What's the Weather like at your place?

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

This photograph was taken a couple of streets over from me on Friday just over a week ago. All of that snow is now long gone, melted away, although three days before that when that freezing polar blast hit the country, it actually snowed in Masterton and settled on the ground for a few hours before rain washed it away.





However, the climate is so fucked up that one of my workmates has a paddock full of ripe strawberries out at Gladstone, even though it is still winter. Jack is a former commander of the SAS who retired from the military several years ago, but now works for Defence Headquarters as their medals consultant, and on the way to and from that job he works as a ticket assistant on Wairarapa trains. All this past week, he has been handing out free strawberries to the commuters heading off to work in Wellington on the first train of the day. He also invited other railway staff to head out to his place and pick some strawberries if they wish, and several of the staff have taken Jack up on his offer.

And regarding the fucked-up climate....I saw a couple of monarch butterflies fly past the locomotive while I was stopped at Renall Street station the other day.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

from The Dominion Post....

Heavy rain and flooding in Wairarapa

Farmland and roads are under water

By HANK SCHOUTEN | 2:13PM - Sunday, 03 August 2014


SUBMERGED: A car is submerged on Kokotau Road in Carterton district. — Photo: MARK ROUND.

HEAVY RAINS in the Tararua Ranges have flooded roads in South Wairarapa today.

The Ruamahanga River burst its banks, flooding farmland and roads.

Roading contractor Fulton Hogan reported floodwaters had closed Dalefield road and Ponatahi Road in Carterton and Pahuatea Road in South Wairarapa.

Met Service duty forecaster David Miller reported that about 300mm fell at Angle Knob on the eastern side of the Tararuas overnight.

This came as northerly winds battered the Wellington region with gusts of up to 140km/h at Mount Kaukau last night.

Winds gusting to over 100km/h buffeted Wellington airport, forcing the cancellation of a number of flights.

A Virgin Airlines flight from Brisbane, an Air New Zealand flight from Queenstown and a Sounds Air Flight to Blenheim were cancelled.

Winds eased overnight and turned to a light southerly today. This was expected to bring colder weather with snow down to 900m, which could effect Taihape and the Desert Rd, Miller said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wairarapa/10342643/Heavy-rain-and-flooding-in-Wairarapa


The rain hasn't been too bad in Masterton, mostly passing rain showers. It blew hard all night, but calmed down late this morning and it's very still & calm at the moment with only occasional light drizzle. I guess the really bad stuff must be south of here. I wonder how Jack's paddock of strawberries have fared? Not good, I'd suspect.

I'm off to work in just over an hour, so I'll get to check out the rivers on the way to Wellington (departing Masterton station at 4:50pm), as well as the countryside around Dalefield. It always floods there, although the railway line passes through the area on an embankment, so doesn't get affected by flooding. The biggest problem we have in the Dalefield area is trees blown over across the tracks. I smashed my way through a few on the way home last night. Locomotives tend to turn trees into instant matchwood when they hit them.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

A glorious winter day at the bottom of the North Island today on both the Wairarapa and Wellington sides of the ranges....

[Alicat]

Rain and more rain in Upper Hutt this morning after some stunning sunny days.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

It's currently at my place in Masterton.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

[nitpicker1]

It started here with hail and wind then thick soft big flakes at 3am gave us about 70mm by 8am 

rain with sleet now and then as the thaw set in

still  2.9c


it ain't fun now the snow has gone from   my   yard                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

It snowed for about 30 minutes at my place from about 3:50pm (it got quite heavy for a little while), then it suddenly stopped and the clouds lifted and we got a bit of sunshine before the sunset. The snow melted away fairly quickly once the sun came out.

Now, it's mostly clear skies with a big, bright almost full moon in the sky. It's going to be bloody freezing overnight by the feel of things.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

   (click on the picture to read the news story)

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

In downtown Auckland (where I am at the moment), the weather is all over the place.

Absolute crap one minute, then fine for a while, then back to crap weather again.

I notice most of the JAFAs are dressed up for winter (I see heaps of Kathmandu down jackets), but I didn't think it was all that cold....I've been only wearing a vest instead of a jacket. Perhaps those JAFAs are a bit soft when it comes to mildly chilly weather compared to us REAL NZers? 

