A rare Upper Cold Pool (UCP) that moved over Central Queensland late last Sunday into Monday caused good rain and cold weather. The cloud triggered by the UCP formed over CQ forming rain with storms starting offshore from Agnes Water to Heron Island and east of the Keppels reaching Rocky as thundery rain Sunday evening. The UCP moved north with the heavier rain along the coast north of Yeppoon onto the Central coast with a tick over 100mm around Sarina to Mackay. Then north to the Cassowary Coast with 191mm total at Tully. I have not seen a weather event like this in July over the last 20 years. Then the cold day Monday was amazing. Spoke to my cousin in Melbourne Monday at 2pm. Their temperature was 12C which was the same as Rocky. Bilo got down to 1.3C with frost Sunday while Rocky 8.9C. Most people felt the cold aided by the wind which got into the “bones” with a maximum of 18.8C in the River City Monday; similar to a Melbourne winter’s day. One comment was “Its taken most of the week to shake out.” No wonder the Grey nomads are up here. Winds gusted to 80kph at Rundle Island Monday with seas peaking between three and four metres. Best rainfall totals in mm for the week were Samuel Hill 88, Caves 62, Byfield 48, Tartrus 40, The Range 36-38, Frenchville 36, Marlborough 34, Upper Dee 32, Bauhinia 31, Rocky Airport 31, Mt. Morgan 28, Duaringa 23, Yamba 22, Westwood 20, Riverslea 20, Jambin 19, Yeppoon 15, Thangool 14, Callide Dam 10, Raglan 6, Gladstone 2. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) after falling to -20 in June, rose to +4 around mid July. Now its taking a fall to -3 and continues to fall. If it gets to the minus high teens late August into September then the heat, and bushfires, may be a feature of our summer to come. After seeing the heat and bushfires in Europe, Asia, and US its a very scary feeling. It maybe of interest for all authorities to start preparing now with clearing grasslands and bush in vulnerable areas.
INTERNATIONAL
TAIWAN – Super Typhoon “DOKSURI” for the Korean meaning “eagle”. After battering the Philippines, 5 deaths due to flash floods, edged southern Taiwan with 191kph gusts. Heavy rain (estimated 600-700mm) triggered landslides, and floods killing 6 people.
CHINA – Heavy rain has caused flooding in Luzhou , Sichuan Provience , as DOKSURI approaches.
CANADA – After the June Fires heavy rain from a Major Storm followed in the third week of July. Falls of over 250mm in 24hrs have produced flash floods washing out bridges, 50 roads and a chunk of CN Railway. Communities affected were Antigonish, Bridgewater and Sackville Nova Scotia with 3 deaths so far.
GREECE – Wild Fires Gennadi Village Rhodes Island as temperatures reached 46C. Some 61 new blazes prompted evacuation orders for Lamia and Volos. Around one Megaton of carbon emissions was recorded from 1st July to 25th July.
ITALY – Temperatures rose to 47.4C in Sicily Monday. As Fires ragged through Sicily, Calabria, Abruzzo and Puglia. Two elderly people were burnt to death in their home near Palermo as a rescue ambulance was blocked by fires. With 4 lives claimed last Tuesday, nearly 40 deaths in the Mediterranean
Portugal – Over 500 Fire fighters outside Lisbon brought a ragging fire under control.
ALGERIA – Wildfires spread through 11 provinces with 37 deaths. Ten of the victims were soldiers fighting the fires. Over 8000 fire fighters were deployed to combat the fires.
USA – Phoenix recorded 25 heat related deaths ( with 69 deaths under investigation?) over 27 consecutive days of a HEATWAVE with maximums 110F( 43C). Wednesday recorded a minimum 32C and Maximum 43C – totally unprecedented.
INDIA- The delayed Monsoon started with Delhi recording 153mm causing the Hindon River flood many streets submerging hundreds of vehicles. AS North India and Pakistan were hit by record breaking rains. Mahesh Palawat ( Skymet) “The rise in land and sea temperatures is increasing extreme weather events.”
