Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

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Orion
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Orion »

^ Was stopped at traffic lights around 11am and felt the car rock suddenly as a gust hit it - even looked accusingly at the car behind me for a moment!
Dust and leaves flying, and power off for a short time ~15-20 minutes?

26.5°C at present, sunny with plenty of cloud, looks like it may rain soon. Trees and shrubs tossing, strong NNW breeze.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Richard »

darcyplumb wrote: Tue 19/01/2021 12:00 Getting smashed by the NW winds here in Ashburton. Power on and off, windows flexing on the house. Strongest I’ve witnessed for a couple of years now.
Oh no 8-o only light to moderate so far here. Ive just tied back the sunflowers so they should stay upright.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by darcyplumb »

Getting stronger now. The gusts are really packing a punch.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

Windy too here in Geraldine this morning, northerly winds, but now raining with some overthrow rain from the west.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Orion »

Rain hitting north- and west-facing windows here.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Chris W »

Pretty strong winds in Amberley, had to hold on to my lunch!
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Orion »

A great smell of 'ozone' filtering through the closed windows :)
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Richard »

Orion wrote: Tue 19/01/2021 13:03 A great smell of 'ozone' filtering through the closed windows :)
Describe how that smells please :-k

Big gusts from the north here now, getting dark around the hills
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Orion »

Richard wrote: Tue 19/01/2021 13:14
Orion wrote: Tue 19/01/2021 13:03 A great smell of 'ozone' filtering through the closed windows :)
Describe how that smells please :-k

Big gusts from the north here now, getting dark around the hills
Petrichor, if you like:
Petrichor is the term coined by Australian scientists in 1964 to describe the unique, earthy smell associated with rain. It is caused by the water from the rain, along with certain compounds like ozone, geosmin, and plant oils.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor ... mythology.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Orion »

Temperature falling away: now 17.6°C.
Wind eased a little with the rain.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Richard »

I know what you mean now Orion, you get that smell if it hasn't rained for sometime, remember if being a bacteria that the raindrops hitting the ground release.

Sunny here still but the feel of raindrops hitting the face as I'm working
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Chris W »

The wind has torn a sign on the Chch southern motorway (transport for Chch twitter) and is fanning a fire above Cass Bay (Stuff):

https://twitter.com/TransportChCh/statu ... 33664?s=20

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/123991 ... rong-winds
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by darcyplumb »

Lots of trees and large branches down in Ashburton. Wind currently not as strong as earlier and moderate rain falling.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Cyclone Tracy »

The polar streamer is commencing to sever from the upper level mothership over Antarctica. The cut off low process is now underway SE of the Stewart Island. MetService Ob on the Island is showing 973 hPa and falling, 3 hPa below all model forecasts at this stage.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Chris W »

Similar in Amberley now, lighter winds and steady rain.

Edit 4:25pm - no, back to strong winds
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by dogmelon »

What determines,in a nw'er, whether or not rain bounces off the hills and when it does why do chc hardly ever get it? Everywhere north and south of here does, its like a slot of no weather where chc is.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by NZstorm »

Queenstown, Wanaka, and Pukaki had highs of only around 11C. For Wanaka that is 13C below normal. Overcast with thundery precip along those alps, so no sun.

Todays 5pm lightning detection looks like July. Nothing over Aussie.
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Last edited by NZstorm on Tue 19/01/2021 17:08, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by tich »

Brief rain in Chch a short while ago. Raindrops felt cold, even though it was still about 20C.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Richard »

dogmelon wrote: Tue 19/01/2021 16:35 What determines,in a nw'er, whether or not rain bounces off the hills and when it does why do chc hardly ever get it? Everywhere north and south of here does, its like a slot of no weather where chc is.
CHCH and BP are further away from the main divide, mostly by that time spill over rain reaches there its pretty much lost all its moisture. Here for example, 10k's west can be double the amount of rainfall during weather patterns such these while to the east on the coast its rare to get much more than a few mil.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Awhituobs »

Looks ripe for thunderstorms overnight Auckland
I home just in time :)
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by mikestormchaser »

The 500mb jet 60 to 70 knts today. I thought the NW winds would be strong but perhaps not that strong.

Thinking i might of ate some dust with my lunch at 1pm
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Awhituobs »

Seen on FB damage to property in parts of Canterbury...Amberly
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by spwill »

NZstorm wrote: Tue 19/01/2021 06:50 500mb chart for midnight tonight. Very good cold pool for January! Pity it will be a weak event thunderwise although some spillover rumbles may occur near the lakes.

Wanaka's high yesterday was 8C below normal. Met Service have Wanaka's high 9C below normal today and 7C below normal tomorrow.
Wanaka afternoon maximum was 11C, 13C below January average. Currently 8C there with showery rain. Around 100mm for January so far.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Cyclone Tracy »

Jetstream dipping nicely above the NI ahead of that frontal boundary in the Tasman. Some potential for a rumble early tomorrow morning.
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Re: Polar Outbreak Jan 17th-21st

Unread post by Razor »

I'm in Franz for the night with the family after a wonderful mainly sunny afternoon in Haast

We just had an awesome brief hail shower and some tremendous close lightning with staggeringly loud thunder. Could be a fun night!
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