General May Weather

[Nev]

A pleasant clear, calm May Day here today makes a change from recent days, albeit a little cool on 9.7C…

[David]

Yes, cool start with 6.4C minimum here. Several nice days ahead with a big anticyclone to start the month.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

A lovely fine day after a bit of a frost this morning. Not much wind.

[David]

Anticyclonic gloom here today, grey skies despite barometer reading up to 1032 hPa earlier.

[Richard]

A week long period of winds from the westerly quarter coming up looking at the models, not what eastern areas of North Canterbury need with on going drought

[spwill]

A week long period of winds from the westerly quarter coming up looking at the models, not what eastern areas of North Canterbury need with on going drought

The upside is it should be mild across NZ for the time of year so grass growth for areas that got rain recently.

[NZstorm]

The general zonal pattern showing up in the models looks more spring like. Looking long range here on EU 500mb.

[Orion]

I cannot take a photo, but have just observed a sundog or small rainbowy patch, to the left of the sun here at the moment

[03Stormchaser]

Very dense fog in Chch cbd this morning

[Orion]

There was also a faint rainbow halo visible around the sun at 9:30am-ish.

[Skywatcher]

That thin cloud layer reached here about lunchtime. Almost like summer sitting out in the sun this afternoon

[melja]

400mm in 24h in westland, thats a crazy amount for just a 24h period.

[RWood]

Cropp Waterfall's 758mm in 24 hrs is probably safe though.

[spinup]

I cannot take a photo, but have just observed a sundog or small rainbowy patch, to the left of the sun here at the moment

Hi, this is my first post but have been reading the forum for ages. Saw this on the way to work yesterday morning. Thought it was a sundog, but quite different from one I saw a while ago which was only on one side with no rainbow.

IMG_4646.JPG

[Orion]

Spinup - glad to see the photo, and welcome!

[Nev]

Hi spinup and welcome…

Looks like a nice pair of faint sundogs there. Perhaps the other sundog you saw a while ago was too bright to observe any iridescence?
Steven's shot is also a nice example of the 22° sun-halos usually associated with sundogs.

[spinup]

Thanks for the welcomes Orion and Nev. Yes Nev the other sundog was relatively bright and on the setting sun. Photo is a bit dark, they were a little brighter than they appear here.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Yes. I saw those sundogs on the way to work yesterday morning. Thanks for the photos.

[Chris Raine]

Now 4-500mm of rain for Westland from Haast up to Otira on the Alps, 250 mm for Paparoa's and 150-200mm for Buller Ranges .Up to 150mm for coastal strip .Raining steadily in Runanga has been since 1pm ,Now had 14.1mm so far .Lots more to come wind getting up

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Is this rain bearing system for the West Coast, remnants of the Queensland rains that did cause a bit of damage there.? According to Paul Duncan it is, so there could be a lot of slips etc for the West Coast, if the up to 500mm totals do eventuate. Maybe a new topic?

[Chris Raine]

John its a bit of the old Queensland trough which we have at the moment but it is only giving us moderate rain . The trough that will cause the problem is the one in the Tasman Sea south of Tasmania that is going to catch up and merge with the Australian trough off the West Coast of the South Island and trundle up the South Island sort of together tomorrow .

Blowing hard here now doing 20-25 knots

[cantygal]

Gorgeous night and currently 22 degrees here near Kirwee at 6am!

I see Ashburton is 21 and Chch already 20

[Richard]

Yes warm alright,saying 19deg while here while Culverden 21deg,but then Culverdens overnight temps are always warmer than what i record anyway.

[Orion]

17.3° indoors, 20.1° outside at present, I'd better open some windows and warm the house up!

*mutters: "Weather-breeder" *

[Manukau heads obs]

looking stormy a week away in the models too