Major Cold System 10-15th June.

[Richard]

The Glentanner to Hermitage area is stunning.
See how the models trend for early /mid next week, currently the very cold air is not far away.

Yes that cold air is coming up behind that front seen on the satellite heading up onto the Tasman, its going to intensify when it meets the warmer waters.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Might be an interesting flight to Wellington tomorrow morning?

[Razor]

Lightning tracker picking up action around Castle Hill through to Oxford

[TonyT]

Lightning tracker picking up action around Castle Hill through to Oxford

Visible to the far west of here also.

[Lawrence]

Absolutely heaving it down here, presently at 6.0 mm per hour, only been going for 20 minutes and we are at 2.5mm.

[Razor]

My spies in Greymouth report a fantastic thunder and hail show this evening

[Storm Struck]

Tonight's spillover belt of rain actually didn't register on any surface model maps, mainly because it was very short sharp but brief.
The brief belts of rain we are seeing for mid morning tomorrow, early Friday morning and again early Saturday morning, although will be mainly steady to heavy rain on the plains I wouldn't be surprised to hear a rumble or two.
Also some snow perhaps in the terms of flurries ( not settling ) on the plains above 200m on Saturday morning, would also see sleet in the rain at lower levels.
So even though a majority of the time it will be dry out east, we will still be getting some activity.

Of note on recent model runs has a more SSW flow from Monday to Wednesday next week now with more moisture present, however upper air is slightly warmer through this period.

[JP.]

Strong NW winds on metservice forecast for tomorrows super rugby semi final in Christchurch. Unusual in my opinion to see strong NW changes in winter.

Might make the temperature somewhat bearable for those attending

[kiwisk8er]

Metservice have just put out a heavy snow watch for:

"Central Otago, the Queenstown Lakes District and the Canterbury High Country west of Otematata and about and south of Mount Cook village for 6hrs from midnight Thu, 9 Jun - 6am Fri, 10 Jun. A brief period of heavy snow is possible above 700 metres during this time, and snow amounts may approach warning criteria above 700 metres. Please note, another period of heavy snow is possible late Friday and Saturday."

I'm hoping Dunedin will get some snow over the cold system, but I'm not too hopeful.

[Razor]

Wellington getting pummeled by severe TS. And reports of another Kapiti tornado coming in

[BeaconHill]

Wellington has been having a great run of thunderstorms so far this year with 3 decent period of activity in little over a month.

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Last night around 8pm a line of thunderstorms passed to the south of the city, making for some interesting flight paths!

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2am this morning we had a decent light show, intense rain with hail mixed in.

Then the line that crossed the city around 1230pm was VERY active. Intense rain and many Cloud to Ground strikes. Little wonder the Kapiti Coast copped a beating as it passed over them 30mins later. My parents who live near the beach at Waikanae Beach were worried they were going to have a window or 2 blow out it got that intense. Thankfully it looks like not too much damage compared to the recent events in Levin.

As at 3pm, the wind has dropped off and the blue sky is back….. for now….

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(Apologies for the grubby-as window at work)

[JP.]

Days like today the east coast of the South Island misses any action completely. Christchurch has had sunny periods with a westerly wind.

Quite boring compared to what other parts of NZ have had.

[Rogue]

While the area in Waikanae where the tornado was reported is a tornado hotspot... I've seen nothing so far today that indicates anything other than a strong wind event. I was down at Paraparaumu beach as it was passing over, and thought for a second I was going to have a tree fall on my car. But those sorts of conditions were reported at nearly every suburb along the coast... will happily eat my words if some video surfaces confirming otherwise.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Wellington getting pummeled by severe TS. And reports of another Kapiti tornado coming in

Yes. A severe thunderstorm with heavy squally rain greeted us on arrival in Wellington today. Lots of sheet lightning and rolls of thunder including one roll with a 'dump'. Easing off quickly though as we went around to Lower Hutt.

[BeaconHill]

Gusting 47knots at Waikanae beach in the last half hour according to my 80 year old father (who has the weather station on the house as he is still a VERY active kite surfer, plus all the other kiters in the area use his station to decide if they should knock off work to go kiting!). The 47knots is 5 knots more than when the “tornado’s” were reported around 1pm.

[BeaconHill]

While the area in Waikanae where the tornado was reported is a tornado hotspot... I've seen nothing so far today that indicates anything other than a strong wind event. I was down at Paraparaumu beach as it was passing over, and thought for a second I was going to have a tree fall on my car. But those sorts of conditions were reported at nearly every suburb along the coast... will happily eat my words if some video surfaces confirming otherwise.

Not so much a comment on todays exact wind events up the Kapiti coast, but the area of Paraparaumu (near Mazengarb Road) that had damage today, and 2 years ago “might” be an unlucky hot spot. My dad has witnessed many times when the wind is at the right direction, it funnels over the top of Kapiti island, and forms huge “sea spray whirlies” (not tornados or water spouts). Just LARGE wide areas of rotating sea spray. From his house near the Waikanae River mouth, he gets a clear view of these “whirlies” forming about halfway to Kapiti Island, and then racing towards land. Nearly ALL dissipate close to the coast line, but some do reach the beach. I wonder if as these hit the land, that changes the dynamics and they become more intense.

This shows the rough area he has seen them coming onshore in relation to the top of Kapiti Island. Mazengarb Road is smack in that zone.

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[RODALCO]

I find it always interesting that a tornado is reported by the media, but no video or photo's are taken. More or less everyone carries a smart phone, so you would expect someone will take a shot of the action. My guess it is more an inflow gust of wind when a storm-cell is in the area.

[TonyT]

While the area in Waikanae where the tornado was reported is a tornado hotspot... I've seen nothing so far today that indicates anything other than a strong wind event. I was down at Paraparaumu beach as it was passing over, and thought for a second I was going to have a tree fall on my car. But those sorts of conditions were reported at nearly every suburb along the coast... will happily eat my words if some video surfaces confirming otherwise.

Not so much a comment on todays exact wind events up the Kapiti coast, but the area of Paraparaumu (near Mazengarb Road) that had damage today, and 2 years ago “might” be an unlucky hot spot. My dad has witnessed many times when the wind is at the right direction, it funnels over the top of Kapiti island, and forms huge “sea spray whirlies” (not tornados or water spouts). Just LARGE wide areas of rotating sea spray. From his house near the Waikanae River mouth, he gets a clear view of these “whirlies” forming about halfway to Kapiti Island, and then racing towards land. Nearly ALL dissipate close to the coast line, but some do reach the beach. I wonder if as these hit the land, that changes the dynamics and they become more intense.

This shows the rough area he has seen them coming onshore in relation to the top of Kapiti Island. Mazengarb Road is smack in that zone.
AB5918EC-BF0F-4468-81EC-16A30E5E0A07.jpeg

I've seen similar vortices off the Lyttelton heads in strong SW flow.

[wembley]

I am wondering if the storm that hit Kapiti might have been a derecho rather than a twister.

[Awhituobs]

big Norfolk pines were snapped in half in Waikanae I see
that's incredibly strong winds if not a nado
Norfolk pines normally handle wind

[Razor]

Another round of severe TS in the Kapiti Horowhenua alley as we wake. The locals must be over it

[jamesh]

Cold air shifting north in a hurry. CHCH at around 6:30am was 8.5C now at 8:30 it is 5C.

[Richard]

Getting quite a few spillover showers, up to 10mm this morning

[spwill]

Some nice Cbs visible this morning to the SW of Auckland with the thunderstorm activity down that way, parts of Waikato catching them.

[darcyplumb]

Strong wind watch issued for tonight for a large part of the South Island.