The weather report for the Hinterland Times is compiled by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.

Throughout the month La Niña was still active but considerably weaker than the very strong 2010-11 event. It is no wonder the month’s total rainfall of 329.2 mm exceeded the month’s average of 195.6 mm.

The first week of summer brought a welcome change in the weather after the driest November in 17 years. An upper level system in a NW cloudband brought some serious rain; nearly an inch of rain was recorded at Maleny before the storm moved out to sea. It was a cooler month with the mean maximum and minimum temperatures three and one degree respectively below the norm. The first tropical cyclone of the season developed from a low in the Coral Sea in the third week of the month. TC Cyclone “Fina” remained a category one cyclone for only eight hours before being down-graded to a rain depression 500 km off the Sunshine Coast.

Coastguards patrolled closed beaches along the Sunshine Coast over the Christmas period as an upper level system, plus king tides and a rain depression caused extremely dangerous sea conditions.

The 1911 Annual Rainfall is 2492.6 mm, representing 20 per cent above the 118 year average.

The weather pattern for most of the month featured a high pressure system in the northern Tasman Sea. This brought many days of hot dry northerly air streams to the hinterland, giving both maximum and minimum temperatures a two degrees boost over the norm of 24.8°C and 15.8°C respectively.

La Niña is still active but considerably weaker than the very strong 2010-11 event.

The weather report for the Hinterland Times is compiled by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.

For the most of October this year the hinterland weather was influenced by a high over the Tasman Sea with a ridge of high pressure up the east coast. This resulted in a predominance of on-shore maritime showers for most of the month. There have been two exceptions.

On Saturday 15th almost everyone across the Ranges was rudely awakened at 4.15am when a thunderstorm cell broke overhead.

This moved seawards about two hours later and may have given residents the impression that the worst was over, but the arrival of fast moving storms in the afternoon brought another burst of wild weather at 5.15pm.

At the end of the month an inland surface trough line triggered a number of storm cells and at 10.45pm on Sunday winds backed to SW as the hinterland had the tail end of a severe thunderstorm in the Brisbane valley. At 11.00pm the rate of rainfall was 88mm/hour. Rainfall during the storm measured 22.2mm bringing the total for the month to 144.4mm – 38mm above average.

Mean Maximum Temperature was two degrees below the norm of 24°C

The weather report for the Hinterland Times is compiled by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.

For most of the month weather in the hinterland has been dominated by an extensive high pressure system in the north Tasman Sea. This resulted in stable dry air flowing over the region for the first two weeks bringing pleasant daytime temperatures in the low to mid-twenty degrees range.

There was one exception, however, when on Friday morning 9th winds veered NW with altocumulus clouds. Cumulonimbus clouds developed midday as severe storm conditions swept in from the Brisbane valley bringing winds gusting gale force and with heavy rainfall to some areas in the region. Rainfall at Maleny was minimal with only 6mm recorded at the weather station but the ‘rate of fall’ was 57mm/hour. Over the next few days we experienced abnormally low overnight temperatures when the mercury fell to as low as seven degrees, which is six degrees below the September average.

The last few hours of September were blown away in the hinterland by strong to gale force winds and a drop in temperature and a need to bring doonas and warmer clothing out of cupboards and drawers. Total rainfall for the month is 26.4mm, representing 38mm below average. Annual rainfall to date is 1982mm which is 150mm higher than at the same time last year.

The weather report for the Hinterland Times is compiled by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.

It was dry and sunny for the first half of the month with no precipitation apart from some early morning dew.

The thirty- day rainfall dry spell was broken on Sunday 21st when an upper level trough over the Ranges brought much needed moisture to dry gardens and paddocks.

A few days later the slow moving upper level trough rain band intensified following the arrival of a surface trough to the region. The result was three days of rain and 89mm in the rain gauges, boosting the month’s total rainfall to 147.2mm, representing 84mm above average.

The weather pattern for August this year is similar to August 1998 when 143mm of rainfall was recorded. At the time this was 2.5 times greater than the average August rainfall and the highest rainfall figure for 29 years. August 2007 rainfall in a La Niña episode was memorable with a record 533.6mm hard to beat.

Once again during August Mother Nature was showing herself busily engaged before spring was officially with us.

The national outlook for spring (September to November) shows a moderate shift in the odds favouring a wetter than normal season for our region.

The weather report for the Hinterland Times is compiled by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.

JULY was a dry month and visitors to the hinterland were seen enjoying the long hours of sunshine under clear blue skies.

Over the first half of the month the weather on the ranges was influenced by stable atmosphere extending from high pressure systems over Australia and the Tasman Sea. This brought light winds and fine weather.

In the middle of the month a weakening of the high pressure system allowed some high cirrus cloud to penetrate into the region. This was the first indication of an approaching upper level northwest cloudband that had picked up moisture from the Indian Ocean and was on its way. This system reached us on Friday 15th afternoon at 4.45 pm and over the next twenty four-hours precipitated 39.6mm of rain. There was thick fog slow to clear on Saturday and Sunday mornings. On Thursday 21st a deep low with gale force winds brought rain and storm damage to several NSW coastal towns.

At one time it was thought the low would extend into south Queensland and although we had some strong winds and heavy surf the skies were clear and we had long hours of glorious winter sunshine. This was a perfect week for tourists.

