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Tuesday 20 June 2000

Cold, wet and windy in Western Australia, with tornadoes as well!
A strong cold front swept across southern WA today bringing thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, gale force winds and around 25mm of rain to the southwest. Temperatures behind the front were decidedly cold, with Albany Airport recording a 3pm temperature of only 7.1°. A tornado and two funnel clouds were observed near Pearce, north of Perth. Gale force winds were reported around the southwestern and southern coasts with the passage of the front, and in the strong WSW windstream behind the front. Cape Leeuwin reported sustained winds of between 90 and 100km/h around 3.30am, 8.30am and 10.30am, while Rottnest Island recorded a peak wind gust of 107km/h at 8.49am. Farther east, strong N to NW winds were experienced across South Australia, with Mt Lofty summit behind Adelaide reporting a peak gust of 102km/h at 7am.

Photos of the Pearce tornado are here.

Today's highest rainfall totals for the 24 hours to 9am

38.0 Pemberton WA
34.0 Shannon Northcliffe WA
29.4 Namarah Surat Qld
28.5 Pilliga PO NSW

Today's highest & lowest temps

Other extremes

Rain:
Northcliffe WA: 21mm in 6h to 6am

Wind:
Cape Leeuwin WA: 10-min average of 98km/h at 8.29am
Rottnest Is WA: Gust of 107km/h at 8.49am
Mt Lofty SA: Gust of 102km/h at 7am

Records set this day

.
Maximum Minimum
33.0 Kalumburu WA
33.0 Gumbalunya Oenpelli NT
33.0 Bradshaw NT
33.0 Jabiru AP NT		 25.0 Coconut Is Qld
25.0 Willis Is Qld
1.9 Mt Hotham Vic -2.1 Fingal Tas

Greatest variations from normal

Maximum Minimum
+6.2
26.0 Alice Springs AP NT		 +9.5
13.8 Injune Qld
-4.2
11.0 Mt Barker WA		 -5.8
3.0 Meekatharra AP WA