New Zealand Local Weather Forum
Weather Discussion => International => Topic started by: Mark on January 07, 2018, 08:36:40 AM
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https://www.sott.net/article/373261-Melted-roads-and-bushfires-strike-Australia-during-catastrophic-heatwave
Emergency services in southeast Australia are warning people to stay indoors as a dangerous heatwave batters the country, with temperatures so high that the asphalt on some roads has been melting.
The "catastrophic" hot weather caused a 10km stretch of the Hume Highway, near the Victoria state capital Melbourne, to become soft and sticky, causing havoc for motorists trying to enter the city.
Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania have now declared a total fire ban after blazes on the outskirts of Melbourne raged out of control, destroying buildings and threatening lives.
It took a team of 300 firefighters, 50 trucks and three helicopters to tackle one fire in Victoria's Carrum Downs on Saturday, which threatened dozens of homes.
And another 49 bushfires are said to have been reported across the state - although many were small and easily extinguished - with 400 residencies losing power.
The state's emergency management commissioner, Craig Lapsley, said hot temperatures had combined with dry weather, strong winds and a wind change to create dangerous conditions.
"It's exactly what the forecast indicated and when we have fires running that's obviously a problem for us," he said.
Temperatures are expected to exceed 40°C in the southeast, with the country's Bureau of Meteorology forecasting highs of 45°C in Penrith, 44°C in Richmond and 43°C in Liverpool, with much of the area being rated as 'catastrophic' or 'code red' by emergency services.
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Sounds like nightmare weather in Australia. The BBC said Penrith had reached 47.3 degrees.
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Bushfires destroy buildings in Australia as heatwave melts highway surface
Bushfires destroy buildings in Australia as heatwave melts ... (http://news.trust.org/item/20180106072546-ahwag)
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Offshore workers left on rigs as Cyclone Joyce bears down
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/western-australia/offshore-workers-left-on-rigs-as-cyclone-joyce-bears-down-20180111-h0gwqc.html
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Australia's Port Hedland set to reopen as Cyclone Joyce moves away
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-australia-cyclone/australias-port-hedland-set-to-reopen-as-cyclone-joyce-moves-away-idUKKBN1F032P?rpc=401&
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Weather records tumble as Perth belted by storm
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11976160
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Park visitors rescued from bushfire as heatwave strikes Australia
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-australia-bushfire/park-visitors-rescued-from-bushfire-as-heatwave-strikes-australia-idUKKBN1F907H?rpc=401&
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Perth weather: summer may not deliver a 40-degree day as all-time rain record looms
https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/weather/perth-weather-summer-may-not-deliver-a-40-degree-day-as-all-time-rain-record-looms-ng-b88722101z
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Heat wave leaves thousands of Australian homes without power
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-australia-power/heat-wave-leaves-thousands-of-australian-homes-without-power-idUKKBN1FI0CO?rpc=401&
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Vacant home, sheds lost in Augusta bushfire as firefighters battle multiple WA blazes
Vacant home, sheds lost in Augusta bushfire as firefighters battle multiple WA blazes - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-30/bushfires-hit-perth-country-wa-as-broome-inundated-by-flooding/9373136)
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Daly River residents airlifted from Northern Territory community as floodwaters rise, Darwin dam spills
Daly River residents airlifted from Northern Territory community as floodwaters rise, Darwin dam spills | ABC Radio Australia (http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2018-01-30/daly-river-residents-airlifted-from-northern-territory-community-as-floodwaters-rise-darwin-dam-spil/1732276)
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Australia's wild summer: The Top End underwater, a cyclone in Queensland and now it's SNOWING in Tasmania
Australia's WILD summer of snow, cyclones and floods | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5332715/Australias-WILD-summer-snow-cyclones-floods.html)
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Area bigger than Victoria isolated in Kimberley after floods leave highway underwater
Area bigger than Victoria isolated in Kimberley after floods leave highway underwater | ABC Radio Australia (http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2018-02-02/area-bigger-than-victoria-isolated-in-kimberley-after-floods-leave-highway-underwater/1733198)
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On Friday, Applethorpe, near the New South Wales border, reached a maximum of 15 degrees Celsius while Toowoomba climbed to just 15.4C, Warwick 16.9C, and Kingaroy 17.7C.
Bureau of Meteorology Forecaster Michael Paech said Archerfield, west of Brisbane, managed only 21C and Coolangatta on the Gold Coast 21.6C.
These are the coldest February days that we've ever experienced in those places and some of those records date back quite some time," he said.
