Author Topic: Lack of 30C days for Sydney (Ob Hill) November 2007 - February 2008  (Read 6834 times)

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bondiman

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Since November last year to now only 2 days have reached 30oC & have not reached 31oC at all (period of 4 months), when was the last time this happened?. This February is looking to be the coldest since 1992. November's "highest" max of 26.4oC was the lowest since 1948.

Offline Richary

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Re: Lack of 30C days for Sydney (Ob Hill) November 2007 - February 2008
« Reply #1 on: 26 February 2008, 03:38:22 PM »
Early on this summer I thought there is plenty of time to get to the beach. Looks like I missed the chance! Very disappointing summer really, both in terms of temperature (though working on roofs a lot I don't mind it not being in the high 30s during the week), but also for storms. At least there is a chance of some in the next couple of days.

Offline Harley Pearman

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Re: Lack of 30C days for Sydney (Ob Hill) November 2007 - February 2008
« Reply #2 on: 02 March 2008, 08:37:46 AM »
1/3/Lack of 30 Degree days this summer - Report 2008

Hello

Very good topic. A Sydney Morning Herald Report dated 29/2/2008 proves this. Titled - Summer in the City

The facts are:-

a) The typical summer heat was replaced with cool and cloudy days and lots of rain.

b) It has been the wettest summer for 6 years and Sydney city received 438 mm of summer rain which has been achieved from constant rain rather than a few large one off falls. There were no single one day rain records broken.

c) Critically, not a single summer day reached beyond 31 degrees (City).

d) This has only happened three times in the past 149 years with the last being in 1956. (The discussion on temperatures is correct, especially for Sydney city).

e) Average maximum temperatures were 25.2 degrees and it was the coldest summer since 1996/1997.

f) Sydney experienced 6.7 hours of sunshine, the lowest since 1991/1992.

This was the result of La Nina.

Where I reside in Blacktown in western Sydney the figures are different. For example:-

a) It reached 30 degrees on 13 days in October, 6 in November and December, 10 in January and 5 in February (Total 19 days in spring and 21 days in summer for a total of 40 days).

b) In the same period for 2006/2007, there were 61 days when the temperature reached 30 degrees or higher plus another 11 such days during March 2007 for a total of 73 days.

c) Interestingly there were more 30 degree days in March 2007 than that occurred during any of the months November, December, January and February 2007/08.

The number of 30 degree days is the lowest number I have experienced living in Sydney from 1997 - 2007/08.

d) October 2007 was hotter than November, December and February at 27.2 Celsius and had the most number of 30 degree days being 13 for the spring / summer period - 2007/2008.

e) The temperature reached 35 degrees or higher on just one day December to February which was 13/1/2008 when it reached 37 Celsius.

f) On all the other days when it reached 30 degrees, the maximum temperature fell between 30 and 35 degrees. In February, the maximum temperature was 31.2 Celsius on the 6.

There were no exceptionally hot days.

g) The official maximum February temperature at Prospect was 25.8 Celsius which is significantly lower than 2007. Actually, to put this into perspective, the average maximum March 2007 temperature was 27.4C meaning that February 2008 was colder than March 2007.

Further, March and October 2007 were hotter than the months of November and December 2007 and February 2008.

Amazingly not one single summer month for 2007/08 for Blacktown saw average maximum temperatures peak at 30 degrees which usually occurs for at least one month. Maximum averages were between 25.8C and 28C. January was the warmest month but it was still 2.17C colder than January 2007 where the average maximum was 30.17C.

It appears that the La Nina has resulted in cooling effect for the whole of summer.

Rainfall was around 445 mm where I live (December to February) and the cool cloudy / wet days contributed to the cooler than normal summer.

Finally, thunderstorms occurred on some 22 days where I live between 1/10/07 and 29/2/08. Although given that I went after many of them, this figure for me is inflated.

One other rare event occurred on 13/2/2008 in which I woke up to see morning fog. I cannot remember such a February morning in which fog occurred.

Overall, this has been a cooler, cloudier and wetter summer for much of eastern and northern NSW and much of Queensland and this is just a microcosm of some events in one locality.

Harley Pearman

bondiman

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Re: Lack of 30C days for Sydney (Ob Hill) November 2007 - February 2008
« Reply #3 on: 08 March 2008, 11:18:18 AM »
Interesting report re Blacktown, makes for very interesting comparisons between coastal and inland suburbs.

OB HILL STATISTICS:-

1. This summer did not reach 31oC at all, last time this occurred was in 1955/1956. Other Summers in which this occurred was in 1952/1953, 1886/1887 and 1872/1873.

2. November 2007 - February 2008 did not reach 31oC - since recording began (Ob Hill), this has happened only once way back in November 1872 - February 1873.

3. Temps did not reach 31° from 1 February 1872 to 17 October 1873, a total of 624 days, next longest was 351 days from 1 December 1955 to 15 November 1956.

4. Feb 2008 - the mean max of 24.8oC was the lowest since 1985 (24.4oC), however 1992 had a mean max of 24.9oC. Mean min of 18.5oC was the lowest since 1996 (18.1oC). Mean temp of 21.6oC the lowest & equal with that of 1996.

5. Sunshine at Sydney Airport for Feb 2008 was only 164 hrs - the lowest since 2003 (165 hrs). Cloudiest (Feb) on record goes to the year of 2002 which had 141 hrs.

Offline Jimmy Deguara

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Re: Lack of 30C days for Sydney (Ob Hill) November 2007 - February 2008
« Reply #4 on: 08 March 2008, 11:46:32 AM »
Bondiman,

Is there a typo in the statement or am I confused:

Quote
5. Sunshine at Sydney Airport for Feb 2008 was only 164 hrs - the lowest since 2003 (165 hrs). Cloudiest (Feb) on record goes to the year of 2002 which had 141 hrs.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara
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