Author Topic: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT  (Read 70593 times)

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Offline Steven

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #30 on: 31 March 2008, 01:08:29 AM »
Looks like winter arrived early this morning, I'm shivering under my bedsheets trying to get warm and I am stunned to find how low it's gotten this morning I could swear it dipped below 11 between the half hour reports, definitely a record breaker for March minimums. Brisbane is quite low too, 12.7 there. I probably should hurry and throw the blankets on.

Offline Mike

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #31 on: 31 March 2008, 10:15:43 PM »
I agree with Michael B.  It's fanning out.  I see it regularly observing storms in NT  I've got a lot of shots of updraught swirl and your photo shows definite spreading of the cloud mass.

Here's a couple of shots I got last night as a nice bunch of storms flanged Darwin and surrounds.  Some very regular strong CGs, and I found it impossible to be in three places at the one time - so many strikes in so many areas was very frustrating.

This photo is one of two I took.  Great structure and long lived. A larger cell was to the opposite side of this one and it pushed out no less than 5 positive strikes from the dome outward to infinity - There was no way I was going to stand outside and take photos after seeing the first two leap out - very powerful bolts and extremely long in jumping out.



This one shows quite a nice strike and direction of it.



This shot was taken at a new location - a peculiar shape to the CG - I did hear that there were strong gusts with this particular storm, perhaps the wind was bending the lightning channel?



one more - just a nice strike which seems to go horizontal at ground level at the point of grounding!

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Offline David C

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #32 on: 01 April 2008, 07:51:18 AM »

one more - just a nice strike which seems to go horizontal at ground level at the point of grounding!



Excellent shots Mike! Imagine lying on the ground, looking up and having that zip above your head before striking something 300 metres away from you! Crazy bolt.
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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #33 on: 01 April 2008, 12:28:11 PM »
Again you impressed me, Mike!! I like the first two pics!!!! These strikes through the whole height of the cloud.
And at the third photo...is this strike going like a half-loop? (I don't know how else to describe)

Offline Peter J

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #34 on: 01 April 2008, 01:11:31 PM »
Mike,

Those lightning pics at night with little or no light were fantastic! Almost the impossible shots! Well done!
In your opinion, do you think the wet season end is far off?

Big Pete

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Offline Mike

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #35 on: 02 April 2008, 09:25:33 PM »
Hi guys, I paticularly liked the second shot because if you look close at the cloud base you can see soooo much step leader action it was not noticed until now!  No wonder it pumped so many bolts out.

The wet is just about done and dusted, Pete.  The last couple of days have been hot yet dry - the high pressure cells moving across the country are really extending up into the NT with the easterly winds.  MB knows how I just love those systems...:)

Forecast is for afternoon storm for the next four days - we may get a couple of last hooroo's from the storms and the next morning you wake up and it's fine and sunny ....for six months....oh dear.

It's been a mediocre storm season as I've mentioned earlier, some nice big storms in the latter months but guess I should not whine about it, I've got some great shots, cyclone damage and almost been struck twice!  Can't ask for too much more excitement than that.
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Offline Harley Pearman

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #36 on: 05 April 2008, 02:44:16 PM »
March 2008 Weather Review

Given that this thread is related to general daily weather, I provide some fascinating insight and review of the weather for March 2008 experienced at Blacktown where I live.

I describe the month as "Very unusual" for the following reasons:-

a) There were 4 fogs which is above average. However parts of Blacktown around Glenwood had a fog on the 29/8/08 that I observed. Thus it could be said that there were 5 fogs that I observed.

b) There were 3 days when a thunderstorm passed overhead. However I observed storms on the 24 and 29 that passed close to where I live in which thunder was heard. That makes it 5 days when a storm passed overhead or close enough for thunder to be heard. I also observed distant lightning on the 28 to the NW and a storm cell passed well to the south earlier on that same day. This is a high number when compared to recent years for this month.

c) It rained on 7 days producing around 75 mm. Although official Seven Hills readings and Prospect readings vary from 70 to 79 mm. Interestingly, this is the first month since October 2007 when rainfall was less than 100 mm in any given month.

d) Temperatures - Official BOM temperatures (My ones are quite close to this) stand at 27.1 Celsius Maximum average and 14.8 Celsius Minimum average.

