NIWA warm boats off water (14 Nov 2017) Lightning issues expected

[eruptn 95]

It would appear to day is not the day to use your yacht;

 

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/if-you-know-anyone-water-tell-them-get-niwa-gives-ominous-warning-auckland-boaties-over-lightning-threat

 

 

 

 

[erice 732]

blew through newmarket about 3pm 

 

would have been a bit nasty on the water

 

gone now

[AJ Oliver 154]

We get lots and lots of lightning in our area of the Great Lakes. 

 

Curiously however, almost all the strikes on yachts occur when they are at the dock, not out on the water. 

 

Out little non-profit marina has had three boats fried by lightning in recent years - what happens is that the electricity strikes the mast, travels down, and finds water that has intruded inside the hull, which then is turned to steam and blasts off the outer skin. Sinking usually follows quickly. 

 

But I've been out on the water and had strikes withing several hundred feet of my boat - never got hit (knock on wood) 

 

Go figure . . 

[Black Panther 1,586]

Waterspout off the peninsula here. We were motoring to GH

[madyottie 82]

Left east Tamaki in light drizzle, got moderate hail two minutes later on highbrook drive, bright sunshine a couple of minutes after that as I turned northbound onto the motorway, straight into near white-out hail by Otahuhu.

 

And then, a few hours later on the way home, ok weather, swing off at Bombay out to pukekohe for a pizza, nice and fine, then get back to Pokeno and torrential rain with hail mixed in.

 

Apparently my nearly 3 year old heard thunder, walked up to her mum and proudly shouted "Mum, it's Farken' noisy out there!"

 

Dunno where she learned that!!