NZ Weather Forum

It's gone easterly here at Kairaki for what it's worth. May help

Quite abit of TCU going up around Southern Christchurch now.
Wind is a breezy southerly but clouds moving from west to east.
Today is about a pool of development rather than awaiting a storm to move up.

Thunder now to the south of Geraldine, moving east out to sea. Can;t see much as there is a lot of clagg about.
Much cooler here down to 14C.

Hearing lots of thunder now from a cell just west of Rangitata but all lightning is in the clouds

Just had a very heavy shower move through around 7pm, with 10.1mm recorded in just 12 minutes, heavy for around here. No hail thank goodness just a very heavy downpour like what you get up in the North Island. Lots of thunder as well especially to the north of here but because of low cloud layers no lightning was seen. You could just about call this a Clagg Thunderstorm?

Good drop of rain there by the sounds John .
Looks like the storm down near Rangitata is moving up the plains rather than west to east like the activity earlier.

I wonder why it's in a narrow band like that?

Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Period: 4hrs 29min from 7:31pm Sun, 31 Dec - midnight Sun, 31 Dec
Area: Christchurch, Canterbury Plains
Forecast: Thunderstorms have developed over South Canterbury this evening (News Years Eve) and are expected to move northwards over the Canterbury Plains during the next few hours with heavy rain and hail. Between 7:30pm and midnight tonight (Sunday, New Years Eve) a few of the thunderstorms over the Canterbury Plains (from about Timaru northwards), Christchurch and Banks Peninsula may be severe with localised downpours of 25-40mm/h and hail possibly larger than 20mm diameter. Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain. Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glass-houses and vehicles, as well as make driving conditions hazardous. The thunderstorm activity will die away overnight.
Issued: 7:37pm Sun 31 Dec
Next update: 12:00am Mon 1 Jan

Current Kairaki scene, literally not a cloud
Edit ok a tiny one

Razor wrote: ↑Sun 31/12/2023 19:52 Current Kairaki scene, literally not a cloud

Interesting. Just been talking to Bob Crowder and he said it was a fine clear sky from his home on the Cashmere hills and nothing looking like adverse weather that we have had down here in Geraldine.

Raindrops starting to patter down, hitting east-facing window.
14.9°C now.

The initial line of storms appear to be weakening. Perhaps more to come?

Keen easterly blowing into a sunset anvil or two

Halswell looking E/ SE

Just looking at those towers to the NE from here, have really shot up.
Wind is actually a light NE here now.

darcyplumb wrote: ↑Sun 31/12/2023 20:59 The initial line of storms appear to be weakening. Perhaps more to come?

Same looking cloud scenario here but not picking any sferics. Gaps showing Cu as above on Thunder081's posting.
Could be more rain overnight.

A tower is going up fast over chch about a few km from me so I can watch the top race up. It's impressive speed in those updraughts.

They really are going up fast, quite impressive strong towers and has turned into a CB now over Southern New Brighton.
Another cell is developing to the SW not far from here.
Severe thunderstorm warned coming into Timaru from MS too.

STWarning issued by MS for Timaru. Not good for the New Year festivities in Caroline Bay
Must be a special type of lightning as not picking up any sferics from it. ?

It's amazing how slow moving this change is. First the norwest kept it at bay all afternoon now the easterly is doing the same job all evening
Somewhere must be feeling the energy explosion, surely

This was always going to be a night time set up, the cold upper air and trough is only just edging into mid Canterbury now.
The easterly is a good thing, it's going to feed the development.

The storm that went through Timaru will probably move up the coastline and pick up other development.

Edit: just having a shower currently and seen some lightning over Banks Peninsula way.

I just observed several lightning flashes across tbe back of Banks Peninsula. Hard to see many of us getting much more than that

Storm Struck wrote: ↑Sun 31/12/2023 22:33 The storm that went through Timaru will probably move up the coastline and pick up other development.

It looks like going north but out to sea. I don't know if it was electrically active but seems to have a bit of hail with it.

Big peal of thunder to the ?east? and heavy rain begins.

Happy New year!

And hail by the sound of that. 11.8°C and heavy rain with it.