Incredible that this may seem, March 2008 was warmer than November, December and February. The month of March was almost as warm as January 2008 being only 0.9C cooler than that month.

e) It reached 30 degrees on 8 days which is more than that occurred in November 2007, December 2007 and February 2008 and only 2 less than that of January 2008. The month of March was 1.75 C warmer than November 2007, 1C warmer than December 2007 and 1.3 C warmer than February 2008.

Thus I experienced 48 days above 30 degrees for the October to end of March period which is well down on past years.

The hottest day occurred on the 20 when the temperature reached 32C.

f) Blacktown experienced its first night of the year on 30/3/2008 in which the minimum temperature fell below 10 C being 8.3C.

Thus in conclusion, March had a high number of thunderstorms, fog, less rain than the previous 4 months but was warmer than much of summer.

A Sydney Morning Herald report dated 1 April 2008 has stated that Sydney City enjoyed its sunniest March on record with each day averaging 8.8 hours of sun compared with the normal 6.8 hours.

That actually made March sunnier than the normal December average which is usually 7.9 hours per day.

Rainfall across Sydney was generally lower than normal for the month with most localities recording lower than normal figures.


Harley Pearman

Offline Steven

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #37 on: 06 April 2008, 06:46:11 PM »
Curse those damn showers! they're back again, so it seems like another few weeks of mostly boring showery weather patterns, no storms or anything else exciting whatsoever. I haven't even had the opportunity to capture any sunset shots because the atmosphere has been too humid and damp to allow any dust to accumulate in the upper levels of the atmosphere allowing for those real killer sunsets, I'll never forget the absolutely stunning sunset on May 2nd last year.

In April, so far the weather has been far cooler and the nights are getting progressively colder as well, I won't be surprised if we get below 10 sometime soon. So my prognosis for this month? I think we'll see more of the showery weather continue until the end of this month, I don't expect anything exciting to eventuate unless another rain depression makes it's way on us again, I also don't expect thunderstorm activity to occur until spring again.

Offline Richary

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #38 on: 07 April 2008, 11:38:37 AM »
I won't be surprised if we get below 10 sometime soon.
Here in Rydalmere my thermometer showed 3 when I woke up on Friday morning.  Despite Parramatta only going down to 7.

Offline Harley Pearman

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #39 on: 19 April 2008, 02:20:10 PM »
Unusual weather for Sydney for April 2008

I have been looking at some April weather statistics for Sydney and have found some unusual weather phenomena particularly for maximum daily temperatures that is worth a mention including:-

a) Sydney city - The Observatory Hill weather station recorded 7 days in a row from 4 April to 10 April where the maximum daily temperature fell between 22.2 C and 22.7C. This is a very uniform maximum temperature range for Sydney over a 7 day period (The range is just 0.5C).

b) For the period 14 to 17 April (Same place), maximum daily temperatures for Sydney city varied from 18.9C to 21 C (The range is 2.1C).

C) Sydney airport recorded maximum temperatures varying from 18.7C to 19C for 14 to 17 April (A variation range of 0.3C). Very stable range.

d) Sydney Olympic Park (Same period - 14 to 17 April), the maximum daily range fell between 18.6C and 19.9C (A range of 1.3C). Also quite stable.

e) Prospect (Same period) a maximum daily range of 19.2C to 19.5C (A range of 0.3C).

When one looks at the average temperature ranges for many areas across Sydney for much of April, maximum daily temperatures are quite uniform and relatively stable for a number of days in a row.

A greater number of days this April have failed to reach 20C when compared to recent Aprils is becoming apparent.

It seems that we are in a rut in which a constant ESE airstream, cool winds, cloud and coastal showers is contributing to a fairly uniform range of maximum temperatures for April 2008.

Harley Pearman 

Offline Steven

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #40 on: 28 April 2008, 02:59:23 AM »
Nothing to report here, except calm and clear days, pretty warm too, they say 28 for today, but the nights are really nippy. No rain in sight for a while.

Steven

Offline Harley Pearman

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #41 on: 30 April 2008, 01:55:21 PM »
Coldest night for 2008 for Western Sydney

Following the passage of the recent cold front coupled with clear skies and light winds, the overnight minimums recorded across large areas of western Sydney fell to their coldest level so far for 2008.

