Boxing Day Rumbles
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For today's weather discussion head to: New Zealand Weather & Climate
These topics are a read-only archive and may be subject to out-of-date information.
For today's weather discussion head to: New Zealand Weather & Climate
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Boxing Day Rumbles
The sky is talking around here this afternoon. At present we have thunder to the east and to the SW. The SW is just a constant roar, much more than the StormTracker shows.
I'll keep you informed.
I'll keep you informed.
There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes.
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WOW!!!
That was the most thunder i have ever heard. It was a constant rumble for about 30mins and is still going. Many, many strikes. Much more than the Tracker is picking up. The system has moved south of the city (somewhere about Milton would have got an amazing overhead show) and heading out to sea.
Move rumbles again outside. Another one probably coming.
I went to the top of the hill behind us (Signal Hill Lookout) and took about 100 shots on the digital camera. Just going to check now to see if I got anything before going out again. Did get some strikes on a short mpeg.
Woo Hoo
That was the most thunder i have ever heard. It was a constant rumble for about 30mins and is still going. Many, many strikes. Much more than the Tracker is picking up. The system has moved south of the city (somewhere about Milton would have got an amazing overhead show) and heading out to sea.
Move rumbles again outside. Another one probably coming.
I went to the top of the hill behind us (Signal Hill Lookout) and took about 100 shots on the digital camera. Just going to check now to see if I got anything before going out again. Did get some strikes on a short mpeg.
Woo Hoo

There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes.
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Yes John, got some photos of this storm and the funnel clouds. Observed a second ropey funnel about 20mins ago. The first funnel observed earlier, lasted a good 10minutes. Observed a number of CG's which were just off the coast.
Wind in Timaru up till about 6pm was cool NE but backed to warm NW. This storm looks to have developed on that change, something like a dry line storm I guess.
Photos will be posted when I get home end of the week.
Wind in Timaru up till about 6pm was cool NE but backed to warm NW. This storm looks to have developed on that change, something like a dry line storm I guess.
Photos will be posted when I get home end of the week.
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Great stuff Steven W! I look foward to your photo's!
I suspected some activity down south today which there looks like there has been according to Phil's pics (great!
), but I didn't think the area of instability would spread much further north. Reminds me of certain times last November where I could see Cb tops just peaking over this side of the peninsula. This time only the very edge of the instability has come this far with some cumulus popping up over this side but that'll be all tonight.
I should keep more aware on these types of days, glad you got some stuff Steven W and lucky you went down south when you did. Dean's in Cairns and there's no one else in that area to report stuff.
I suspected some activity down south today which there looks like there has been according to Phil's pics (great!

I should keep more aware on these types of days, glad you got some stuff Steven W and lucky you went down south when you did. Dean's in Cairns and there's no one else in that area to report stuff.
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I could see a distant Cb to the SW from here but it had moved well out to sea by the time I reached a beach near Rakaia Huts at about 8:15. I could hear a lot of strong sferics on the radio and thought I saw a flash. The base was below the horizon and there was bright sunshine so it might be wishful thinking
Here are a couple of panoramas I took while I was there.
That storm died out shortly after I got home and then the tracker seemed to be picking up something over Birdlings Flat/Little River area but I don't know if that was just false ranging

Here are a couple of panoramas I took while I was there.
That storm died out shortly after I got home and then the tracker seemed to be picking up something over Birdlings Flat/Little River area but I don't know if that was just false ranging

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Interesting - driving south from Amberley around 7pm (same time as the satpic) I could see that cloud very clearly on the southern horizon. I guessed it was probably just south of Banks Peninsula, but from the sat pic and your reports it was clearly well south of there. Must have been 100km away or more! From this distance it looked like a storm system (probably one of those mythical super cells Aaron!) with multiple anvils and cauliflower heads coming out of it. Shame I didnt have my camera with me.
Last edited by TonyT on Mon 27/12/2004 10:44, edited 1 time in total.
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Ahh yes Tony, one must always be on the lookout..
Cool pic Steven G, I'm guessing you've used the wide angle and cropped it?
03Storm went for a drive to the other end of Lake elsmere (not birdlingd flat, the other end) and saw what you saw Tony. Overshooting tops coming out of the anvils. And the reports of funnel clouds by Steven W, could it have been? Not sure..
There is some cold air still up there today, -20/-21 at 500mb around the canterbury plains and coast. Yesterday was around -23 with -25 around the Invercargill area as Steven W said. So we'll need a bit more heating but we could again get something, not as good as yesterday looked but something to keep an eye on.