Weather News - Queensland weather: Towns record coldest February day (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/queensland-weather-towns-record-coldest-february-day/527453)
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WA floods leave Kimberley region cut off
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/wa-floods-leave-kimberley-region-cut-off-ng-b88732317z
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Dust devil apocalypse: Eerie scenes as entire country town is engulfed in orange after a rare combination of dry conditions and powerful winds
Queensland country town is engulfed by dust storm | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5411751/Queensland-country-town-engulfed-dust-storm.html)
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Queensland weather: Eight rescues as torrential rain floods state's south-east
Queensland weather: Eight rescues as torrential rain floods state's south-east | ABC Radio Australia (http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2018-02-23/queensland-weather-eight-rescues-as-torrential-rain-floods-states-southeast/1738370)
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Tropical Cyclone Iris stirs off north Queensland coast as category two system
Tropical Cyclone Iris stirs off north Queensland coast as category two system - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-03/tropical-cyclone-iris-hovers-off-north-queensland-coast/9611956)
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Flash flooding hits Hobart after torrential rain 11th May 2018
Water sweeps away cars and more than 13,000 properties lose power as storm also prompts cold snap in south-east.
Wild weather caused flash flooding in Hobart on Friday morning, with cars swept away and emergency crews responding to hundreds of calls for help.
Police said the city centre was hit hard, forcing the closure of many roads and, with more heavy rain expected on Friday, motorists were urged to stay off roads.
Streets turned into fast-flowing rivers, with water surging inside homes and businesses. Two evacuation centres were set up as State Emergency Service crews worked to prioritise hundreds of calls for assistance.
(http://nzpws.net/nzwn/images/hobart-05-2018.png)
More: theguardian.com (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/may/11/flash-flooding-hits-hobart-after-torrential-rain)
The cleanup begins 12th May 2018
The clean-up from Hobart's worst storm in decades is underway, with the total damage bill estimated to run into many millions of dollars.
Weather records broken
It is only the fifth time since 1893 that Hobart had recorded more than 100mm of rain in a day. Mount Wellington recorded 236 millimetres.
In the 24 hours to 9:00am on Friday, 129 millimetres of rain fell in Hobart, a record for May.
The weather bureau's senior climatologist, Blair Trewin, said it was not an extreme event by mainland standards, but was "very significant" for south-east Tasmania.
Hobart had other similarly sized rainfall events in:
1909 (127 mm)
June 1954 (147 mm)
September 1957 (156mm — Hobart's wettest day on record)
April 1960 (132mm — water ran knee-high in city streets and the army was called to help)
Full article here: abc.net.au/news (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-12/hobart-flooding-clean-up-worst-storm-in-decades/9753434)
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Ben Domensino, Wednesday May 30, 2018 - 14:40 EST
Brisbane is forecast to have its coldest start to winter in 12 years based on minimum temperatures, following the passage of a stormy change this afternoon.
A cold front that brought snow and hail to parts of southeastern Australia during the last 24 hours will pass over southeast Queensland late on Wednesday.
Showers and thunderstorms are likely to develop ahead of and near this change, initially over inland areas of southeast Queensland and then possibly moving towards the coast. Some of these storms could become severe, with damaging winds, hail and heavy rain all possible. Be sure to check the latest warnings.
Dry weather will return to southeast Queensland from tonight as a ridge of high pressure pushes over the region in the wake of the change. These conditions will allow clear skies, light winds and a cool air mass to combine and bring a string of chilly mornings during the opening days of winter.
Brisbane is forecast to reach lows of 8-9 degrees during the first four mornings of June, which hasn't happened since 2006.
Weather News - Cold start to winter in Brisbane (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/cold-start-to-winter-in-brisbane/527990)
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Not exactly winter as we know it. Brisbane has had 233 hours of sunshine in the first 29 days of May, and an average high of 23.9C. A little cooler now, but I'll swap it for the cloudy showery rubbish experienced here in the last 2/3 of this month!
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By James Hancock, Wednesday June 6, 2018 - 14:05 EST
Winter is meant to be cold, but Melburnians could be forgiven for finding it hard to get out of bed so far this season.
The city has recorded its coldest start to June since 1982, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).
The average low over the past six days at the BoM's Olympic Park weather station was 4.9 degrees Celsius.
It's the coldest start to winter since 1982, which recorded an average low of 3.9C in the first days of June.
Forecaster Matt Michael said clear skies were to blame for the frosty starts.
Weather News - Melbourne shivers through coldest start to winter in 36 years, Bureau of Meteorology says (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/melbourne-shivers-through-coldest-start-to-winter-in-36-years-bureau-of-meteorology-says/528019)
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The chance of an El Nino forming during the second half of 2018 is increasing as the equatorial Pacific Ocean continues to warm.