The minimum temperature at Blacktown for 29/4/2008 was 4.3 degrees Celsius, Penrith 4.8 degrees Celsius while at Richmond it was just 2.3 degrees Celsius.

I heard a weather report on 2GB stating that overnight minimums for 30/4/2008 could drop to 1 degree Celsius in some outer areas.

Thus, the recent cold change is being felt in Western Sydney especially during the mornings with below average temperatures being recorded.

Harley Pearman

Offline Jimmy Deguara

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #42 on: 30 April 2008, 03:04:02 PM »
Ahh,

So I was not dreaming when I thought I saw frost this morning. It was reasonably widespread in the lower parts of the valley from my view point.

Very nippy indeed.

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Offline Michael Bath

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #43 on: 01 May 2008, 02:07:35 AM »
8.2 this morning and 8.8 yesterday though it was 17.1 as the minimum the morning before ! Quite a few record low April temps in NE NSW by the looks.

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Offline Harley Pearman

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Re: General Weather Thread: QLD / NSW / ACT / NT
« Reply #44 on: 03 May 2008, 12:51:56 PM »
Weather for the month of April 2008 at Blacktown:


I will post a run down of the April 2008 weather experienced at Blacktown where I live. The month of April 2008 can be summarised as being significantly cooler when compared to recent years. In particular:-

a) There was 1 thunderstorm on the 13/4/2008.

b) It rained on 14 days (That represents 46.6% of days when it rained). The majority of that fell in the form of showers rather than rain periods.

c) There were 3 fogs. The number of fogs this year is rather high.

d) There were 10 days in which the maximum temperature failed to reach 20 degrees Celsius. That is 33% of days during the month of April failed to reach 20 degrees Celsius. This is very significant. In April 2006, the temperature on every single day exceeded 20 degrees Celsius and during the same month, it reached 30 degrees on 5 such days. In April 2007, the temperature failed to reach 20 degrees Celsius on only 4 days but it did not reach 30 degrees once.

Average maximum temperatures were 21.69 degrees Celsius and the minimum was 11.7 degrees Celsius (BOM 2008 for Prospect about 3 km away). My figures vary slightly being 21.4 Celsius and the minimum being 11.5 degrees Celsius. Compare that to April 2006 where the average maximum daily temperature was 24.6 degrees Celsius and the minimum was 10.03 degrees Celsius. Compared to 2007, the average maximum temperature was 23.5 degrees Celsius and the average minimum was 12.8 degrees Celsius (Note 2006 was an El Nino year).

Thus the daytime temperatures for April 2008 have been significantly colder than in recent years (For this month) but night time temperatures were OK.

Off course the minimums of 4.5 C and 4.8 C on the mornings of 29 and 30 made things feel colder. Then again, a minimum of 2 degrees occurred on the morning of 23/4/2006 so the coldest April minimum of 2008 was warmer than the coldest April minimum of 2006.

e) Rainfall:- There was around 68 mm of rain. However, the official nearest rain gauges at Seven Hills shows 83 mm and Prospect shows 79.9 mm. This is a big variation. This can be largely accounted for a thunderstorm on the 13/4/2008. When analysing rain gauges from that, the storm intensified just to the east of Blacktown and rainfalls 1 to 2 km away to the east were significantly heavier (more than double the 6 mm that fell). This explains the variation.

Not specifically to Blacktown, rainfalls across Sydney showed very large variations during the month (BOM). The wettest areas include:-

Riverview 172 mm, Avalon 171 mm, Turramurra and Belrose 167 mm each, Gordon West and Canterbury 163 mm each, Marsfield 149 mm, Sydney 147 mm, Rose Bay 137 mm and Randwick 135 mm.

The driest areas include Glenmore Park 48 mm, Badgeries Creek 51 mm, Glenorie 65 mm, Prospect 79.9 mm, Seven Hills 83 mm and Bankstown 84 mm.

Some rainfalls were below average and some were above average.

The colder than normal temperatures, cool cloudy and showery days are repeated right across Sydney and this is in stark comparison to 2006. April 2006 shows one extreme during an El Nino year in which April was overall dry and warm (3 mm of rain fell on 2 days) but April 2008 shows another during a La Nina year where it was cool and it rained on 14 days that produced moderate to high rainfall totals. April 2006 and 2008 provide interesting comparisons between an El Nino and La Nina year.

Harley Pearman