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Friday, 03 MAY 2002

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Heat continues in WA, SA
NEWSBITS: Heavy showers along the east coast

For the third day, high May temperatures were recorded from central southern WA eastwards to around Adelaide. Eyre, on the southeast coast of WA, recorded a top temperature of 37.5, 16.4° above normal, and 3.5° above yesterday's record setting maximum. Overnight minima were again 8 to 11 above normal over much of the southern half of WA. In South Australia, Port Pirie and Parafield Airport in Adelaide's north also broke records set in the past two days, while Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills had its warmest May day in 45 years of computerised records.

NEWSBITS: Isolated heavy showers were reported along almost the full length of the east coast. A strong pressure gradient north of a 1035hPa high anchored over SE Australia combined with an upper trough of colder air along the coast to produce the unstable, showery conditions. The heaviest falls were on the Far North Queensland coast, around Mackay, on the Sunshine and Gold Coasts in Queensland, and on the NSW Mid North Coast. Details are below.

National weather extremes for today
Data provided by the Bureau of Meteorology
Last updated at 18:55 EST on 12/05/02
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) equal to record set on 1 May 2002
Eyre: 37.5 (34.0, 14) 34.0 set yesterday
South Australia:
Port Pirie BHAS: 30.2 (30.0, 44) 30.0 set 1 May 2002
Parafield Airport: 30.1 (29.3, 41) 29.3 set yesterday
Mount Barker: 27.4 (26.6, 45)

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.

54.0 EAST MACKAY Central Coast E QLD
51.0 MACKAY ALERT Central Coast E QLD
48.2 PORT MACQUARIE (HILL STREET) MidNorth Coast S NSW
46.0 BABINDA POST OFFICE N Coast--Barron QLD
43.4 NAMBUCCA HEADS BOWLING CLUB MidNorth Coast N NSW

QUEENSLAND
     N Coast--Barron
46.0 BABINDA POST OFFICE
    Central Coast E
54.0 EAST MACKAY
51.0 MACKAY ALERT

NEW SOUTH WALES
     MidNorth Coast N
43.4 NAMBUCCA HEADS BOWLING CLUB
    MidNorth Coast S
48.2 PORT MACQUARIE (HILL STREET)

High rainfall for periods of 6 hours or less.


WESTERN AUSTRALIA
     SW & S Coast
DWELLINGUP FORESTRY
6.8mm in 18 min to 01:00 22.7mm/h
10.4mm in 48 min to 01:58 13.0mm/h
20.0mm in 3 hr to 03:00 6.7mm/h
BUNBURY
28.0mm in 3 hr to 00:00 9.3mm/h

QUEENSLAND
     N Coast--Herbert
SOUTH JOHNSTONE EXP STN
28.6mm in 1 hr to 23:00 28.6mm/h
    Central Coast E
MACKAY MO
13.8mm in 1 hr to 00:00 13.8mm/h
22.0mm in 3 hr to 00:00 7.3mm/h
    Brisbane/SE Coast
NAMBOUR DPI
16.0mm in 3 hr to 21:00 5.3mm/h
GOLD COAST SEAWAY
14.4mm in 30 min to 13:30 28.8mm/h
14.4mm in 1 hr to 13:30 14.4mm/h
16.2mm in 1 hr to 14:00 16.2mm/h
19.0mm in 3 hr to 15:00 6.3mm/h
12.6mm in 1 hr to 23:00 12.6mm/h
4.8mm in 14 min to 23:44 20.6mm/h
MAROOCHYDORE AERO
13.0mm in 30 min to 17:00 26.0mm/h
22.2mm in 1 hr to 17:00 22.2mm/h
14.4mm in 1 hr to 17:30 14.4mm/h
25.0mm in 3 hr to 18:00 8.3mm/h

