 |
Minimum (above) and maximum (below) temperature
departures from normal today. BoM  |
 |
 Temperature
extremes across the nation
Cold daytime temperatures in central WA continued into a remarkable
fifth day today while high April temperatures gripped southern NT and southwestern
QLD. Carnegie, 530km N of Kalgoorlie, has an average March maximum
temperature of 33.9, but its top temperatures for the five days up to and including
today have been 22, 20, 29, 23.5 and 18.5. Wiluna today also recorded a top
of 18.5 while Yeelirrie only reached 17.5, 11 below the April average.
Warm conditions extended across southern NT to the central southern parts
of QLD, giving Bollon, 200km SW of Roma, its warmest April day in nearly half
a century of records. The warm day followed an uncomfortably warm night, particularly
in SE NT where Jervois reported a minimum of 27°. Wet
in NW WA
Heavy storms developed in the WA Pilbara yesterday afternoon and continued
overnight. Marble Bar recorded 44mm in the 3 hours to midnight this
morning for a 24 hour to 9am total of 57mm. Carlindi, 90km to the northwest,
recorded 73mm for the 24 hours.
Windy
in the southeast
Wind gusted to 146km/h in TAS and 121km/h in southern VIC today as
seasonal westerlies returned with a vengeance. The first strong
polar jetstream of the season passed over TAS this morning, pushing surface
high pressure northwards to the latitude of Sydney. A strong cold front crossed
the island late morning while a complex set of lows lurked in the Southern
Ocean well to the south. The strongest wind gusts included 146kmm/h at Maatsuyker
Island at 12.47am, 145 on Mt
Wellington summit at 8.40pm, and Hartz Mountain 121, Cape Grim 121, Eddystone
Point 115 and Cape Bruny 113. Maatsuyer Island's 10-minute average windspeed
was over 100km/h at almost all the AWS observations between 7.30am and 4pm,
peaking at 122km/h at 11.48am. Bass Strait was boisterous, too, with a 121km/h
gust at Wilsons Promontory at
2.19pm
and
a gust of 126
(10-minute
average 106) recorded on Hogan Island, 50km to the ESE. Less spectacular
but storm force gusts were reported from Devonport and Smithton (95), Strahan
(93) and Liawenee on the Great Lake (98km/h). |
