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Above: Maximum temperatures (left)
and departures from normal (right)
Below: Minimum temperatures (left) and departures from normal (right). BoM  |
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 Temperature
extremes in eastern states
Colder southern air edged slowly north over VIC and SA today bringing some
exceptionally low daytime temperatures but doing little to dislodge heatwave
conditions across northern NSW, SW QLD and Central Australia. Top temperatures
through much of VIC and southern SA were 8 to 12 below average. Kyancutta
SA only reached 19.8, 13.1 below.
To the north, Alice Springs registered its fourth consecutive day of
43°+ heat,
breaking the previous record for consecutive days of 43 or more in the town
set in 1960. Birdsville recorded a top of 48.5 equalling the record set yesterday.
The settlement's maximum temperature for the first 6 days of January has
averaged 47.4, nearly 9 above average and only 0.6 below the previous highest
temperature in nearly half a century of observations. It has been too much
for the automatic weather station at the airport, which sent
a last
temperature
report
of 44.7
at 8pm this evening before expiring. Southeast of Birdsville, at
Ballera Gas Field, the minimum temperature this morning was 34.4,
just 0.1° short
of the highest minimum on record in QLD set at Birdsville last January.
 Bushfires
in NSW, TAS
A bushfire broke out in the Goonoo State Forest 25km NE of Dubbo
NSW this morning and had burnt through nearly 1,500ha by midnight.
100 firefighters fought the blaze, which began yesterday when a stolen car
was set alight, with 200 more being called in from elsewhere in the state
along with 7 aircraft and 30 trucks. No property damage occurred today, but
threatened hot, windy weather put a premium on establishing overnight containment
lines.
In TAS, a bushfire that has been smouldering in the Fortescue Bay
area of the Tasman Peninsula for nearly a month flared up in strong winds today. The
fire was burning on a 2km front this evening, and two bushwalkers on the Cape
Pillar track were winched to safety by helicopter when it was feared they may
be cut off by the fire. Heavy
downpours in WA as TC Ken fizzles
Tropical Cyclone Ken was downgraded to a tropical low this morning,
after wandering slowly west along the NW WA coast for four days and barely
attaining cyclone status. It's strongest estimated wind gusts were 100km/h
yesterday afternoon, but gales did not reach coastal areas. However, deep
moisture through the atmosphere has been generated by the Cyclone. Yesterday
and today it moved south and southeast over WA, bringing scattered but widespread
rain accompanied by violent thunderstorms, especially from the Gascoyne through
the mid west to the wheat belt. Ella Valla reported a fall of 176.4mm in
the 24 hours to 9am, though this is to be confirmed and may also cover two
days. Desert Fringe, 75km NNW of Ravensthorpe, recorded 65mm. Press reports
indicated that 33mm fell in a storm at Dandaragan,
40km west of Moora, with strong winds felling trees
and damaging buildings at one east Dandaragan property. Inglewood Station
near Mt Magnet was reported receiving 36mm, with part
of the homestead's verandah blown away.
Squall line initiates violent storms across NT Top End
Some violent storms were reported in the NT during the early hours
of this morning. Among them, Bradshaw, 130km south of Daly River,
recorded a top wind gust of 124km/h in a storm just before 2am that
also dumped 16mm in 9 minutes. Batchelor Airport recorded 47mm in
the hour to 3am. The Bureau of Meteorology reported that the storms
were the result of a long-lived continental squall line that formed
in the Gulf country late on the 5th and affected most of the southern
and western Top End overnight and early today. Other strong wind
gusts were 87km/h at Borroloola AWS and 83km/h at Delamere AWS.
Intense lightning and strong winds damaged trees at Bradshaw, Delamere,
Kidman Springs and Top Springs pastoral stations and also in Timber
Creek town.
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