Australian Weather

[Styx]

Yes still snowing in Australia http://www.perisher.com.au/tickets-passes/extended-season.html

 

There's a lot of marketing hype in the link you provided! I find it difficult to understand how a major ski resort can actually get away with telling such fibs:

 

 

The 2014 snow season has seen some of the biggest snowfalls in decades with over two metres of snow falling in a two week period, setting up the season to be one of the best ever in terms of snow depth and consistency.

 

That is completely untrue!

Perisher ski resort is at altitude 1730-2034m in the Snowy Mountains in southern New South Wales near the Victorian border. It is the largest ski resort in the southern hemisphere.

It is just 2km away from Spencers Creek, which is at 1830m and the location where official snow depth measurements are taken by Snowy Hydro, and they have been doing this since 1952.

 

Here is the truth in how this years season is stacking up there:

http://gergs.net/gallery/

 

The only significant event this year was a big dump of snow in mid June. Everything else has been small top ups which have sustained an average base.

It will continue to snow throughout the spring but fronts moving up from the south will begin to lose their potency.

There is a now a view that  peak snow depth has been reached, and slow snow melt is now underway, which is usual for this time of the year.

 

Artificial snow making has become quite productive and cost efficient for large ski resorts if crowd numbers are high enough, and Perisher's extended season will primarily be down to snow making if weather conditions remain conducive ( low overnight temperatures and not too dry ).

Edited September 6, 2014 by Styx

[knocker]

NSW farmers put on a brave face as they battle worst drought in 100 years

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/nsw-farmers-put-on-a-brave-face-as-they-battle-worst-drought-in-100-years-20140907-10d6mf.html#ixzz3CqGrtAkX

[NorthNSW]

A windy thunderstorm moved through here on the 10th. It was a high based storm so there wasn't much rain in it, and looked undramatic. For a brief period the wind was very strong here, but clearly stronger nearby as it was only 2kms south of town near the village of Jerseyville that a hangar which usually houses a small aircraft was destroyed when the storm moved through. Officially, 87km/h was the highest gust recorded (at Kempsey).

 

(Source: Macleay Argus - Facebook)

 

There were storms about on the 16th as well. In the local vicinity they were quite weak and isolated, but further south in the local district at the small town of Smiths Lake there was a hailstorm that brought stones up to around the size of golf balls.

(Source of both photos: Great Lakes Advocate - Facebook)

 

90 second video of hailstorm: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154661027350397

Edited September 18, 2014 by NorthNSW

[Styx]

 

Morning Glory cloud phenomenon in the Gulf country, NW Queensland. A growing draw card for cloud surfers. I love this video.

One of the only places on earth where the formation of this cloud is more or less predictable to occur at a given time.

 

The small town of Burketown has begun an annual festival to celebrate this weather event. A nice idea.

'The Morning Glory festival '

http://www.morninggloryfestival.com.au/about/

 

This is pretty interesting too, it explains how convergent wind patterns at this time of the year there creates the rolling cloud

http://www.morninggloryaustralia.com/

[Summer Sun]

Sydney is forecast to hit 29c possibly 30c on Monday and Tuesday with northerly winds which is 8c to 10c above average back down to the low 20's on Wednesday as winds turn southerly

Edited September 24, 2014 by Summer Sun

[Styx]

Earliest Total Fire Ban declaration ever issued in Tasmania, due to extreme out-of-season weather conditions forecast for tomorrow. A total fire ban prohibits the lighting of any outdoor flame, including bbqs.. and also prohibits the use of other possible ignition sources, such as welding tools. Usually there is only a handful of TFB days in Tasmania every year - but never before in September.

 

 

Total fire ban declared for southern Tasmania

Updated

about 2 hours agoSat 27 Sep 2014, 3:36pm

Photo: The Fire Service is urging the public to be vigilant about the fire ban in southern Tasmania. (ABC News)

Map: Hobart 7000

 

A total fire ban has been put in place for southern Tasmania for Sunday - the first time the state has had a fire ban in September.

 

The Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS) is expecting warm weather and very strong winds in the morning.

 

"From my memory and understanding this is the first time we've gone so early with a total fire ban," said TFS chief officer Mike Brown.