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Fine in JAFAville at the moment.

Which means it's probably going to turn to crap.

Oh well, off to Wellywood later this arvo....hopefully to an “ultimate fairground ride” on the approach....I love it when you get your money's worth on landing....

[Alicat]

This is just after the hail storm started yesterday at my place ...




The white cover increased and my poor parsley and chives plants that I keep in pots were covered in white stones for over an hour afterwards. Poor Bailey was outside when it hit and was shocked when she was hit by those flying white stones. The sun had been shining 5 minutes before it started. I had the doors open and although there was a nip in the air, it was still very pleasant one minute then loud and vicious the next.

[Alicat]

This photo of the girls bird-watching was taken about 10 minutes before the storm - note the sun streaming in.

[guest49]

Went out at ½ past dark this morning to start the bus in order that 40 of New Zealand's future had transport to the school they don't particularly want to be at.
Marbled ice 3/8th inch deep over windscreen!  Fog from home to Totara flat with sub zero temps.
Temperature has now climbed to a staggering 2 degrees!

[Alicat]

Went out at ½ past dark this morning to start the bus in order that 40 of New Zealand's future had transport to the school they don't particularly want to be at.
Marbled ice 3/8th inch deep over windscreen!  Fog from home to Totara flat with sub zero temps.
Temperature has now climbed to a staggering 2 degrees!

Ouch - chilly. I shall stop feeling cold forthwith

[ssweetpea]

Fine in JAFAville at the moment.

Which means it's probably going to turn to crap.

Oh well, off to Wellywood later this arvo....hopefully to an “ultimate fairground ride” on the approach....I love it when you get your money's worth on landing....

You forgot to finish your sentence. It should read;

Which means it's probably going to turn to crap in the next five minutes.

It's been like that most of the week.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Actually, I haven't struck a single drop of rain today.

Although the wind was rather chilly this morning.

I'm currently at Auckland Airport, holding off checking in until the last minute (*) and not only is the sun shining, but it is pleasantly warm, although that is out of the wind (I noted that it was blowing like forty bastards on the way out here, with the airport bus being blown around a bit).


* There is method in my madness of waiting until the last possible minute to check in. I have noticed that when flying to Wellington with Air NZ, if you leave checking in (and depositing your checked luggage) until the last possible minute, then your luggage appears on the baggage conveyor with the “priority luggage” at Wellington Airport. Presumably they close up all of the luggage containers except the “priority luggage” one and chuck any last minute bags in with the priority luggage. So while everybody else is standing around at Wellington Airport waiting for ages for their luggage to appear, mine usually appears within about a minute of getting down to the luggage claim area, so I get to beat the crowds out of the terminal and often manage to catch an earlier Airport Flyer bus into Wellington than most people off the same flight.

[nitpicker1]

ummmm

I'm currently at Auckland Airport, holding off checking in until the last minute






**I wonder if he's gonna try a Brownlie trick, just take a door that is normally used for an exit at an airport onto the forecourt   **             

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

The weather turned out to be rather grotty at Wellington, although the worst of the storm appeared to have passed. It's rather cold outside though.

And as usual, my luggage was about the sixth bag to appear on the conveyor at Wellington, in amongst the priority luggage.

That's the sixth time so far this year I've pulled that stunt of holding off checking in until the last minute and ended up getting my luggage really fast at the other end.

I guess after six consecutive times, I now KNOW for certain that doing things that way works.

Now I'm sitting in a Wairarapa train carriage waiting for the train to depart in about five minutes time.

It'll probably be COLD in Wairarapa tonight.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

from The Dominion Post....

Snowfall warning overnight on Rimutaka Hill

By MATT STEWART | 3:33PM - Thursday, 21 August 2014


ONCE MORE? The Rimutaka Hill when it was closed by snow last month. — ROSS GIBLIN/Fairfax NZ.

A ROAD SNOWFALL WARNING is in place for the Rimutaka Hill overnight while cool southerlies and more drizzle will continue around the Wellington region over the weekend.

