Willoughby Owen
EF2
Unlike the US
, there seems to be no shortage of strong upper troughs amplifying over New Zealand now during late Autumn.
May 11 - Bay of Plenty on the North Island's ENE coast.
A strong upper trough (500mb temps were a rocking -31C and approaching) coupled with days of a persistent belt of sub-polar lows regenerating up the Islands brought quite a bit of instability over the Tasman Sea and Pacific where waters are relatively warm (16-20C) this time of year.
Vortex of the low (990mb) just off the west coast of the North Island can easily be seen embedded with a thunderstorm there. Turned out to be a highly supportive environment for tornadoes and one wonders if this storm that smashed through Papamoa just east of Tauranga with 1 in 30 year hail, was supercellular in nature and formed a waterspout or tornado? It developed just off the beach. I'd be curious to know what some experts think.
Another view,
Youtube video of storming hail and distant twister (worth a watch) Not sure if it's the same twister above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEDog1KC9IM
And for a bit of fun:![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx31Nen8NiA
Flooding hail!
NOAA-19 satellite at 3.24PM, near when the storm hit -- Papamoa is directly east of the low vortex on the other side of the island:
http://satellite.landcareresearch.co.nz/noaa-db/2009/may/qd11059.jpg
Modelled Papamoa sounding based on GDAS,
http://imgur.com/nir2z.gif
NZ is setting itself up for it's coldest May on record based on current model trends as an omega block in the SC Pacific Ocean continues...
( http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/intraseasonal/z500_sh_anim.shtml )
I'd be interesting to hear your thoughts re if it was a supercellular tornado or waterspout.
Relevant news article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10571661
Thanks
Willoughby
May 11 - Bay of Plenty on the North Island's ENE coast.
A strong upper trough (500mb temps were a rocking -31C and approaching) coupled with days of a persistent belt of sub-polar lows regenerating up the Islands brought quite a bit of instability over the Tasman Sea and Pacific where waters are relatively warm (16-20C) this time of year.
Vortex of the low (990mb) just off the west coast of the North Island can easily be seen embedded with a thunderstorm there. Turned out to be a highly supportive environment for tornadoes and one wonders if this storm that smashed through Papamoa just east of Tauranga with 1 in 30 year hail, was supercellular in nature and formed a waterspout or tornado? It developed just off the beach. I'd be curious to know what some experts think.
![e0dmy.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2Fe0dmy.jpg&hash=775a9b32840c01f950d265c448cff4eb)
Another view,
![zafvo.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2Fzafvo.jpg&hash=2d4e0b45d705cc5b371611006e86d520)
Youtube video of storming hail and distant twister (worth a watch) Not sure if it's the same twister above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEDog1KC9IM
And for a bit of fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx31Nen8NiA
Flooding hail!
![m60o9.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fimgur.com%2Fm60o9.jpg&hash=891a39ac55bf9009bc39b7170724e5fb)
NOAA-19 satellite at 3.24PM, near when the storm hit -- Papamoa is directly east of the low vortex on the other side of the island:
http://satellite.landcareresearch.co.nz/noaa-db/2009/may/qd11059.jpg
Modelled Papamoa sounding based on GDAS,
http://imgur.com/nir2z.gif
NZ is setting itself up for it's coldest May on record based on current model trends as an omega block in the SC Pacific Ocean continues...
( http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/intraseasonal/z500_sh_anim.shtml )
I'd be interesting to hear your thoughts re if it was a supercellular tornado or waterspout.
Relevant news article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10571661
Thanks
Willoughby
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