Early last Sunday the mercury in Rockhampton dipped to 5.5C, the coldest morning of the year.
Many people did not get out of “blanket street” till after 10am.
Church attendances were down (the Lord would understand).
Yet the afternoon was brilliant and warm in the cloudless skies.
The pristine (flat ocean) ocean temperatures continued with 21C; yet along the shallow beach 19/20C in the mornings.
A lot of fish were caught last weekend.
After 2 more cold mornings 5.9C Monday and 8.2C Tuesday.
It was time for more blankets and doonas as the temperature jumped to 13.8C Wednesday morning.
Cool though rather pleasant after the cold.
Then as the ridge tightened along the Capricorn Coast the winds jumped from gusts of 12 knots (22kph) to 26 knots (48kph) early Wednesday.
The increasing winds pushed the seas up to two metres by the afternoon.
Squally showers on the radar from Rundle Island to GKI and Stockyard Point caused an isolated shower of 5-8mm.
Samuel Hill 11.6mm (two days) and 5mm Byfield Thursday.
Plus an isolated “rouge” storm reported between Bundy and Childers.
Railway Bridge recorded 9mm and 7mm Howard Thursday afternoon.
Must feel for the Maroon State of Origin game three playing in 9C degree temperatures felt like 7C.
No wonder Hunt/Munster/Grant were a little slower than game one and two.
Or was it a Billy ploy to keep Fittler for another Maroon series win in 2024?
Sydney recorded its driest start to winter in 85 years with 22mm.
Hobart recorded the warmest July minimum on record with 13.3C . Beating a 134 year record.
This was 7.7C above average.
Ahead of 104kph gusts off the Tasmanian coast and a 7 day total of 221mm at Mt. Read ( beats our Gumboot country!?) .
The SOI sits at +2.4 which is neutral.
While the Northern Hemisphere bakes with El Nino!
Will it come to AUZ the next 2-3 months?
USA
Vermont worst flood in 100 years last Monday.
Flash floods collapsed the Route 32 roadway near Cornwall NY and streets were like rivers.
Calais recorded 9.61 inches ( 244mm) and affected New York.
Over 200 people rescued and one death.
This was the second biggest flood in Montpelier the Capital since 1927.
DEATH VALLEY could break the all time record as a heat dome continues as a heatwave across the southern USA.
The disputed 57C ( 134F) record on the July 10 2013 may be challenged with 55C plus Sunday.
Many places Texas/Arkansas/ElPaso/Las Vegas over 100F( 38C) for 27 days reaching Oregan and Florida.
Dust from the Saharan duststom reached the Caribbean and Florida Tuesday.
This has impeded tropical storm development.
SPAIN
Ground temperatures reached 60C during deadly heatwave.
EUROPE
Temperatures records broken across Western Europe.
France, Switzerland, Germany, Greece and Italy – all above 40C.
ITALY
Forecasters have called the HEATWAVE “CERBERUS” after Danti’s inferno of hell’s three headed monster – Lucifer!
One man died while painting a “zebra crossing” in 50C road HEAT in Lodi just north of Milan.
CROATIA
Forest Fires destroyed homes and tourist resorts in Sibenik on the Dalmation coast.
Hot southerly winds drove the raging fires to engulf the bushland and forests last Thursday.
UK
Wet and windy as a 994 Hpa low crosses southern Ireland with storms from Bantry to Cork Friday.
Rain in England with winter like maximums for the weekend.
Chance of a shower Manchester Wednesday.
NORTH AFRICA
Temperatures from Morocco to Egypt stayed in the 40’s degrees at people clamored to the beaches and pools.
The heat reached the Middle East with Iraq recording 50C.
CHINA
The record heat caused electricity production to reach an all time record of 4.09 billion kilowatt-hours last Tuesday.
PHILIPPINES
A Tropical Storm looks like divulging over Luzon Friday.
Should track north west and may develop into Typhoon status ( 120kph) near Hong Kong Monday.
FORECAST
The western flank of a high over New South Wales has caused early fogs and frosts for the last couple of days sneaking into southern Queensland.
A front passes through the HAM (Hobart/Adelaide/Melbourne) with zonal westerlies gusting close to 100kph Friday.
This Synoptic setup has locked in the SETW along the Queensland Coast.
Strong Wind Warnings are out with gusts close to and over 30knots (55-65kph) from Double Island Point, Heron Island, Rundle Island, Hamilton Island and the Islands off Cairns.
Seas around 2 metres with the odd roller about 3m.
Accompanied with isolated squally showers.
This pattern looks like persisting well into next week.
Coastal light showers for Capricornia Saturday with cloud advected inland as drizzle (0.2-0.5mm) reaching the Berserkers late Saturday.
Chance of it again Sunday ( definitely Yeppoon/Caves/Shoalwater).
Then maybe a morning and afternoon drizzle Monday.
Minimum around 12-13C might get to 15C Monday.
Tricky weather here!
Coastal morning showers (4-9mm) might travel the Yeppoon/Rocky Road and reach Mt. Archer during the afternoon.
Then possibly the Airport as drizzle (0.5-1.2mm).
Afternoon maximums 22-23C – may feel a cool 19-20C.
The easing wind trend looks like Thursday and Friday with maximums 25C.
Again the coastal shower should affect northern Capricornia.
Then sunny warm days follow.
BOATIES!
Get ready!