NEW SOUTH WALES
     North Coast
BALLINA AIRPORT AWS
10.8mm in 1 hr to 00:00 10.8mm/h
    MidNorth Coast N
SOUTH WEST ROCKS (SMOKY CAPE LIGHTHOUSE)
19.0mm in 3 hr to 06:00 6.3mm/h
COFFS HARBOUR MO
8.4mm in 24 min to 06:30 21.0mm/h
11.2mm in 1 hr to 06:30 11.2mm/h
7.0mm in 16 min to 06:46 26.2mm/h
17.8mm in 1 hr to 07:00 17.8mm/h
19.0mm in 3 hr to 09:00 6.3mm/h
32.4mm in 30 min to 23:00 64.8mm/h
32.4mm in 1 hr to 23:00 32.4mm/h
    Hunter Valley
GOSFORD (NARARA RESEARCH STATION) AWS
12.2mm in 1 hr to 23:00 12.2mm/h

Todays highest & lowest temperatures
Maximum Minimum
38.4 MANDORA E Pilbara WA
38.0 ROEBOURNE E Pilbara WA
38.0 ROEBOURNE AERO E Pilbara WA
38.0 MARDIE W Pilbara WA
37.9 BIDYADANGA W Kimberley WA
37.9 PORT HEDLAND AIRPORT E Pilbara WA
29.0 NORTHERN ENDEAVOUR Islands
27.6 TROUGHTON ISLAND N Kimberley WA
26.5 MORNINGTON ISLAND Gulf Country QLD
26.0 KURI BAY N Kimberley WA
26.0 JABIRU AIRPORT Darwin-Daly NT
26.0 GOVE AIRPORT Arnhem NT
9.1 MT HOTHAM Upper NE VIC
10.0 THREDBO (CRACKENBACK STATION) AWS Snowy Mtns NSW
10.8 MOUNT READ W Coast TAS
11.5 FALLS CREEK Upper NE VIC
12.0 MOUNT BULLER Upper NE VIC
12.0 MT BAW BAW W Gippsland VIC
 -4.5 CHARLOTTE PASS (KOSCIUSKO CHALET) Snowy Mtns NSW
-3.8 LIAWENEE AWS Central Plateau TAS
-2.0 PERISHER VALLEY SKI CENTRE Snowy Mtns NSW
-1.0 TUNNACK FIRE STATION Southeast TAS
-1.0 BUSHY PARK (BUSHY PARK ESTATES) Derwent Valley TAS
-1.0 OUSE FIRE STATION Derwent Valley TAS

Todays greatest temperature variations from normal
Maximum Minimum
+16.4   37.5 EYRE Eucla WA
+14.1   35.0 EUCLA Eucla WA
+13.1   32.9 RAVENSTHORPE Gt Southern WA
+11.6   33.8 BALGAIR Eucla WA
+11.5   30.1 PARAFIELD AIRPORT Adelaide Plains SA
+11.5   31.8 POLDA (GUM VIEW) W Agricultural SA
+11.9   22.0 LEONORA Goldfields WA
+11.8   19.0 SALMON GUMS RES.STN. Goldfields WA
+11.6   21.0 PAYNES FIND Murchison WA
+11.4   19.6 NAREMBEEN Gt Southern WA
+11.4   19.0 SOUTHERN CROSS Goldfields WA
-2.5   24.6 CARDWELL EDEN ST N Coast--Herbert QLD
-1.6   12.9 GUYRA HOSPITAL N Tablelands W NSW
-1.5   24.2 MURCHISON W Gascoyne WA
-1.5   28.8 GEORGETOWN POST OFFICE Upper Carpentaria QLD
-1.1   25.0 SOUTH JOHNSTONE EXP STN N Coast--Herbert QLD
-1.1   17.7 TABULAM (MUIRNE) N Tablelands E NSW
 -7.0   2.6 PHILLIP ISLAND PENGUIN RESERVE E Central VIC
-5.2   -1.0 BUSHY PARK (BUSHY PARK ESTATES) Derwent Valley TAS
-4.9   0.7 ARARAT PRISON Western Plains VIC
-4.7   3.8 WONTHAGGI E Central VIC
-4.4   -0.2 GROVE RESEARCH STATION Southeast TAS

Highest wind gusts above 89km/h or mean wind above 62km/h (gale force). Wind direction and mean windspeed shown in brackets.

ROTTNEST ISLAND Lower West WA : 102 (330/ 67 ) at 00:25
CAPE LEEUWIN SW & S Coast WA : 74 (320/ 63 ) at 00:00
HAMILTON ISLAND AIRPORT Central Coast E QLD: 91 (130/ 74 ) at 20:29

Other extremes

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