Topic: NZ tornadoes New Plymouth

[nmoir]

Early morning tornadoes in New Plymouth NZ

no pics of them , just damage

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/photogallery-new-plymouth-tornadoes-4245277

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/new-plymouth-rocked-tornado-terror-4244713/video

[nzstorm]

The Taranaki region seems to get a lot of tornadoes, small short track events. F0-f2 rarely F3.

The Met Service have done a blogg post of the hook echo here.
http://blog.metservice.com/

[Jimmy Deguara]

That is a very nice hook and seems to last for some time! I note that is reflectivity but is there also doppler there?

Question in regards to that region: is there a persistent east - west boundary that naturally sets up in specific conditions?

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[nzstorm]

The New Plymouth radar is a doppler but the Met Service are stingy about public access. They have a user pays policy.

Taranaki has a 2,500m volcanic peak and the terrain plays a part in the incidence of tornadoes, enhancing low level shear due to deflection. If surface winds veer into the NE in unstable weather then the chance of tornadoes goes up.