The Bureau of Meteorology monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the Pacific Ocean and issues fortnightly statements regarding the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. This cycle has three phases: Neutral, El Nino and La Nina.
The Pacific Ocean is currently in a neutral phase, although sea surface temperatures near the equator have warmed in recent weeks. This warming has started to extend below the surface, which can indicate the early stages of El Nino.
Weather News - Australia on El Nino Watch (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/australia-on-el-nino-watch/528062)
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https://www.sott.net/article/389053-Australian-ski-resorts-receive-up-to-28-inches-of-snow-in-3-days-the-most-since-2000
The skiing this weekend will be amazing across all four resort areas with at least 32 lifts operating. It looks like the best early season conditions Perisher has seen since 2000," said Peter Brulisauer, the chief operating officer at Perisher.
Mount Hotham, in the middle of Australia's Alpine National Park, has received over a metre of snow already this season, even though all its lifts are not yet scheduled to be open. Thredbo, just north of the New South Wales/Victoria border, received 85cm during the recent storm and today will open Australia's longest ski run, the Supertrail.
"The best news is, experts are claiming there is another storm in the forecast, set to hit next weekend, which will hopefully deliver another solid top-up of fresh snow," said Richie Carroll, the marketing executive at Thredbo.
https://www.sott.net/article/389053-Australian-ski-resorts-receive-up-to-28-inches-of-snow-in-3-days-the-most-since-2000
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New South Wales felt the brunt of the brutal wintry conditions, with the mercury in some areas around Sydney plummeting below zero throughout the night.
Dubbo, in the state’s Central West, recorded a record-breaking low yesterday of -6 degrees – a minimum not seen in 78 years.
Camden, west of Campbelltown, experienced its coldest night on record since 2002 with a minimum of -4.9 degrees.
Richmond notched up a chilly -4.7, its coldest night since 2010, while Penrith felt a brisk -1.8 and Bankstown -1.4.
The icy conditions come just a day after Parkes and Cowra set new all-time coldest temperature records with readings of -6.6 and -5.8 in each of the NSW locations.
Those were the lowest temperatures that have been seen since the weather recording sites in each city were opened back in 1958.
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/mexico/australia-hit-with-coldest-spell-in-26-years/
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/07/16/06/38/australia-weather-temperatures-drop-below-zero-eastern-states-cold-snap
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/07/15/08/38/cold-weather-australia-brisbane-sydney-melbourne
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Melbourne has shivered through its coldest August morning in 21 years, as sub zero temperatures sweep across the country’s south east.
The Victorian capital had broken the cold record yesterday with a low of 1.9 degrees, however this morning it was even colder – reaching an official low of 0.8 degrees.
Alpine, and inland areas of the state were even cooler - Tullamarine had its coldest low in 32 years with a temperature of -2.0 degrees.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/08/29/08/29/coldest-melbourne-sydney-august-morning-21-years
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Weather News - Frost damage dashes farmers' hopes of record harvest, as Perth shivers through chilly night (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/frost-damage-dashes-farmers-hopes-of-record-harvest-as-perth-shivers-through-chilly-night/528497)
A record-breaking cold spell in Western Australia's agricultural heartland has shattered farmers' hopes of enjoying a bumper crop harvest.
Temperatures in the southern Wheatbelt dipped between 0 and minus 5 degrees Celsius on both Saturday and Sunday morning, while the Great Southern town of Newdegate recorded its lowest-ever temperature of minus 4.3 degrees.
Farmers woke to discover heavy frost gripping their wheat and barley crops, which were expected to deliver a combined 14 million tonne harvest this year.
Kojonup farmer Dan Ladyman, whose property is about 260 kilometres south-east of Perth, said the frost was fierce and widespread.
"First impressions was that it was obviously pretty severe," he said.
"It wasn't like the shadows were just frosted, it was a complete white out."
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Sydney’s northwest has been belted by a freak hail storm that blanketed streets and yards with thick layers of ice, sending temperatures plunging.
The low-pressure trough started in the Sydney area early yesterday afternoon bringing downpours of rain and hail.
Hail covered some of the city’s west and north west in ice, with the suburb of Schofields worst affected.
Temperature dropped 10C in just 30 minutes, and nearly 200 lightning strikes were recorded in the Sydney basin alone.
