here. Had a dinner planned in Chch on the Tuesday evening so went into chch before it went dark. Was like a dust storm driving in and wouldn't have driven if it got dark. May regret having gone into Chch! If I could've found shelter at home I might've been able to photograph some awesome lightning, now I'll never know

Dale · Unread post by **Dale** » Thu 12/09/2013 20:55

225mm in Runanga.. spot on the mark MS! Winds.. seen much worse here but it got pretty hairy for a while. Lost some roof iron at work but that was to be expected. Lightning was out of this world yesterday morning.. the peak of it as I was sitting in a dental chair which really peed me off. Feeling for you lot hammered by this, but feeling more fore the poor whitebaiters who need to goto the beach tomorrow and collect their spotters in amongst all the driftwood pumped out of the Grey River!

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Thu 12/09/2013 21:35

Irrigator up close.

Storm Struck · Unread post by **Storm Struck** » Thu 12/09/2013 21:40

Just a video I did you cant see much but can hear the roar of the wind and gusts this was about 10pm just before it really picked up, excuse the swearing I am normally more careful with my words in filming

About 5 minutes after filming the power went off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Rqy6Gq ... e=youtu.be

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Thu 12/09/2013 21:50

Back, after the power outage on Tuesday night at 10:20pm.
The "Big Blow 2013" I have called this storm, being equal to the "Big Blow" of August 1st 1975.
5 of our big trees along the fenceline to the south of our property were blown over. 3 big pines and 2 macrocarpa. Firewood here for the next 6 years, I reckon. Our chookhouse landed upside down but strangely enough, the hens were found sitting on the roosting bar the next morning in the overturned chookhouse.

Nice lightning show observed to the west with some lightning developing this side of the Alps.
Nice thunderclap heard yesterday morning around 10am. Very elongated with a "Dump" at the end.

Nev · Unread post by **Nev** » Fri 13/09/2013 07:05

Got another 19mm in a few hours last night, bringing yesterday's total to 46mm.

Manukau heads obs · Fri 13/09/2013 07:06

yup, we have had our chook house blow over here before, with the chooks still in it....saying, the sky is falling in!
LOL
One thing I have to remind myself is that 120 to 140kmh winds recorded in canty was at sea level (well at least not increased by a hill top)!

jamie · Unread post by **jamie** » Fri 13/09/2013 07:22

Nev wrote:Bringing yesterday's total to 56mm.

Exact same as me Nev.

Nev · Unread post by **Nev** » Fri 13/09/2013 07:27

Oops, I meant 46mm.

Tornado Tim · Unread post by **Tornado Tim** » Fri 13/09/2013 10:13

jamie wrote: Exact same as me Nev.

What was your Midnight reset count?

jamie · Unread post by **jamie** » Fri 13/09/2013 10:33

56 all up. Made up of 20 before 9am and 36 after 9am.

David · Unread post by **David** » Fri 13/09/2013 10:39

35mm for Howick. I see the airport only got 18mm.

Skywatcher · Unread post by **Skywatcher** » Fri 13/09/2013 10:54

I've uploaded a google earth animation of the lightning detected by the Blitzortung network for 24h from noon on Tuesday.

My Boltek was picking up a lot of strikes over Fiordland/S Westland between 4pm and 8pm (13-20/m) but this seems to have been missed by Blitzortung. I think the Omarama station going online after that made a big difference to the network detection rate, especially east of the alps.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Fri 13/09/2013 14:15

I think the Mackenzie Country near Tekapo would be a good place for lightning photos in the big NW storm events, you can see the divide from there and there would be little in the way of low cloud. The wind and rain are the only problem.

Richard · Unread post by **Richard** » Fri 13/09/2013 15:42

spwill wrote:I think the Mackenzie Country near Tekapo would be a good place for lightning photos in the big NW storm events, you can see the divide from there and there would be little in the way of low cloud. The wind and rain are the only problem.

You dont get low cloud during NW storm events but as you say wind can be a problem.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Fri 13/09/2013 17:37

Richard wrote: You dont get low cloud during NW storm events but as you say wind can be a problem.

Yes, for eastern parts until you get near the divide. Plenty of spill over rain as well with the big lightning events

bpo · Unread post by **bpo** » Fri 13/09/2013 18:02

A lot of it depends upon individual interpretation of conditions, as well as the numerous local microclimates.

trickytiger · Unread post by **trickytiger** » Fri 13/09/2013 21:49

Lost power here around 11pm Tuesday, only just got it reconnected at 5pm today...

List of damage:
* Had some pine trees fall down on the power lines on the farm
* a power pole snapped in half
* support wire for a concrete powerpole snapped off and that power pole ended up on quite a big lean
* windows blown out on a storage shed
* pump shed blown to pieces ripping out the electrical wires and plumbing for it
* couch blown off the deck and placed upside down beside the car
* blue gum trees down on power lines
* plum tree ripped out by calf shed
* several other trees down around the farm and town

Luckily none of our pivots or irrigator were damaged, wind data I have retrieved on my computer doesn't seem right. The weather-display app shows an average of 66.2km/h and the highest gust at 90.7km/h

Richard · Unread post by **Richard** » Sat 14/09/2013 07:36

Yes its amazing the damage up your way when there's nothing here.

I think dairy farmers shouldn't get any insurance at all for any of the central pivot damage,how many of those lazy bastards had them parked up facing side on to the wind,quite a few,after all they had a week in advance warning of the pending storm but then there seems to be general attitude of" they always get the forecasts wrong anyway " ,why dont the insurance company demand that they have anchor points to hold them down,to me its no different to someone leaving there house unlocked and then claim insurance if someone walked in and stole things.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sat 14/09/2013 08:02

In the 1975 event both Timaru and Christchurch experienced hurricane force winds where as in this event severe gale conditions.
I think the 1975 event stands out as the outlier event. Its always hard to compare two storms though as I heard Dan Corbett mention on the radio.

I agree with spwill about Tekapo being a good spot for lightning photography in a big NW thunder event.

jamie · Unread post by **jamie** » Sat 14/09/2013 08:38

Yea I hope by now that most farmers in Canterbury have personal generators by now. Or generators to share amongst neighbors. So many lengthy power outages in that region over the past few years.

I'm amazed at the pivot damage. I thought that was the sort of thing only tornados did. I can't see how they topple over if they face down wind. Maybe your right Richard and many failed to have them facing down wind. Aanchor points on them would be ideal.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Sun 15/09/2013 21:22

Interestingly, Banks Peninsula escaped relatively unscathed from the event. Around Akaroa, I've heard that the strongest winds on Tuesday evening only just reached about gale-force, not enough for damage.

NZ Weather Forum