Australian Weather News -- 01 MAY 2002

Australian Weather News

Wednesday, 01 MAY 2002

Records fall as late-season heat grips nation
NEWSBITS: Heavy late-season showers continue on Far North Qld coast

Except for a miniscule area in the far east, the entire continent had above-average maximum temperatures today. In the southwestern two-thirds, top temps ranged from 6 to 14 above the May norm. BoM

Maximum temperature records for May were broken today across much of southwestern WA as unusually warm air from the state's north invaded the south. In an extraordinary day:

at least 23 centres in WA and 2 in SA broke their all-time May maximum temperature records
Perth smashed its previous record in 105 years by nearly two degrees
Centres in central southern WA that experienced a cold day yesterday with maxima 2 to 6 below normal sweltered in temperatures 8 to 10 above normal today
top temperatures were well above average across nearly the entire continent.

The cause of the sudden outburst of heat was the rapid development of a strong northerly airstream between a deep 978hPa low southwest of Perth and a strong, broad 1032hPa high pressure area over southeastern Australia. The northerlies pushed southwards a pool of unseasonably hot air that has been lingering over the northwest of the continent for much of April. A second area of heat developed over eastern South Australia, giving Port Pirie its hottest May day in 44 years of computerised records.

The greatest temperature anomaly was in a 250km wide band extending from Perth and the central northern coast to around Ravensthorpe. Most centres in this band recorded top temperatures 12 to 14 above normal and broke records which have stood for 40 years or more (see individual records below). Perth's Metro station broke its previous May record of 32.4 by a massive 1.9°, though the site, now at Mt Lawley, has moved several times during the 105 year period of record. The previous record was set during a remarkable 3 day heatwave in 1905 when the top temperatures on May 1, 2 and 3 were 31.7, 32.4 and 32.2 respectively. However, Perth Airport also broke its previous record of 33.7 by a significant margin of 1.6°, and this site has had no significant changes in its 58 year history.

NEWSBITS: A strong, moist southeasterly stream continued to give heavy orographic showers south of Cairns today, with falls of 50 to 75mm in the Tully/Babinda area. Green Island east of Cairns measured average winds as strong as 70km/h during the day.

