12-Dec-2005

Pop Corn Type Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms have been popping like pop-corn over New Zealand over the weekend and will continue to do so for the rest of this week. MetService meteorologists have issued a special weather advisory on thunderstorms for Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taupo, Taranaki, Taihape, Wanganui, Manawatu, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, and Wairarapa.

"The Tasman Sea is a breeding ground for troughs of low pressure at present," commented MetService Weather Ambassador, Bob McDavitt. "The large high-pressure area east of New Zealand is blocking the normal flow of the weather, and this combination is keeping humid northerlies over the country until this weekend. Thunderstorms are popping up over the land daily in the intense summer sunlight."

Over the weekend thundery showers brought 70 millimetres of much needed rain to Taupo. One turned streets into canals in Palmerston North and another dumped 27 millimetres in an hour over Lumsden. "These thundery showers may not have been very numerous in the north so far, but they have been bringing decent dollops of rain here and there. These can result in rapid surface flooding especially in and near mountain streams."

The most likely areas for these thunderstorms will be changing daily. To check out the latest severe thunderstorm outlook map go to the www.metservice.com website.

ENDS