Storms widespread in NSW and northern WA
Temperature extremes in west and east
Violent electrical storms were widespread in NSW ahead of the trough this morning, an unusual hour for strong storm development. One line of storms, which formed in the state's Central West around 3am dumped 46mm on Parkes as it passed, and intense electrical activity accompanied the storm band until it weakened near the coast. Storms redeveloped during the afternoon, giving falls of 50 to 60mm to an area between Goulburn and Cowra. Golspie, 50km north of Goulburn, recorded 57mm for the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday, and Bigga, a further 50km NW, 55.4mm.
Storms, and an area of heavy rain, also developed over central northern WA late last night and drifted southeast this morning. The mining community of Telfer, in the Great Sandy Desert 400km SE of Port Hedland, recorded 73mm of steady rain between 9 last night and noon today, 60 of it falling in the 24 hour period to 9am. The town's average April rainfall is 15mm, and its previous heaviest April 24-hour fall had been 36.2mm in 27 years of record.
| Temperature conditions across the continent today varied wildly. Daytime maximum temperatures (below right) across much of Western Australia were from 6 to as much as 14° below normal as cold winds swept in from the south and cloud cover put a stop on daytime warming. Warburton recorded at top of only 15°, 14 below, and Giles Meteorological Office 17°, 12.4 below. Meanwhile, much of central eastern Australia experienced an abnormally warm night (above right), as warm, muggy conditions persisted ahead of the trough. Urandangie, Windorah and Cunnamulla in Queensland all recorded minimum temperatures in the mid 20s, around 10 above normal. Daytime temperatures in the area were also around 8 to 10 above normal. |  |
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