Flash flooding was experienced in some areas.
https://electroverse.net/golf-ball-sized-hail-batters-sydney-leaving-a-blanket-of-snow/
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ara Tomevska, Thursday October 4, 2018 - 23:32 EST
ABC image
A rain cloud in action over a rather parched looking farm on the Sturt Highway, between Narrandera and Hay. - ABC
Broken Hill has received more rain in one evening than the whole year combined, with 34.2 millimetres of rain lashing the city overnight.
The thunderstorm came only three hours and sent residents running for cover.
Despite meteorologist predictions of heavy rain accompanying the dust storm, locals were heartily disappointed with only 5mm of rainfall.
But then the main event rolled across the far west at around 6:00pm, the region's first major rainfall since 2016 when hailstorms wreaked havoc across Broken Hill.
Tim Neville from Blantyre station, 90 kilometres east of Menindee, recorded more than 40mm of rain on his property.
"41 millimetres! It's #&@% great to see. I've lost my words," he told ABC Broken Hill's breakfast program.
Trudy and Ian Edson on Sterling Vale Station near Ivanhoe recorded 100mm of rain, more than the last four years combined.
"The anguish that you see on a daily basis, it still brings me to tears," an emotional Trudy Edson told ABC radio.
"Even though it's really happy times, every time it rains I always cry.
"To be honest, we'd been spending the last few weeks looking for somewhere else to send our stock, we were inches away from signing the dotted line.
"My friend sent me a video of her one-year-old daughter who has never seen rain, and she's dancing.
"It doesn't matter how old you are, rain brings people joy."
Much needed rainfall.....
Weather News - Rains in far west NSW bring tears of joy as one night's downpour brings more than whole year combined (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/rains-in-far-west-nsw-bring-tears-of-joy-as-one-nights-downpour-brings-more-than-whole-year-combined/528569)
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Cloud cover & patchy rain resulted in #SEQld shivering through a very cold October day today – some locations including #Brisbane & #Toowoomba had their coldest October day in about 30 years! #Brisbane was actually the coldest capital city in the country today! #Brrr pic.twitter.com/2Jwxhmbhwj
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) October 13, 2018
https://electroverse.net/brisbane-australia-records-its-coldest-october-day-for-34-years/
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That be tough for the Queenslanders, for sure!
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A 19C max for Brisbane in October would seem very cold for them, but a reminder of how spoilt they are most of the time. Our 10 days in SEQ at the end of "winter" was nothing like winter in any normal sense of the word.
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Hailstorm kills 400 kangaroos and 150 goats on properties in far-west New South Wales.
Weather News - Hail storm kills 400 kangaroos and 150 goats on properties in far-west New South Wales (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/hail-storm-kills-400-kangaroos-and-150-goats-on-properties-in-far-west-new-south-wales/528636)
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Huge thunderstorms rolled thick and fast across NSW on Saturday evening, sparking severe weather warnings for most of the state and descending skies into near-absolute darkness.
The nature of the first storm system, which hit at about 6pm, was unpredictable, and saw heavy hail, lightning, thunderstorms, and rainfall of between 5 and 30 millimetres spattered across many regions.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/severe-thunderstorms-wreak-havoc
-across-nsw-20181020-p50ay6.html?promote_channel=edmail&mbnr=MjkwMDQ3MA&eid=email:nnn-13omn655-ret_newsl-membereng:nnn-04%2F11%2F2013-news_pm-dom-news-nnn-smh-u&campaign_code=13INO009&et_bid=29148269&list_name=40_smh_newsalert&instance=2018-10-20--09-30--UTC
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Ben Domensino, Thursday October 25, 2018 - 15:53 EDT
Birdsville experienced its hottest October day in more than two decades on Thursday as temperature hit the mid-forties in southwest Queensland.
An extremely hot air mass building up over central Australia sent the mercury soaring in Birdsville on Thursday, reaching 44.7 degrees shortly after 1pm local time.
Weather News - Temperatures soar in southwest QLD (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/temperatures-soar-in-southwest-qld/528678)
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Weather News - Record-breaking cold snap wipes out vineyards in WA's south (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/record-breaking-cold-snap-wipes-out-vineyards-in-was-south/528747)
Winemakers in Western Australia's Great Southern region are reeling from a recent frost event that damaged up to 80 per cent of their vines.
The acclaimed Frankland River wine region, 120 kilometers north-west of Albany, was worst hit by record-low temperatures for November, which swept across the region earlier this week.
Frankland River is renowned for its riesling and Shiraz, but the upcoming season may not be as fruitful.
Frankland River Grape Growers and Winemakers Association president Hunter Smith said it was one of the worst frost events the region had ever experienced.