Cool pic Steven G, I'm guessing you've used the wide angle and cropped it?
03Storm went for a drive to the other end of Lake elsmere (not birdlingd flat, the other end) and saw what you saw Tony. Overshooting tops coming out of the anvils. And the reports of funnel clouds by Steven W, could it have been? Not sure..
There is some cold air still up there today, -20/-21 at 500mb around the canterbury plains and coast. Yesterday was around -23 with -25 around the Invercargill area as Steven W said. So we'll need a bit more heating but we could again get something, not as good as yesterday looked but something to keep an eye on.
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went for a wee drive down to south bridge and then over too the beach, A very nice cb was observed, it looked very 'tornadic' as John would say!
It did seem to have an overshoot to it
A couple of pics: enjoy
It did seem to have an overshoot to it

A couple of pics: enjoy
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Yesterdays activity was in the vicinity of Temuka through to Rangitata and offshore. A NW land breeze was converging with the cooler moist NE on the coast. As cells developed they drifted out to sea in the upper westerly flow. Funnel clouds came from mature cb's, not t/cu. Got some interesting photos I think.
Cb tops to the south looked interesting as well. I could see them from about 3pm.
upper winds from Rakaia yesterday
1pm 1000ft 035(NE) 14kts, 2000ft 010(N) 14kts, 3000ft 315(NW) 18kts
7pm 1000ft 335(NW) 14kts, 2000st 320(NW) 16kts, 3000ft 300(WNW) 14kts.
Cb tops to the south looked interesting as well. I could see them from about 3pm.
upper winds from Rakaia yesterday
1pm 1000ft 035(NE) 14kts, 2000ft 010(N) 14kts, 3000ft 315(NW) 18kts
7pm 1000ft 335(NW) 14kts, 2000st 320(NW) 16kts, 3000ft 300(WNW) 14kts.
Last edited by NZstorm on Mon 27/12/2004 11:56, edited 1 time in total.
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What do you think brought about the FC's Steven W? Was it some general low level rotation or was it something bigger, like a............mesocyclone perhaps? Would be great to know! Since it came from mature Cb v's big cumulus like our previous funnel clouds it has the chance of being from something big
Some cumulus building outside,
Just saw your new edited post Steven W. So yes, it looks like there might have been enough turning in the atmosphere. I've got to figure out how to read these confounded wind metars.
Edited: 7:47pm
Despite the ENE today (which wasn't very strong, quite nice) the dewpoint didn't get above 9. I think it is due to the NE air originating from further south rather than north so nothing today. Oh well, Thursday / Friday looks good!

Some cumulus building outside,

Just saw your new edited post Steven W. So yes, it looks like there might have been enough turning in the atmosphere. I've got to figure out how to read these confounded wind metars.
Edited: 7:47pm
Despite the ENE today (which wasn't very strong, quite nice) the dewpoint didn't get above 9. I think it is due to the NE air originating from further south rather than north so nothing today. Oh well, Thursday / Friday looks good!
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I think they were most likely 'landspouts' which are a non mesocyclonic funnel. But I was a good 10km+ from the cb so not in a position to observe the cloud base closely. The low level wind shear observable on the Rakaia sounding would have had alot to do with their formation.What do you think brought about the FC's Steven W?
And I think the shear situation would have been enhanced by the afternoon sea breeze after the 1pm ob.
The afternoon temperature at Ashburton on the 26th was 24C compared to about 16C at Timaru and along the coast. Quite a marked temperature/dewpoint contrast either side of the convergence line.