NSW
bushfires continue
Tropical
Cyclone Bernie gains strength in the GulfRecord
heat in the Coral Sea 
06Jan02Record
cool in SAThunderstorms and exceptionally heavy rain have been presaging the arrival of TC Bernie on the southern shore of the Gulf of Carpentaria Qld today. The tropical low, which developed in the monsoon trough lying across the northern Gulf on New Years Eve, has been moving slowly south and gained cyclone strength today. A rainband on the southern side of the cyclone remained close to stationary over Mornington Island, dumping 283mm in the 24 hours to 9 this evening. The Island's all-time record 24 hour fall in 70 years of observation has been 377.2, but official 24 hour records are measured from 9am to 9am, and the 24 hour total to 9am on 4 January was "only" 335mm. 154mm fell in the 3 hours to 3pm today. Karumba, in the southeastern corner of the Gulf, experienced a lengthy and violent electrical storm during the night with over 60mm falling, the most rain the area has had in the past 6 months. Group leader of the Karumba State Emergency Service, Narda Emery, described the storm as "horrifying".
Willis Island Met Office, in the Coral Sea 450km NE of Townsville, had its hottest day on record today. The reported maximum was 35.1°. The previous all-time high was 34.8 in 63 years of weather observation on the island. Because of its tropical location well away from the continent, Willis Island experiences very small departures from normal, with the record maximum in every month only 4 to 5 degrees above the average for that month. The mean maximum in January is 30.7. An area of warm air in the northerlies being dragged down the eastern side of TC Bernie would seem to be the culprit -- in fact an unusually large number of locations had 28 or 29 degree minima this morning in the abnormal windflow (see high minimum box below). High temperatures continued, with the Island equalling its old record with a maximum of 34.8 on Friday 4 January.
Meanwhile, Yongala, a notorious winter cold hole in South Australia's mid north, recorded its lowest January minimum yesterday with 2.6 beating the previous 2.7 in 44 years of computerised records.