Total precipitation for rain and dew for July was 42.6 mm, representing 44.4 mm below the average of 87.0 mm.

This is the third consecutive month with below average rainfall. The seven month total rainfall for this year is 372 mm above the norm, mainly due to the heavy rainfall during January floods.

The weather report for the Hinterland Times is compiled by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.

In the first part of the month hinterland weather continued to be influenced by the La Niña event. The good news, however, is the 2010−11 La Niña event has

now ended. Climate models surveyed by the Bureau of Meteorology suggest that the Pacific Ocean will continue to warm over the coming months, with neutral conditions likely to persist through the austral winter; that is, neither La Niña nor El Niño.

During the life of the La Niña episode Maleny Weather Station recorded 3278mm of rainfall, representing 1531mm over the 117 year average or nearly twice the norm over the same 10 month period. Rainfall of this magnitude is to be expected in a strong La Niña event.

The main synoptic weather feature of the month has been an extensive high pressure system over the whole of Australia. A ridge up the east coast was responsible for a series of on- shore easterly winds bringing maritime showers onto the ranges.

A high level red dust cloud moved in from the south-west on Friday 20th and it is possible this phenomenon was responsible for the red stain found by many local residents on cars and driveways. On Wednesday 25th there was a four degree drop in overnight temperatures and an out- of- door need to wrap up warmly as wind gusts of up to 43kph sent the Wind Chill factor down to a chilling six degrees.

Total rainfall for May is 108.6mm, representing 71.6 below the norm. Overcast conditions kept Bright Sunshine down to 139 hours.

THE 2010/11 summer season was much wetter and cooler than usual. Early last spring a La Niña event was forecast and the following month’s weather brought catastrophic disasters to eastern regions of Australia. Maleny’s Rainfall for the season was 1848mm. This is over twice the average and brought flash flooding to many local areas and to a greater extent in the Brisbane valley. Maximum 24 hour rainfall was on the January 10 with 282mm.

However, the La Niña episode that has dominated the Australian climate over the past nine months is showing signs of weakening. Pacific Ocean temperatures, most notably below the surface, have warmed, while atmospheric indicators such as the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), trade winds and cloud patterns have eased from their respective peaks in early January

The last time we had a La Niña episode was in 1999 when Maleny had a record breaking 24-hour rainfall of 403.6mm. The Obi flooded to just inches below the bridge, lapping the decking behind the library. Heavy rainfall caused damage to Maleny Hardware and Post Office. It also flooded the basement below the Mexican Restaurant in Bicentennial Lane.

February with only six rain-free days has been mainly a month of high humidity with a series of short sharp showers brought on to the ranges by a flow of sultry moist north- easterly winds. Rainfall was 235mm, representing 97mm below the 117 year average for the month.

A month of high humidity…

The 2010/11 summer season was much wetter and cooler than usual. Early last spring a La Niña event was forecast and the following month’s weather

brought catastrophic disasters to eastern regions of Australia. Maleny’s Rainfall for the season was 1848mm. This is over twice the average and brought flash flooding to many local areas and to a greater extent in the Brisbane valley. Maximum 24 hour rainfall was on the January 10 with 282mm.

However, the La Niña episode that has dominated the Australian climate over the past nine months is showing signs of weakening. Pacific Ocean temperatures, most notably below the surface, have warmed, while atmospheric indicators such as the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), trade winds and cloud patterns have eased from their respective peaks in early January

The last time we had a La Niña episode was in 1999 when Maleny had a record breaking 24-hour rainfall of 403.6mm. The Obi flooded to just inches below the bridge, lapping the decking behind the library. Heavy rainfall caused damage to Maleny Hardware and Post Office. It also flooded the basement below the Mexican Restaurant in Bicentennial Lane.

February with only six rain-free days has been mainly a month of high humidity with a series of short sharp showers brought on to the ranges by a flow of sultry moist north- easterly winds. Rainfall was 235mm, representing 97mm below the 117 year average for the month.

The weather report for the Hinterland Times is compiled by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station.

Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.

Not surprisingly the main topic of conversation has been the rain spell that began in the third week of November and continued on throughout the following month. In December, with only three ‘dry days’, Maleny plateau and catchment area was saturated, dams and household tanks overflowed and flash flooding on roads was a frequent occurrence. By the last week of the month Maleny was heading for an all-time 117 year record rainfall, but was 17mm short of the previously held record of 728mm in 1970.

Rain on the Blackall Ranges was mainly the result of an extensive high in the Tasman Sea. This sent a ridge up the east coast streaming moist maritime SE winds and contributed to the continuous rainfall from an upper level trough.

Rainfall recorded for December at Maleny Weather Station was 711.2mm, four times over the average, bringing the year’s total to 3244mm.The previous maximum annual record was in 1999 with 3410mm. A strong positive La Niña episode is playing an important role in our current weather and there is a strong likelihood the Ranges will experience above average rainfall over the next three months.

In December 2009, we were all aware Mother Nature was a law unto herself. Everywhere the ground was dry and parched, and deep cracks appeared in gardens and paddocks. Maleny residents were cautioned to use less water as tankers topped up dwindling reserves.

The weather report for the Hinterland Times is compiled by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.