Australian Weather News -- 30 August 2000

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Wednesday 30 August 2000

Record August heat on Queensland's tropical north coast
Strong winds, heavy showers in SW WA

Light winds and exceptionally low humidity allowed daytime temperatures to soar along Queensland's north tropical coast today, producing record August maximum temperatures at at least two locations (see box below). Cairns Airport's midday relative humidity was only 27%, while inland at Hughenden, the 3pm humidity of 10% was accompanied by a temperature of 35°, 7 above normal.

A strong pressure gradient developed ahead of a cold front as it approached Western Australia's southwest this evening, bringing heavy showers to the Darling Range behind Perth and gale to storm force winds around the coast. Bickley, southeast of Perth CBD and at the foot of the range, recorded 49mm for the 24 hours to 9am Thursday, mostly falling during the evening and overnight. Other high 24 hour falls are shown in the rainfall box for 31 August. Gales began at Cape Leeuwin mid afternoon, with a peak sustained wind speed of 93km/h recorded at 4.49pm.

Today's highest rainfall totals for the 24 hours to 9am 23.2 Fingal Tas 20.0 Perisher Valley NSW 19.8 Pioneer Tas 19.0 Wilsons Promontory Vic High falls for other periods: Western Australia: Bickley: 11mm in 1h to 9pm	Today's highest & lowest temps		Other extremes Wind: Cape Leeuwin WA: 10-min average wind of 93km/h at 4.49pm. Records set this day Highest maximum temperature for August (previous record and years of computerised record shown in brackets): Low Isles LH Qld: 33.0 (30.5, 33) Innisfail Qld: 30.4 (29.6, 44)
	Maximum	Minimum
	38.0 Wollogorang NT	25.0 Dum in Mirrie NT 25.0 Wadeye Port Keats NT
	-2.0 Crackenback NSW	-8.0 Perisher Valley NSW
	Greatest variations from normal
	Maximum	Minimum
	+8.8 37.0 Camooweal Qld	+10.2 17.0 Jervois NT +9.1 17.8 Urandangie Qld
	-4.8 17.8 Taroom Qld	-6.7 -1.1 Casterton Vic

Times stated are the clock time in force in the relevant state or territory
Stories, including those in the archives, are as new and corrected information becomes available, with updates underlined
Australian Weather News gratefully acknowledges the Bureau of Meteorology as the collector and main source of meteorological data in Australia, along with the thousands of observers who record the weather and rainfall daily. I also thank Don White, Blair Trewin and the many contributors to the Aussie Weather mailing list who routinely provide much appreciated information.