Index: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Home > Nor'west arch

The Nor'west arch is a weather pattern peculiar to the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. For this reason, it is also often referred to as the Canterbury arch. It is shown in an apparent arch of high white cloud in an otherwise clear blue sky over the Southern Alps, and is accompanied by a strong hot northwesterly wind simply known as The Nor'wester.

The northwesterly wind in the South Island is a föhn wind. Warm moist air from over the Tasman Sea is pushed up by the presence of the Southern Alps, causing it to cool rapidly. Much of the moisture is dumped on the West Coast, and is responsible for the temperate rain forests found there. As the air passes over the alps, the water vapour remaining becomes visible in a band of cloud over the mountains. From the perspective of a viewer on the eastern side, this appears as an arch of cloud.

The Nor'west arch can be seen from as far north as Amberley, and as far south as Central Otago, but it is at its most prominent on the Canterbury Plains, due to the flat and low-lying nature of the land to the east of the mountains.

The Nor'wester, when it hits, is not only responsible for Canterbury's intermittent droughts, but also has a deep psychological effect on people subjected to its hot, dry nature. It has been statistically linked to increases in suicide and domestic violence.

Weather New Zealand Canterbury, New Zealand

Read more »

<Hide>

Topics: Nor'west Arch, Northern Cavefish, North America, North Sea...

Northern cavefishAmblyopsis spelea (Northern Blindfish) are found in caves through Kentucky and southern Indiana. The White River, flowing east to west south of Bedford, Indiana, delimits the northern range of Amblyopsis spelea''. These fish are not found in caves north o	North AmericaNorth America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocea	North SeaThe North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. A bay of the North Sea is Skagerrak, bet
Northwest TerritoriesA former territory in the United States is called Northwest Territory . Northwest Territories Territoires du Nord-Ouest ( In Detail) ( In Detail) Motto: None Capital Yellowknife Official Languages Chipewyan, Cree, Dogrib or Tli Cho, English, French, Gwich	Northwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the Arctic archipelago of Canada. Between the end of the 15th century and the 20th century, Europeans attempted to establish a commercial sea route north and west around	NorwayThe Kingdom of Norway is a Nordic country west of Sweden on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It has a very elongated form and has an extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean, where Norway's famous fjords are found. In addition to Sweden, it borders R
Nordic University Computer Club	North Korea	Northern Ireland
Norwegian Sea	Northern Mariana Islands	Norfolk Island
Norma Macmillan	Normal distribution	North Atlantic drift

Non User