MetService duty forecaster Rob Kerr said strong southerlies and showers would begin to ease overnight with showers breaking up and winds easing tomorrow giving way to fine spells and a high of 10 degrees Celsius before a front tracks up the South Island’s east coast bringing more wind, cloud and patchy drizzle in the afternoon.

A similar pattern would emerge on Saturday in the capital and Wairarapa with more drizzle, strong southerlies and cloud and a high of 13°C.

Kerr said Kapiti and Porirua would escape some of the wet weather but apart from that, the chilly situation was similar across the region.

On Sunday the southerlies were set to ease again and showers would clear.

“The story for the weekend is strong southerlies at times, showers and rain with fine spells developing during late Saturday and into Sunday,” Kerr said.

Snow showers are expected on higher parts of the Rimutaka Hill this evening and overnight, where 1-2 centimetres may build up on the road.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/10408597/Snowfall-warning-overnight-on-Rimutaka-Hill

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

It's rather cold in Masterton at the moment and has been for most of the day.

However, the sun has been shining today between rain showers, so it hasn't been all bad, so long as one stays out of the wind.

I'm expecting it to be bloody freezing when I start work early tomorrow morning at 4:00am.

[ssweetpea]

It looks lovely and warm outside.

It's not.

[nitpicker1]

It looks lovely and warm outside.

It's not.

It looked lovely and warm outside.

It wasn't

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

The weather has been a bit grey & drizzly in Wairarapa over the past few days, although it cleared up this afternoon.

Meanwhile, it looks like they have been getting great weather in South Canterbury, judging by the photographs accompanying this news article....


from The Timaru Herald....

Mild end forecast for winter

One last frost on Wednesday?

By Timaru Herald reporters | 11:15AM - Monday, 25 August 2014


Photos: GEORGE EMPSON.

THE WORST of winter's weather appears to be easing this week, MetService forecasts suggest.

After a warmer weekend, light winds and moderate temperatures are forecast for the week ahead in Timaru, Oamaru and the Canterbury high country.

A final winter frost is expected in the early hours of Wednesday morning, while temperatures throughout South Canterbury are expected to reach the low teens throughout the week.

A high of 10 degrees Celsius is expected today with a low of 1°C overnight.


Clear conditions give photographer George Empson a perfect view of the Southern Alps at the weekend. — Photo: GEORGE EMPSON.


Mount Sefton is veiled by a stratocumulus lenticularis cloud. — Photo: GEORGE EMPSON.


This pond is usually icy enough to skate on at this time of year. — Photo: GEORGE EMPSON.


National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) records show Canterbury experienced a warmer, drier winter than usual.
 — Photo: GEORGE EMPSON.


The view from Braemar Road, near Lake Pukaki, looking toward the Southern Alps. — Photo: GEORGE EMPSON.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/10420464/Mild-end-forecast-for-winter

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

from The Dominion Post....

Winter bids a wet farewell for some

By Fairfax NZ reporters | 12:47PM - Sunday, 31 August 2014


FINE END TO WINTER: People make the most of the sunshine on Wellington's waterfront.
 — JEFF TOLLAN/Fairfax NZ.

IT IS the last day of winter and the coldest season is going out with a dousing of heavy rain for the north.

While MetService has issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain in Northland this weekend, most of New Zealand south of Hamilton is bidding farewell to winter with a largely fine day.

Strong to gale north-easterly winds are expected in Northland, with up to 180mm of rain — enough to cause rivers to rise rapidly, with surface flooding possible in low lying areas.

Rain was expected to have peaked by this morning and thunder storms were possible.

Auckland is likely to have heavy falls with easterly winds gusting to 100km/h.

Hamilton, Taupo, New Plymouth, Masterton, and Napier are in for rain and easterlies.

However, the picture improves further south, with a largely fine days in Wellington, Palmerston North and most of the South Island, with the exception of Christchurch and Blenheim, which both have a chance of drizzle.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/10444115/Winter-bids-a-wet-farewell-for-some

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

The sun was shining at my place in Wairarapa earlier this morning, but since then it has mostly been overcast skies.

No rain yet, though.