National weather extremes for today Data provided by the Bureau of Meteorology Last updated at 17:34 EST on 02/05/02
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 (previous record and years of computerised record shown in brackets): Highest daily maximum temperature for May: *Western Australia:* Troughton Island: 34.5 (33.8, 22) Paynes Find: 34.0 (33.3, 22) Carnamah: 35.5 (34.4, 42) Dalwallinu Comparison: 33.9 (33.6, 45) Moora: 34.5 (34.4, 27) Morawa PO: 35.5 (35.0, 36) Eneabba: 37.0 (36.1, 27) Perth Airport: 35.3 (33.7, 58) Perth Metro: 34.3 (32.4, 105) Karnet: 30.7 (29.7, 30) Medina Research Centre: 32.9 (31.2, 18) Donnybrook: 30.3 (29.4, 42) Dwellingup Forestry: 29.0 (28.9, 42) Pemberton: 28.5 (28.3, 43) Windy Harbour: 30.2 (26.8, 13) Bencubbin: 33.4 (33.2, 43) Cunderdin: 35.0 (34.3, 45) Kellerberrin: 34.3 (33.7, 43) Northam: 35.2 (35.1, 34) Corrigin: 33.3 (32.8, 45) Hyden: 34.0 (33.3, 28) Narembeen: 33.6 (33.2, 31) Ravensthorpe: 33.9 (33.6, 40) Southern Cross: 33.1 (32.7, 45) South Australia: Leigh Creek Airport: 30.3 (28.4, 12) Port Pirie BHAS: 30.0 (29.1, 44)
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. 77.0 BABINDA POST OFFICE N Coast--Barron QLD 61.6 TULLY SUGAR MILL N Coast--Herbert QLD 58.4 TULLY MCQUILLAN ST N Coast--Herbert QLD 57.0 MENAVALE ALERT N Coast--Herbert QLD 53.0 TOPAZ ALERT N Coast--Barron QLD *QUEENSLAND* N Coast--Barron 77.0 BABINDA POST OFFICE 53.0 TOPAZ ALERT N Coast--Herbert 61.6 TULLY SUGAR MILL 58.4 TULLY MCQUILLAN ST 57.0 MENAVALE ALERT 52.0 JARRA CREEK TM 51.0 TULLY TM	High rainfall for periods of 6 hours or less. *QUEENSLAND* *N Coast--Barron* LOW ISLES LIGHTHOUSE 10.8mm in 1 hr to 22:00 10.8mm/h *Brisbane/SE Coast* MAROOCHYDORE AERO 10.2mm in 1 hr to 06:00 10.2mm/h TEWANTIN RSL PARK 11.8mm in 1 hr to 06:00 11.8mm/h 18.0mm in 3 hr to 06:00 6.0mm/h *NEW SOUTH WALES* *North Coast* LISMORE AIRPORT AWS 10.8mm in 1 hr to 23:00 10.8mm/h
Todays highest & lowest temperatures
Maximum	Minimum
38.2 BIDYADANGA W Kimberley WA 38.2 MANDORA E Pilbara WA 38.0 ROEBOURNE AERO E Pilbara WA 37.8 ROEBOURNE E Pilbara WA 37.8 PANNAWONICA W Pilbara WA	27.6 TROUGHTON ISLAND N Kimberley WA 27.0 NORTHERN ENDEAVOUR Islands 26.8 MORNINGTON ISLAND Gulf Country QLD 26.0 WARRUWI Arnhem NT 26.0 COCONUT ISLAND N Peninsula QLD 26.0 VARANUS ISLAND Islands
9.0 THREDBO (CRACKENBACK STATION) AWS Snowy Mtns NSW 9.2 MOUNT WELLINGTON Southeast TAS 10.6 HARTZ MOUNTAIN(KEOGHS PIMPLE) Southeast TAS 11.0 MOUNT BULLER Upper NE VIC 11.1 MOUNT READ W Coast TAS	-7.2 CHARLOTTE PASS (KOSCIUSKO CHALET) Snowy Mtns NSW -4.6 PERISHER VALLEY SKI CENTRE Snowy Mtns NSW -3.2 THREDBO VILLAGE Snowy Mtns NSW -2.3 COOMA AIRPORT AWS Goulburn/Monaro NSW -2.2 LIAWENEE AWS Central Plateau TAS
Todays greatest temperature variations from normal
Maximum	Minimum
+14.2 35.2 NORTHAM Cent Wheatbelt WA +14.1 35.0 CUNDERDIN Cent Wheatbelt WA +14.1 33.9 RAVENSTHORPE Gt Southern WA +13.9 35.0 GOOMALLING Cent Wheatbelt WA +13.9 33.3 CORRIGIN Gt Southern WA	+9.4 17.0 DWELLINGUP FORESTRY SW & S Coast WA +9.2 23.4 MOUNT ISA AERO Gulf Country QLD +9.0 18.4 PAYNES FIND Murchison WA +8.9 18.3 TIBOOBURRA POST OFFICE Far Northwest NSW +8.8 18.5 MORAWA POST OFFICE Central West WA
-2.9 15.1 TENTERFIELD (WOOD ST) N Tablelands W NSW -2.2 29.0 PALMERVILLE S Peninsula QLD -1.9 21.7 NAMBOUR DPI Brisbane/SE Coast QLD -1.5 23.0 GYMPIE Brisbane/SE Coast QLD -1.0 22.5 ARCHERFIELD AIRPORT Brisbane/SE Coast QLD -1.0 22.5 MURWILLUMBAH (BRAY PARK) North Coast NSW	-6.8 -1.2 ARARAT PRISON Western Plains VIC -5.3 2.0 MOUNT GAMBIER AERO Lower SE SA -4.6 5.0 PHILLIP ISLAND PENGUIN RESERVE E Central VIC -4.6 2.5 CASTERTON SHOWGROUNDS W Coast VIC -4.4 -7.2 CHARLOTTE PASS (KOSCIUSKO CHALET) Snowy Mtns NSW -4.4 4.0 PORTLAND (CASHMORE AIRPORT) W Coast VIC
Highest wind gusts above 89km/h or mean wind above 62km/h (gale force). Wind direction and mean windspeed shown in brackets. GREEN ISLAND N Coast--Barron QLD: 82 (130/ 70 ) at 12:22 HAMILTON ISLAND AIRPORT Central Coast E QLD: 74 (130/ 67 ) at 09:19 CAPE MORETON LIGHTHOUSE Brisbane/SE Coast QLD: 80 (130/ 69 ) at 00:32	Other extremes ..