Boxing Day Rumbles

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Fujita Phil
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Boxing Day Rumbles

Unread post by Fujita Phil »

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.
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Fujita Phil
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Unread post by Fujita Phil »

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 :D
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Unread post by NZstorm »

Sunny day here in Timaru with cb tops to the south.
Also, an Isolated cb to the north of here, maybe over Ashburton.
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Unread post by NZstorm »

Cb to the north of here currently producing a funnel cloud. First observed about 5 mins ago. (cb over mid Canterbury coast)
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Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

NZstorm wrote:Cb to the north of here currently producing a funnel cloud. First observed about 5 mins ago. (cb over mid Canterbury coast)
HAVE YOU GOT A PHOTO OF IT? :)

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Unread post by NZstorm »

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.
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Unread post by spwill »

There was a 20 min Thunderstorm with hail in Mosgiel, just South of Dunedin about 3-30pm.

Look forward to seeing your funnel cloud photo's Steven.
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Unread post by NZstorm »

This Canterbury storm woud have produced large hail, though much of it would have fallen just off the coast. It was a dry low precip type storm, a classic hail maker. Sat pic shows the storm well.
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Unread post by NZstorm »

heres that sat pic
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Fujita Phil
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Unread post by Fujita Phil »

A few pics from the mid-afternoon storm...
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Unread post by Fujita Phil »

and a few more...
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Unread post by NZstorm »

A freash cb cell has developed in the last 15mins out to the NE with little precip but just observed a nice CG out of it.
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Unread post by Thunder »

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! :D ), 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.
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Unread post by NZstorm »

Aaron, the Invercargill 500mb temp was -16C last night, dropping to -25C by this morning. Obviously some of that colder air has got as far north as South Canterbury late afternoon combined with afternoon heating and convergence to produce local cb. Got some nice photos of the buildup.
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Unread post by Skywatcher »

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 :?:
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Unread post by TonyT »

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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Unread post by Thunder »

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.
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Unread post by 03Stormchaser »

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
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Unread post by NZstorm »

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.
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Unread post by Thunder »

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 :shock:

Some cumulus building outside, 8)

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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Unread post by NZstorm »

What do you think brought about the FC's Steven W?
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.
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.
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