"Many Hobartians will remember on the eastern shore as early as the 6th of October in 2006 we had serious fires then and we had a total fire ban declared for that.

"But to declare a total fire ban for September is a first for us, I believe."

 

Mr Brown said it was worrying to see such conditions so early in the year.

 

"We're carefully monitoring the weather conditions right across the state at the moment," he said.

"We've noticed that the East Coast is very dry for the time of year.

"That's an area we're expecting particularly very high conditions tomorrow.

"So it's the East Coast, South-East and Derwent Valley that's the most affected with these very high fire weather conditions."

Mr Brown should have said October 12th.

 

Hobart's forecast maximum is 28C ( 13 above average )... a figure thats only been exceeded twice before in September. The record is 31C. Sustained wind speed forecast of 35-55kmhr ( to 34mph ) with gusts to 110kmhr ( 68mph ). A blustery summery type of day.

 

It's been a dry September here and is certain to be one of the warmest starts to spring on record, background conditions exacerbating tomorrow's bushfire threat. 

Edited September 27, 2014 by Styx

[knocker]

A quick look at the chart and I can see where they are coming from.

Edited September 27, 2014 by knocker

[Styx]

The weather was pretty much spot on for accuracy today, but that's no big surprise as the BOMs short to medium term forecasts  hardly ever fail to miss the mark.

 

28.2C in Hobart today, the equal-second warmest September day in 132 years of records, with regular gale force winds and a peak of 106km/hr near lunchtime ( 66mph ). Cloudy to overcast, perhaps some cloud breaks could have challenged the all-time record high? Very dry as knocker's maps indicate, air being dragged from central Australia, 15-20% humidity levels. Highly unusual for early spring.

 

The Tasmanian Fire Service has units in attendance at numerous scrub fires. Some started by  power lines that arced or fell onto the ground in the high winds. There's a whiff of burning bush in the air but no tobacco laden sky or smoke haze, usually a summer time experience.

 

But still...28C, four weeks after winter's end, amazing.

[Styx]

Something fun to do on a Sunday, tracking Australia's heat anomaly of the last 2 years.

 

 

TOP 10 RANK FOR RECORD TEMPERATURE SINCE SEP 2012

NATIONWIDE RECORD SET BEGINS 1910

 

........................Mean Max........Mean.........

 

Nov 2012.........4

Dec 2012.........4

 

Jan 2013.........1......................1

Apr 2013.........5

Jul 2013..........3......................3

Aug 2013........2......................2

Sep 2013........1......................1

Oct 2013........3.......................7

 

Apr 2014.................................7

May 2014.......5.......................3

Sep 2014.......5

 

 

BOM to release its Seasonal Cyclone forecast tomorrow,  indicators point to a high probability of an average season, so there may be no surprises in the forecast itself, 13 cyclones forming in Australian waters of which 4 or 5 will cross the coast. The watch begins in December in earnest. It was an average season last year.

 

Also interesting at the moment to observe the dry season in the Australian tropics holding on in quite a widespread fashion, the last 2 years saw something similar with a patchy delayed beginning. It helps the inland build up a huge pool of heat under clear skies, a recipe for heatwaves and a higher chance of this anomalous heat reaching the coastal cities. Anyone following the Australian climate situation in recent years will understand the story. The weather at end of October and into November this year may prove very interesting to watch for a heat story of note, particularly if there's no influx of cool air from the south.

[Styx]

 

January heatwave: deaths up 24pc, cardiac emergencies up 97pc, analysis shows

The four-day heatwave in Victoria in January resulted in a 24 per cent increase in the number of deaths and a 97 per cent increase in emergency calls for cardiac issues, analysis shows.

 

In some parts of the state it was 45 degrees Celsius or more on three consecutive days, and in Melbourne it was over 41C on each of four days during the heatwave.

 

The analysis showed an additional 167 people died that week compared to previous years, Health Minister David Davis said.

There were 858 deaths that week, 691 of which would have been expected based on data from previous years.

