Autumn is finally here after a very hot, uncomfortable and bizarre March with six days over 35C. The first two weeks of April continued with 34.7C on the 8th, then an excruciating 36.6C on the 13th. Now the South East Trade Winds (SETW) have arrived in force. Midweek wind gusts of 29kt( 54kph) hit Capricorn waters pushing peak seas up to three metres. Rocky’s minimum was 16.4C, Yeppoon 18.6C, Gladstone 16.9C and Biloela 10.2C on Friday. Add the wind factor which made the maximums feel like 27-29C. Open the windows and doors and goodbye to air conditioning.
Cloud from ex-tropical cyclone “ILSA” reached CQ on Sunday and caused some interesting falls on the Central Highlands.
Best totals (mm) – Emerald 33, Dysart 30, Craigmore 28, Arcturus 28, Theresa Ck. 25, Valencia 24, Capella 23, Springsure 20, Moranbah 18( fog). Mostly middle-level clouds hung over Capricornia with a spit. A line of storms from Charleville to Barcauldine Thursday evening reached the western part of the Coalfields. Petrona 16mm and Mt. Playfair 12mm. In the north, the receding monsoon was triggered by Ilsa clouds with 339mm at Gove in the western Gulf. The Cape York Peninsula and the Cassowary had some good 7-day totals (mm): Ayr 187, Tully 180, Cardwell 124, Horn Is. 109, Lotus 83, Lucinda 70, Bramwell 56. Kowanyama 52, Lochnagar 43, Emerald 36, Normanton 35, Urandangi 21.
ASIA – A MASSIVE HEATWAVE.
The worst April heat wave in Asian history is ongoing in more than a dozen countries.
44.0C in Pakistan, 43.5C in India, 43.4C at Lampang in Thailand, 0.1C from its all time record, 43.3C in Myanmar, 41.7C in Bangladesh, 42C in Central Asia.
Also hottest day on record at Sayabouri, Laos. Record temperatures in China to continue for the week.
USA – Fort Lauderdale recorded 25 inches (around 600mm) in a short time last week. A state of emergency was called for Broward County. Heavy rain and intense lightning caused flash flooding that stopped cars (which remained on roads) and closed Lauderdale Airport.
March and April are notorious for tornados. Records show many single occurrences in years gone by, of 30-40 deaths in 1977, 1998, 2008 and the 2011 super tornado. On April 28, 2011, one EF5, 11 EF4s and 22 EF3s were confirmed. Reports of 252 people dying in Alabama alone and billions of dollars in damage. Some people are still recovering from the trauma today. Now reports of three dead in Oklahoma with an EF3 tornado Wednesday. Reports of a tractor-trailer being blown over in Shawnee.
CHINA – Last week a severe sandstorm cloaked Beijing and northeast China. An orange glow gave an eerie feeling as people with respiratory problems suffered. Particles exceeded 1.321 micrograms per cubic metre. This is 45 times the WMO guidelines standard for poor air.
FORECAST
The summer high that normally sits in the bight has now moved rapidly over South Australia and Western Australia. This heralds the start of the cooler months. The strong pressure gradient along the east coast of Australia is causing strong SETW for most of the east coast. Coastal isolated brief showers should continue from Brisbane to Cairns and maybe TI for the coming week, which will affect ANZAC morning services along the coast. So bring an umbrella for the Capricorn Coast Service which should suffice in the light drizzle. This will make the maximums around 29C with the apparent temperature feeling like 28C. A relief from the humid sweltering conditions of early autumn. For the BOATIES it’s SOTW (stay out of the water) – looking at the crystal ball, next weekend is the next chance.