"A lot of the growers through the region are affected anywhere to the tune of very little damage through to some growers reporting 70 and even 80 percent crop loss through that one event," he said.
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Queensland fire conditions to worsen as temperatures continue to soar
https://bit.ly/2E8Yrwm
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https://www.sott.net/article/403242-Hockey-ball-size-hailstones-smash-Sydney-Australia
A series of extremely fast-moving storms have swept through Sydney, dumping hail and delaying flights at the airport.
UPDATE: The NSW SES has received more than 1400 calls for help since the storms began on Thursday afternoon.
Sydney metropolitan was the hardest hit area, Andrew Galvin from NSW SES told 10 Daily.
There have been about 350 requests for help in Hornsby in the city's Upper North Shore, while more than 270 calls have been received from Liverpool in the west.
"We have had huge demand on the telephones with a large number of calls," Galvin said.
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SYDNEY (AP) — Hailstones the size of tennis and golf balls have damaged homes and thousands of cars around Sydney.
Images on social media showed dented cars, broken windshields and a hazardous, snow-like landscape during the Australian summer.
https://bit.ly/2QKhPGp
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Temperatures have soared above 40 degrees Celsius throughout Australia as extreme weather hits parts of South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, the Northern Territory and the ACT.
The mercury reached a record 49.3C in Marble Bar in Western Australia's Pilbara region shortly after noon — the hottest day in the town since temperature records began in 1901.
In South Australia's mid north region, Port Augusta and Whyalla each hit 46.8C.
Capital cities swelter
Alice Springs reached 44C, Adelaide hit 43.7C and Canberra, which was forecast to hit 37C, reached 36C.
South Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecaster Bonnie Haselgrove said that in the north-east corner of the state, forecast maximums were expected to remain in the 40s for the next week.
Weather News - Australian heatwave sees capital cities and regional towns swelter (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/australian-heatwave-sees-capital-cities-and-regional-towns-swelter/528980)
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Weather News - Capital Rainfall Summary (http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/capital-rainfall-summary/528992)
In Hobart, a total of 585mm has been recorded, just slightly below the long term average of 612mm. It is important to note that it would be much lower had 129mm not fallen on May 11th. While the city could expect the odd shower to end the year, it is unlikely that they would end up with an above average rainfall.
Melbourne and Adelaide fared slightly worse, partly due to the absence of many strong frontal systems throughout the winter months. While not the only cause, it did limit the rainfall the regions received during the southern wet season, causing both cities to end up below average. Melbourne received a total of 512mm, which is below the average of 648.6mm. Meanwhile, Adelaide’s 358mm was just less than 70% of its average. Both cities may see their totals rise slightly before the new year as light showers impact southern parts of the nation.
Along the east coast, slightly drier than normal conditions impacted the capitals there. Canberra’s 469mm is below the average of 618mm. In Sydney, almost half of the rain recorded at observatory hill this year has fallen in the last four months, though this does bring the total up to 1001mm, making it about 80% average. In Brisbane, it is a similar story, with 859mm of rain recorded putting it 15% below average.
The other two capitals did manage to record above average values. In the southwest, Perth scrapped past the average of 729mm with its recorded 741mm of rain. In the Top End, even with the late onset of the north australian monsoon, Darwin managed to record more than usual, with 1849mm currently putting it at 106% of average. It is likely that Darwin's value will rise, as the year is currently forecast to end with showers and storms in the region.
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This is a good reminder of how much drier our big western neighbour is than we are. I presume someone has done the math, so I can ask the question: how close is Australia to a long term, semi permanent, water crisis?
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Don't know if this answer helps ato2.
The largest east coast centres (Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney) have all faced water supply challenges, but Perth and Adelaide have really been pushed to extreme levels. Current water storage levels in Australian capital cities range from 94.2% in Hobart and 69.7% in Melbourne through to 40.4% in Perth – the lowest of the capital cities. Only a year ago it was an alarming 28.5%.
Why are Perth’s water storages so low? Because of steep declines in rainfall and catchment runoff into the city’s dams.
The world is watching Perth and its water supply crisis. The long-term volume of water flowing into the Perth supply has plummeted from an annual average of 338 gigalitres (1911 to 1974) to less than 50 GL/year (2010-2016). During this 43-year “big dry”, the number of people served by the Perth water supply has increased steeply.
How has Perth managed to survive? Desalination and groundwater have come to the rescue. Perth relies less on catchment runoff and surface storages and now has two giant desalination plants. It also has tapped into groundwater as a major source of domestic water.
https://www.opednews.com/populum/archive.php
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Thanks for that info Mark.
Scary stuff!!!!!