January 2014 heatwave

• 858 deaths between January 14-17
• 691 deaths "expected" based on previous data
• 167 excess deaths
• 25 per cent increase in emergency ambulances dispatched
• 97 per cent increase in priority cardiac ambulance dispatches

 

During the 2009 heatwave, which was one day shorter, there was a 62 per cent increase in the number of deaths expected.

Mr Davis said that showed Victorians had listened to warnings about the impacts of heat on the health of the vulnerable.

 

Not surprisingly, there were also "significant increases" in the demand for emergency care, especially for cardiac and heat-related health issues.

Emergency calls in the metropolitan area were up 25 per cent and there was a 97 per cent increase in calls for emergency cardiac issues.

 

"There was a 7 per cent increase in overall emergency department presentations during the week of the heat wave, with a 23 per cent increase observed for people aged 75 years or more," Mr Davis said.

 

The analysis showed that there were fewer people turning up to hospital for non-urgent issues, but the ones who did go to hospital required "urgent attention".

 

There were also large increases in the number of people seeking help from telephone hotlines, including Nurse on Call and the National Home Doctor Service.

 

The findings from the analysis would feed into existing heat health plans and strategies to respond to heatwaves in future.

ABC. Victoria. Full story.

 

 

So the good news to take out of this is that the Melbourne death toll was almost half what was expected, with vulnerable people taking extra precautions and people looking out for each other, based on the heat related warnings and the publicity that was about during last summer's heatwave.

 

 

Melbourne's most severe heatwaves since 1855

Min/Max...

 

1. 1908

Day 1-5....21/43...20-44...22/40...23/41...24/43

 

2. 2014

Day 1-4....18/43...29/42...27/44...26/44

 

3. 2009

Day 1-3....19/43...26/44...26/45

Edited October 13, 2014 by Styx

[Gray-Wolf]

Yet still the deniers criticise the BOM as if it were not value for money???? Looks to me like they're a real life saver with their heatwave forecasts/warnings?

[SomeLikeItHot]

...

During the 2009 heatwave, which was one day shorter, there was a 62 per cent increase in the number of deaths expected.

Mr Davis said that showed Victorians had listened to warnings about the impacts of heat on the health of the vulnerable.

...

Are they comparing with the heatwave during the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires? So do they include the 173 people killed in the fires in 2009 when they are saying it was higher then? I believe only 1 died in fires this year.

If so then its hardly about heat warnings.

Edited October 13, 2014 by SomeLikeItHot

[Styx]

The 2009 Melbourne heatwave was a three day run of 40+ days between Jan 28-30th. The bushfires happened on February 7, with a temperature of 46.4C. I am close to certain that the heat related casualty figures for that year were for the heatwave itself and does not include the bushfire casualties that happened a week later.

[SomeLikeItHot]

Ah ok I see now, was 46 on the saturday of the fires. From memory thought the heatwave was that and the 2 days preceeding it, but I see you are right, cooled off to the low 30s for the week before.

[Summer Sun]

Live web camera of the storm about to hit Sydney

 

http://www.earthcam.com/world/australia/sydney/?cam=sydney

[SomeLikeItHot]

Looking at the BOM rainfall totals looks like some suburbs have had around 50-60mm rain in the last hour and its still going pretty hard.

Edit: From the Sydney Morning Herald Live Page:

A lightning bolt appears to have struck the Sydney Tower, creating a shower of sparks and plunging the structure into darkness about 10pm.

Tom Lane, whose apartment looks onto the tower, said it was "like someone was welding".

"It was one of the biggest bolts of lightening I have ever seen in my life. It was absolutely massive. The whole tower went black," Mr Lane said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/sydney-wild-weather-warning-heavy-rain-winds-forecast-20141014-3hyv3.html#ixzz3G7JpRwyM

around 100mmm in just over 2 hours around my house in Sydney (Canterbury nearest station about 2 miles away), and still raining by the looks of it. Imagine there will be some serious local flooding by the cooks river.

Edited October 14, 2014 by SomeLikeItHot

[keithlucky]

The 2009 Melbourne heatwave was a three day run of 40+ days between Jan 28-30th. The bushfires happened on February 7, with a temperature of 46.4C. I am close to certain that the heat related casualty figures for that year were for the heatwave itself and does not include the bushfire casualties that happened a week later.

