Temperature
extremes across the nationNEWSBITS: Continuing dry weather in NSW and Qld
High pressure over northern NSW accompanied by low humidity and clear skies in the wake of a surge of cold air mid-week produced a cold night over northern NSW and southeastern Queensland. Three centres on the NSW Northern Tablelands recorded minimum temperatures below -10°, a rarity outside the Australian Alps. The University of New England site at Armidale reported -10.2, Glen Innes Airport recorded -10.6 and Woolbrook, between Tamworth and Walcha, recorded -11.2. Pindari Dam on the NSW Northwest Slopes, equalled its lowest ever temperature of -6.3, recorded only 3 weeks ago on 3 July.
Warm air moving south behind the high, however, gave an unusually warm July day to northern SA and southern NT. Maximum temperatures were 8 to 11 above the July norm, with Marla, a truck stop on the Port Augusta to Alice Springs road, recording its warmest July day in 16 years of records with 30.5°.
NEWSBITS: Continuing dry weather in NSW has led to an early declaration of the seasonal fire ban on the NSW North Coast. From tomorrow, residents require a permit to light a fire, normally only required from 1 October. Diminishing fodder reserves in north NSW have also led to a call from NSW Upper House MP Rick Colless for national parks to be opened for stock grazing. In Queensland, Agforce, a rural lobby group, estimated that drought in the state would reduce the state's income by $2 billion this year, with a likely failure of the grain crop accounting for $400 million of that total. Agforce stated that some farmers are facing their fifth consecutive crop failure through dry weather.