Thunderstorms - 14th - 18th December, 2013

[Orion]

Two lightning-bolts in quick succession to my SE, not too distant judging by thunder.

[03Stormchaser]

Recording gusts of 81kmph south of Ashburton atm

[Razor]

I have just rung my friends at Rakaiai Huts to warn them. They got a real lashing on Monday night too

[03Stormchaser]

Gusting 100km right on the southern edge of Ashburton

[Orion]

Nasty looking cloud, wind just hitting now. Frequent lightning, rain just starting, odd brownish cast to cloud in south.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Cloud looking rather large from here at the moment.
Very Supercellish

[03Stormchaser]

Supercell on the coast

[melja]

Metservice has pushed its watch to the north a lot more now.
Skywatcher lightning detector seems to have its range way out.

[Tornado Tim]

3 News coverage for the Severe Warned storm is absolute rubbish. They just mention it in passing, they don't show a warning map nor any Radar imagery. TV is the best way to broadcast this warning to get peoples attention and yet it isn't capitalised.
They didn't even tell what was making this storm severe.
Infuriating!

[Orion]

Seems to be about 30
seconds between lightning and thunder for me.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Cell doesn't seem to be very lightning active. Not picking up any Sferics?

[Razor]

I am in bright warm sunshine in addington with the very odd hail stone falling from the anvil above, which appears to be the precursor?

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Yes its been hovering around for the last 45mins or so!

[Orion]

Cell doesn't seem to be very lightning active. Not picking up any Sferics?

plenty of lightning-bolts visible before, very flickery.

[Lawrence]

Looking very dark to the south of here Check the webcam.

[Classicford]

Getting abit of rain at the moment, from edge of large cloud that's been hovering around for last 30mins or so.

[Razor]

Cb over northwest chch is a stunner to look at from here

[Dean.]

Taken from Ashburton,passed us to the east of town.Lookout ChCh !

[melja]

Have to say that weather Watches coverage of these storms is appalling, now warnings posted and just day old articles from the NZ herald.
No point even checking there site for any news or updates, Canterbury weather updates is much better.

[Lawrence]

Looking ominously unstable now with a rumble or two in the distance
Looking like we might get some rotational shear out of this one

[Razor]

Chch cb appears to be moving south towards the Rakaia one.... Just for now. Stunning to view

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Its dying off big time on the radar now. No doubt it will completely fade to a bit of light rain by the time it gets here.

[NZstorm]

I like the southerly buster photo by Deano. Awesome!

[Karliosis]

Its dying off big time on the radar now. No doubt it will completely fade to a bit of light rain by the time it gets here.

looks to me like the storm itself is blocking the radar image, as the storm is passing over the radar. Still very active on lightning radar.

[ChrisN]

Its dying off big time on the radar now. No doubt it will completely fade to a bit of light rain by the time it gets here.

Much of that is due to the cell moving into the 'cone of silence' above the radar site, combined with strong attenuation of the beam along the change line to the E/SE.

For info, the estimated hail size based on radar imagery was 2-3cm+ as it moved east of Ashburton near/over the coast.