 SE
Qld storms cause at least $6m damage
 Bushfires
continue but ease in NSW |
| Severe thunderstorms swept
far northeastern NSW and SE Qld late this afternoon and early evening
damaging hundreds of homes on the Qld Gold Coast and at Boonah
and Rathdownie, about 60km SW of Brisbane. The storms developed as
a weak trough moved over the area, and produced spectacular lightning and
damaging wind squalls. No anemometers recorded high gusts, but over $5m
damage was caused to houses and property on the Gold Coast and $1.5 in the
Boonah area. The worst hit parts of the coastal strip were Ashmore, Southport
and Runaway Bay. Over 33,000 homes lost power and emergency services fielded
300 calls for assistance. An SES Gold Coast spokesman said "It's the
biggest storm damage we've had here for at least 20 years." More than
40 homes in Boohah had their roofs removed or damaged. Trees and powerlines
were brought down over a wide area. Police reported that the winds were
strong enough to sever Norfolk pines at the base. The state government activated
its disaster relief arrangements, allowing victims of the storm to apply
for assistance.
Hot weather continued in NE NSW
today. A bushfire which began in Bunjelaung National Park on the far North
Coast closed the Pacific Highway and caused the evacuation of about 100
campers from the Black Rock campsite. Over 10,000ha of bushland was burnt.
The two major fires in the state's Central West, near Eugowra and Yeovil,
eased today however. Both areas have been declared natural disaster areas,
and loans and financial assistance has been offered by government. The
Eugowra blaze has been quenched by thunderstorm rains, but the fire in
the Goobang National Park near Yeovil continues. It has so far burnt out
around 23,000ha of crops, grazing country and bushland, and killed 5,000
sheep. The area has been declared a Natural Disaster Area.
|
|
National
weather extremes for today
Data provided
by the Bureau
of Meteorology
Last updated at 16:49 EDST on 23/12/01
|
| Quality
control note: Data is complete, and has been visually checked by AWN for
gross errors. Less obvious errors may remain. See Explanation
of Extremes Pages for more information |
| Records
set this day (none known) |
|
Todays highest rainfall
totals for the 24 hours to 9am. It includes the top 5 totals received,
and/or all reported falls of 50mm or more.
52.6 HUMPTY DOO COLLARD ROAD Darwin-Daly
NT
48.2 MCMINNS LAGOON Darwin-Daly NT
46.6 MERLUNA N Peninsula QLD
46.6 BRETTI-MACKAY (BARNARD RIVER) MidNorth Coast S NSW
42.0 MARLOW'S LAGOON Darwin-Daly NT
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Darwin-Daly
52.6 HUMPTY DOO COLLARD ROAD
48.2 MCMINNS LAGOON
42.0 MARLOW'S LAGOON
QUEENSLAND
N
Peninsula
46.6 MERLUNA
NEW
SOUTH WALES
MidNorth
Coast S
46.6 BRETTI-MACKAY (BARNARD RIVER)
|
High rainfall for periods
of 6 hours or less.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
W
Kimberley
DERBY AERO
5.8mm in 14 min to 21:14 24.9mm/h
NORTHERN TERRITORY
N
Rivers
DARWIN AIRPORT COMPARISON
15.0mm in 3 hr to 00:00 5.0mm/h
Darwin-Daly
DARWIN AIRPORT
14.8mm in 1 hr to 00:30 14.8mm/h
6.0mm in 11 min to 19:48 32.7mm/h
BATCHELOR AERO
8.8mm in 12 min to 17:16 44.0mm/h
13.2mm in 1 hr to 17:30 13.2mm/h
BRADSHAW
25.0mm in 3 hr to 05:30 8.3mm/h
QUEENSLAND
N
Peninsula
WEIPA AERO
12.2mm in 30 min to 09:00 24.4mm/h
12.2mm in 1 hr to 09:00 12.2mm/h
11.8mm in 8 min to 15:09 88.5mm/h
24.2mm in 51 min to 16:00 28.5mm/h
36.0mm in 3 hr to 18:00 12.0mm/h
TASMANIA
N
Coast
LAUNCESTON AIRPORT
7.4mm in 20 min to 15:20 22.2mm/h
11.6mm in 1 hr to 15:30 11.6mm/h
18.0mm in 3 hr to 18:00 6.0mm/h
|
|
Todays highest & lowest
temperatures
|
| Maximum |
Minimum |
43.5 MARBLE BAR COMPARISON E Pilbara WA
43.5 GASCOYNE JUNCTION W Gascoyne WA
43.4 PARABURDOO AERO E Gascoyne WA
43.4 TELFER AERO Interior WA
43.3 CLONCURRY AIRPORT Gulf Country QLD
|
30.0 NEWMAN AERO E Gascoyne WA
29.3 MOUNT ISA AERO Gulf Country QLD
29.2 SWEERS ISLAND Gulf Country QLD
29.0 CADJEBUT W Kimberley WA
28.9 HALLS CREEK AIRPORT E Kimberley WA
|
9.1 MOUNT WELLINGTON Southeast TAS
12.2 LAKE LEAKE (ELIZABETH RIVER) E Coast TAS
12.7 MOUNT READ W Coast TAS
13.3 COMBIENBAR E Gippsland VIC
14.0 MOUNT BULLER Upper NE VIC
|
3.3 MOUNT READ W Coast TAS
3.8 ARARAT PRISON Western Plains VIC
3.9 MORTLAKE RACECOURSE W Coast VIC
4.0 KEITH (MUNKORA) Upper SE SA
4.8 COLDSTREAM E Central VIC
4.8 MOUNT WELLINGTON Southeast TAS
|
Todays greatest temperature
variations from normal
|
| Maximum |
Minimum |
+10.6 37.3 ALSTONVILLE TROPICAL FRUIT RESEARCH STAT North
Coast NSW
+9.9 39.6 LISMORE (CENTRE STREET) North Coast NSW
+8.8 37.9 MURWILLUMBAH (BRAY PARK) North Coast NSW
+8.6 39.7 CASINO AIRPORT North Coast NSW
+8.5 35.3 TABULAM (MUIRNE) N Tablelands E NSW
|
+6.9 23.3 OAKEY AERO Darling Downs E QLD
+6.3 29.3 MOUNT ISA AERO Gulf Country QLD
+5.8 23.7 INJUNE POST OFFICE Maranoa QLD
+5.7 24.1 MILES POST OFFICE Darling Downs W QLD
+5.6 22.0 KEMPSEY (WIDE STREET) MidNorth Coast N
NSW
|
-7.6 16.7 OMEO Upper NE VIC
-6.0 22.0 WHYALLA AERO W Agricultural SA
-5.7 29.5 ONSLOW W Pilbara WA
-5.3 12.2 LAKE LEAKE (ELIZABETH RIVER) E Coast TAS
-4.9 31.0 ONSLOW AIRPORT W Pilbara WA
|
-9.1 10.9 LEONORA Goldfields WA
-7.1 8.4 ADELAIDE (KENT TOWN) Adelaide Plains SA
-6.3 5.0 LONGERENONG Wimmera S VIC
-5.6 5.2 CASTLEMAINE PRISON N Central VIC
-5.4 6.0 RUTHERGLEN RESEARCH Lower NE VIC
-5.4 3.8 ARARAT PRISON Western Plains VIC
|
|
Highest wind gusts above
89km/h or mean wind above 62km/h (gale force). Wind direction and mean
windspeed shown in brackets.
None reported
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Other extremes
..
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