The Colour Purple is Hot
The daytime temperature today in Melbourne hovered at a nice and cool low 20s - max at 21.0°C (69.8°F). It's unbelievable that the temperatures late week, particularly on Friday topped almost 41.0°C (105.8°F).
The sweltering heat with record breaking maximum temperatures was felt across Australia - it was 44°C (111.2°F) in Adelaide on the same day!
In the last few days, Australian temperature maximums have ranged from 40°C to 48°C setting a new national average maximum of 40.33°C (104.59°F) on 7 January 2013. This prompted the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to extend the temperature range of its weather forecasting charts to 54°C (previously capped at 50°C) and adding new colours - deep purple (for 50-52°C) and magenta (for 52-54°C). Burnt orange and black depict temperatures ranging from 40-48°C.
Forecast Chart for 6-7 January 2013, Source: Australia Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)
The combination of hot temperatures, very dry conditions (got to 4%RH in Adelaide!) and gusty winds was just the recipe for horrendous bushfires, some of which are still raging in the four south eastern states - Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The bureau reported that the first six days of 2013 were all among the hottest 20 days on record in terms of average maximums:
1 January 7, 2013: 40.33 degrees
2 December 21, 1972: 40.17
3 December 20, 1972: 40.01
4 December 22, 1972: 39.82
5 January 1, 1973: 39.79
6 January 6, 2013: 39.71
7 December 17, 2002: 39.7
8 January 2, 1973: 39.65
9 January 3, 2013: 39.55
10 December 16, 2002: 39.54
11 December 30, 1972: 39.48
12 December 31, 1972: 39.43
13 January 27, 1936: 39.4
14 January 1, 1990: 39.39
15 January 4, 2013: 39.32
16 January 5, 2013: 39.26
17 January 2, 1990: 39.22
18 January 2, 2013: 39.21
19 December 18, 2002: 39.2
20 January 13, 1985: 38.98
Australia's climate in 2012 was extreme to say the least - cooler and wetter the first half of the year and warmer and drier than average on the second half. BOM reported that the maximum temperatures in 2012 were 0.51°C above average, and minimum temperatures of 0.28°C below average, making the year a warmer-than-average year, 0.11°C above average.
It's ominous that the bureau's forecasting models are showing temperatures in excess
of 50°C (122°F) for 2013.
In the last few days, Australian temperature maximums have ranged from 40°C to 48°C setting a new national average maximum of 40.33°C (104.59°F) on 7 January 2013. This prompted the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to extend the temperature range of its weather forecasting charts to 54°C (previously capped at 50°C) and adding new colours - deep purple (for 50-52°C) and magenta (for 52-54°C). Burnt orange and black depict temperatures ranging from 40-48°C.
The combination of hot temperatures, very dry conditions (got to 4%RH in Adelaide!) and gusty winds was just the recipe for horrendous bushfires, some of which are still raging in the four south eastern states - Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The bureau reported that the first six days of 2013 were all among the hottest 20 days on record in terms of average maximums:
1 January 7, 2013: 40.33 degrees
2 December 21, 1972: 40.17
3 December 20, 1972: 40.01
4 December 22, 1972: 39.82
5 January 1, 1973: 39.79
6 January 6, 2013: 39.71
7 December 17, 2002: 39.7
8 January 2, 1973: 39.65
9 January 3, 2013: 39.55
10 December 16, 2002: 39.54
11 December 30, 1972: 39.48
12 December 31, 1972: 39.43
13 January 27, 1936: 39.4
14 January 1, 1990: 39.39
15 January 4, 2013: 39.32
16 January 5, 2013: 39.26
17 January 2, 1990: 39.22
18 January 2, 2013: 39.21
19 December 18, 2002: 39.2
20 January 13, 1985: 38.98
Australia's climate in 2012 was extreme to say the least - cooler and wetter the first half of the year and warmer and drier than average on the second half. BOM reported that the maximum temperatures in 2012 were 0.51°C above average, and minimum temperatures of 0.28°C below average, making the year a warmer-than-average year, 0.11°C above average.
It's ominous that the bureau's forecasting models are showing temperatures in excess
of 50°C (122°F) for 2013.
Labels: Adelaide, Digressions, Melbourne, Musings, Ramblings
posted by Unknown at 11:05 pm
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