LOL look at BOM thermometer location in Melbourne .

Edited October 14, 2014 by keithlucky

[Styx]

That BOM site is about to be decommissioned with the new Olympic site used for official readings next year. The new site is registering temperatures that are about 0.5C-0.75C  cooler on average, but on some days, the variation is less. You can see the real-time comparison and map location of the two sites on the BOM website.

 

I am not quite sure what readings you are questioning the validity of? The record number of days exceeding 40C in 2009 and in January this year was achieved at many locations in Victoria and a good proportion of those included long-standing rural stations in Victoria. Melbourne was also not the only place to eclipse its record high on February 7 2009.

[Midlands Ice Age]

That BOM site is about to be decommissioned with the new Olympic site used for official readings next year. The new site is registering temperatures that are about 0.5C-0.75C  cooler on average, but on some days, the variation is less. You can see the real-time comparison and map location of the two sites on the BOM website.

 

I am not quite sure what readings you are questioning the validity of? The record number of days exceeding 40C in 2009 and in January this year was achieved at many locations in Victoria and a good proportion of those included long-standing rural stations in Victoria. Melbourne was also not the only place to eclipse its record high on February 7 2009.

 

 

Common Styx,   (LOL)

 

A plastic cover up against wall in full sunlight over a road!!

 

How many others have you got like this in Aussie?

 

I reckon its good for an extra couple of degrees. Mine is similalarly placed and at times it is up to 3.5C warmer than local stations.

 

You cannot be serious!!!!

 

MIA

[stewfox]

No mention of this ??  on sky 

 

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/10/15/snow-flooding-and-lightning-wild-weather-sweeps-nsw

[Styx]

No mention of this ??  on sky 

 

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/10/15/snow-flooding-and-lightning-wild-weather-sweeps-nsw

 

Big event for the SE corner of New South Wales that is for sure; an east coast low capable of producing weather of that type of local intensity will form every few years. SomeLikeItHot added a separate link to story at the top of page. I started a Status Update on it as storm front approached and hit Sydney on Tuesday night. I was going to say some more but held off in case NorthNSW wanted to post something, as its his state. The SBS link you put up there covers things well with some great videos.

 

Snow at that quantity settled in the Blue Mountains and elevated parts of central new South Wales in October in 2012, but it's quite unusual.

Funilly enough it was a year to the day of the Blue Mountain bushfires, which burnt down 200 homes.

[knocker]

Common Styx,   (LOL)

 

A plastic cover up against wall in full sunlight over a road!!

 

How many others have you got like this in Aussie?

 

I reckon its good for an extra couple of degrees. Mine is similalarly placed and at times it is up to 3.5C warmer than local stations.

 

You cannot be serious!!!!

 

MIA

 

You should really check for yourself. The high quality Australian network ACORN. You can scroll down that catalogue to see pictures and description of all sites.

Edited October 15, 2014 by knocker

[Midlands Ice Age]

You should really check for yourself. The high quality Australian network ACORN. You can scroll down that catalogue to see pictures and description of all sites.

 

Thanks Knocker, If I have time I will

 

MIA

[keithlucky]

That BOM site is about to be decommissioned with the new Olympic site used for official readings next year. The new site is registering temperatures that are about 0.5C-0.75C  cooler on average, but on some days, the variation is less. You can see the real-time comparison and map location of the two sites on the BOM website.

 

I am not quite sure what readings you are questioning the validity of? The record number of days exceeding 40C in 2009 and in January this year was achieved at many locations in Victoria and a good proportion of those included long-standing rural stations in Victoria. Melbourne was also not the only place to eclipse its record high on February 7 2009.

Oh i forgot Sydney please dont quote major cities BOM has clearley pleaced themometers were you get man made false readings lol

[Styx]

The Sydney site was opened in 1917, keith.

I don't think the carriageway is especially new either, but that aerial photograph is incredibly misleading - it doesn't show the geography of the land in proper proportion. The highway, for example, is cut below the Observatory ground hill. The area has been heavily built since the late 19th century.

 

If you go to the ACORN reference file which knocker posted a link to, there is more information there which may allay your concerns.