Sunshine Coast Hinterland Times » Weather

Hinterland Weather - JANUARY 2010

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:44:17 +0000

Archives of January weather patterns covering the Blackall Range often show a large high pressure system hovering to SE of Tasmania that interacts with low pressure systems in the monsoonal belt. Such was the case in the first week of the New Year, when we had 115 mm of rain in the gauges to indicate a start to the wet season.

However, in the following week the unexpected happened with the Tasman high moving quickly east leaving behind stable atmospheric conditions over our region. As a result we had 19 consecutive rain-free days in January for the first time in 117 years, breaking the previous record held in January 1939 with 16 consecutive dry days.

Rain returned to the Blackall Ranges with a thunderstorm on Friday 29th, bringing the total for the month to 154.6 mm. This represents 132.2 mm below average.

The maximum temperature for the month was 34°C on the 18th at 1.30pm, with a sweltering outdoor heat stress ‘feel’ temperature of 44°C.

Weather report was supplied by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather.

Hinterland Weather - September 2009

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:37:41 +0000

This is the time of year when our eyes scan the horizon seeking the first sign of buds bursting out in colour on jacarandas trees. The heavy scent of jasmine and freesia fills the air, joy to some and an allergy to others.

Throughout the month a persistent high pressure system centred in the southern Coral Sea showed a marked reluctance to either weaken or drift eastwards blocking the likelihood of any substantial precipitation reaching us in frontal systems approaching from the south. The result was we have had the lowest monthly rainfall for six years measuring only 39.4 mm, representing 24 mm below the 116 year average. The season’s first thunderstorm was an isolated cell on Monday 7th this brought 29 mm of rain to help fill near empty tanks on some properties. Total rainfall for the first nine months of this year is on track with the all time average.

The major phenomena of the month was the widespread dust that twice covered the east coast of Australia from Sydney northwards, arriving on the Blackall Ranges on Wednesday 23rd and Sunday 27th.

It all started on Monday 21st when an intensive low of 960hPa developed in The Bight. A cold surface trough associated with this system moved across Victoria and into NSW and SE Queensland. Overhead instability of the atmosphere was intensified by troughs in a NW cloudband. On Wednesday we had hot gale force winds whipping up red top soil from out west, including silt possibly from Lake Eyre, and then depositing some 75,000 tonnes an hour of dust along the east coast. Sydney airport closed early in the day and planes diverted to Brisbane. On the Blackall ranges the day started with a slight haze. At 1.15 pm winds backed to SSW and widespread dust moved in dramatically dropping visibility to 300m. The wide spread dust cleared the region by the following afternoon and made Thursday a day of mopping-up grit that had penetrated everywhere. Vehicles needed cleaning, also air conditioner filters. Washing machines were kept busy.

Weather report is supplied by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news

Weather - July 2009

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:33:35 +0000

In the first week of the month the Hinterland experienced wintry weather resulting from an extensive high covering the whole of Australia and a 992hPa low in the Tasman Sea. The two systems interacted to bring strong Antarctic winds up the east coast and on to our Ranges On most days we had long hours of Bright Sunshine and good visibility. The only exception was on Thursday 2nd when strong winds polluted the atmosphere with a dust storm. For most of the month we had long hours of sunshine and clear blue skies until the final few days when controlled back-burning of under growth brought wide-spread smoke trapped under a temperature inversion. Total July rainfall was 16.4 mm, representing a 7 mm decrease on the 116 year average for the region. However, the annual rainfall is on track showing a slight increase over the 7 month norm.

Weather report was supplied by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.
Weather report supplied by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news

Weather - February 2009

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:45:36 +0000

Last year we had a wet summer with 1,197 mm of rain on the Ranges. It was also a cool summer with a mean max temperature of 24ºC. It is somewhat different this year with summer rainfall less than half the previous year and an increase of two degrees in the mean maximum summer temperature.
A complex synoptic weather system prevailed for most of February. By the beginning of the month the monsoonal trough had drifted lower and brought some useful falls of rain to our region. A high pressure system in the Tasman Sea extended a ridge up the east coast. The associated south-easterly winds with isolated showers brought the ‘brollies’ out. We had thick fog on the 19th. As winds backed north-westerly temperatures climbed to thirty degrees, which would not have been too bad had it not been for extreme Relative Humidity prevailing at the time. The Heat Stress factor recorded on Friday 20th was 41ºC; dangerously high for the young and elderly alike.
Weather data was lost at the Maleny Weather Station due to ants building their nests in highly sensitive recording equipment; resulting in the loss of some computer graphics.
February rainfall was 232.8 mm, representing 70 per cent of the 116 year average; we also had 228 hours of Bright Sunshine recorded.
Weather report supplied by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news

January Weather

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:55:26 +0000

New Year’s Day was a hot one with a maximum temperature of 34ºC. Winds backed to strong south-easterlies by Saturday, bringing a drop of twelve degrees in daytime temperatures and some light to moderate showers.
An extensive high pressure system has remained hovering over the Tasman Sea for the past two weeks and is responsible for our recent inclement weather. The cooler strong counter clockwise winds around the system brought strong maritime winds with showers, heavy at times, on to the Ranges. The same air stream looped south and heated rapidly bringing scorching conditions to South Australia with temperatures in the forties. This is a normal synoptic weather pattern for the time of year but this year it is unusual for the anticyclone to remain so long over the Tasman Sea before dissipating or moving east. The result is record breaking heatwaves in cities such as Melbourne and Adelaide.
January rainfall was 174.2 mm, representing 66 per cent of the 116 year average, with 219 hours of Bright Sunshine recorded.

Weather report supplied by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyweather.com for daily data and weather news.

Our Weather - December 2008

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:28:57 +0000

The first month of summer was a reminder that Mother Nature is a law unto herself. There was a real mixture of weather; it was wet and windy and temperatures rose to thirty-four degrees bringing the heat exhaustion factor to 42ºC. This is well into the danger zone for the elderly and young alike; not to mention the unwary holiday-maker sunbathing on the beach in Extreme UV Index of 14.
Throughout the month the Hinterland experienced several complex synoptic systems involving upper, mid and low level troughs bringing some much needed rain to drought stricken areas. However, by the time the cloudbands reached us much of the rain was spent leaving us with showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall for the month was 110.4 mm, representing 79 mm below the 115 year average. The annual rainfall of 2312 mm was the highest recorded at MWS since 1999, the year when the Riverside Centre was flooded.

Weather report supplied by Patrick Stacey, Maleny Weather Station. Log on to www.malenyyweather.com for daily data & weather news

New Hinterland Times Website

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:35:27 +0000

Welcome to the new Hinterland Times Website!

We are currently loading content at a furious pace so keep us bookmarked to check out all of the hinterland happenings online. In time we will have the full magazine online including News, Features, Classifieds, Events and Entertainment - along with a few special features designed specifically for the online edition only.

Welcome readers, and happy browsing!