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As winter draws to an end in Australia, a brief spring heatwave has lifted temperatures to near September record levels
Overall, Australia’s winter was unremarkable and despite impressions to the contrary, it was, nationally, the ninth warmest on record. The southeast had some significantly cold and wet spells and there were good examples of severe, and unusual, weather:
• deadly floods in eastern New South Wales
• Sydney’s Bondi Beach blown inland
• Tasmania’s best ski conditions since 1992
Now it’s almost over, even before the spring solstice, as hot air captured from the north, (especially Kimberley), is drawn across the south. A good northerly breeze generated by a big area of high pressure has given a sudden spring surge in temperature.
Perth hit 32 celsius on Thursday 10 September, just two degrees from the September record and the earliest day here of 30C or above for 76 years. The following day it was 22C.
Adelaide was the next major conurbation to feel the heat. 25C on Friday, 30C on Sunday but a shocking 15C on Monday as the inevitable, following cold front brings the wind around to a westerly. Adelaide’s average temperature for September is 19C.
Melbourne, after running a cold three to six degrees below normal for September, has just thrown off the winter coat and enjoyed a couple of days at 25C. Tuesday will disappoint at 15C.
As Tasmania’s Ben Lomond National Park sees the end of the 2015 ski season, Hobart, the state capital also catches this brief heatwave. Monday saw 27C posted as the day’s maximum, a full 12 degrees above average.
We are now close to the solstice, the primordial rite of spring, and although this heatwave is fading away, this year is hosting a major El Nino. This movement of Pacific ocean warm water has worldwide weather implications and for Australia it usually implies higher than average spring and summer temperatures throughout the south.
Courtesy of aljazeera.com
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