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 Rough
seas on QLD SE coast
A three to four metre swell on southern QLD beaches kept lifeguards
busy with dozens of rescues on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts
today. Strong
southeasterly winds have been blowing onshore for the past four days between
a low near New Caledonia and a high moving across the NSW coast. Surf Life
Saving Queensland operations manager Peter Dawes said that in one incident
at Surfers Paradise, 14 people had to be rescued when caught in a rip. Heavy
rain continues in northern WA and NT
A monsoonal low continued to move slowly westwards across the WA Kimberley
today bringing heavy rain from Darwin to Broome. Darwin's New Year's
Eve was dampened by over 30mm of rain between 5.30 and 9 last night, giving
the Airport 83.8mm for the 24 hours to 9 this morning, while in the suburbs
Leanyer recorded 113.6 and Berrimah 95.4. In the North Kimberley, Parry Creek
Farm, 20km SE of Wyndham, registered 109.2 and Kuri Bay, 225km NNE of Derby,
recorded 100.4mm. Minor flooding continues in the Daly River in NT and the
Ord and tributaries in WA.
Heat
continues across southern Australia
Very hot air continues to build across much of the southern two-thirds
of the continent due to the lack of any southern cold fronts or
influences from the north to flush it out. Temperatures today reached into
the mid to high 40s in WA, SA, NT, QLD and NSW. In WA, the monsoonal low
over the Kimberley has drawn hot air northwest into the Pilbara and Gascoyne,
where Nyang Station recorded a top of 48.2, their highest January reading
in 30 years of record. Onslow also recorded an uncharacteristally hot 47.4,
11.2 above normal. In SA, Marree topscored with 46.5, in NSW Wanaaring 44.6,
in QLD Birdsville 45.7 and in the NT Yulara 43.1. Overnight minima were also
decidedly uncomfortable with lows of 33.3 at Birdsville and 33.1 at Oodnadatta
SA.
Recent rain and a lack of wind has kept bushfires mostly at bay during the
hot holiday season, but a fire near Redesdale VIC, 40km SE of Bendigo, threatened
two houses and burnt through 150 hectares of grassland.
News sources: Courier Mail, AAP, Advertiser (Bendigo) |
