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Acknowledgments: Australian Weather News gratefully acknowledges the Bureau of Meteorology as the collector and main source of meteorological data in Australia, along with the thousands of observers who record the weather and rainfall daily. Information is also sourced from Don White's Weatherwatch, the daily electronic press, and the many contributors to the Aussie Weather mailing list, which is highly recommended for those with a serious interest in the weather.

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Tuesday 1 June 1999

Warm weather breaks records in Qld, Tas

Record temperatures for June were reported from Queensland's north coast and Tasmania's northern and eastern coasts today. Cairns Airport's top temperature of 30.2C was its highest June maximum in 58 years of record, breaking by just 0.1C the previous record set in 1995. Burnie on Tasmania's northwest coast and St Helens on the east coast also saw record June highs. At Burnie, the mercury soared to 18.8, the station's highest maximum in 34 years of record, while St Helens' 21.6 broke the previous record of 21.1 set in 1988 over 41 years of record.

Heavy rain fell during the afternoon in Western Australia's far southwest as a trough preceding a cold front brought heavy showers to the area. Between 9am and 3pm, Cape Naturaliste near Bunbury recorded 25mm, Margaret River 21 and Witchcliffe 16mm, while Busselton Aerodrome recorded 15mm between 9am and noon, and a further 10mm between 3 and 6pm.

Much of inland areas of southern NSW and Victoria reported fog this morning as high pressure settled over the area after recent rain.

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Thunderstorms, which developed on and ahead of the tail of a cold front moving up the NSW coast during the afternoon and evening, gave many coastal centres from the Hunter north short bursts of heavy rain. Between 9am and 3pm, Narara, just north of Gosford, recorded 16mm and Williamtown Airport north of Newcastle received 23mm. Then, between 3 and 9pm, Nobbys Signal Station, Newcastle, registered 13mm, Taree Airport 16, Coffs Harbour 23 and Evans Head 21mm.

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An unstable southeasterly stream following yesterday's cold front produced further heavy falls on the NSW North Coast during the early morning hours. Coffs Harbour Airport recorded 78mm in steady, heavy rain between midnight and 3am for a 24 hour to 9am total of 124mm. Port Macquarie Airport had two bursts of heavy rain, with 20mm falling in 3 hours between 9pm Thursday and midnight, and a further 27 between 6 and 9 this morning for a 24 hour to 9am total of 65mm. Heavy showers continued through the day, with Ballina Airport registering 20mm 6 to 9am, Smoky Cape Lighthouse 45mm 9am to noon, and Coolangatta in SE Queensland 22mm 6 to 9pm.

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Instability and a moist southeasterly flow combined to give more heavy rain and showers to coastal Brisbane and the Queensland Gold Coast today. Heaviest falls were reported from the Gold Coast, where Coolangatta Airport recorded 153mm in the 2 days to 9am Sunday, though 109mm of this fell between 9am and 9pm today. In the same 12 hour period, Gold Coast Seaway recorded 67mm, Brisbane Airport 46mm and a second gauge in the Brisbane Airport area 62mm. The southeast Queensland falls were confined to the coastal strip, but on the NSW far North Coast, the hilly country generated some heavy falls further inland. Alstonville, east of Lismore, registered 79.4mm to 9am this morning, and a further 49.8 to 9 on Sunday morning, to bring their 3 day total from this rain episode to 159.2mm.

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Western and southern NSW, northern and NE Victoria and Tasmania's North Coast received general rains of 20 to 70mm as a slow-moving rainband crossed the area during the day. In a situation similar to that of a week ago, heavy rain fell on the Alps and in NE Victoria in warm, moist northwesterlies ahead of a sluggish cold front. Mt Hotham received 67mm between 9pm Saturday and 3pm today, while Falls Creek recorded 62mm in the same time. Kosciuszko Chalet at Charlotte Pass in the NSW Snowy Mountains received 54.5mm in the 48 hour period to 9am Monday. Rain totals away from alpine areas in northern and NE Victoria and the eastern Riverina in NSW, as well as along the Tasmanian north coast were typically 10 to 30mm, but overnight thunderstorms in western NSW gave some respectable totals. Wanaaring reported 34mm between 3pm yesterday and 9 this morning, while Tooraweenah on the Central Western Slopes received 32.4 and Gwabegar on the North West Plains recorded 26mm in the 24 hour period to 9am Monday. Heavy thunderstorm falls were also recorded in the southern Northern Territory as the tail of the cold front made its presence felt. Jervois registered 41mm, Gemtree Park 43.2, Mount Riddoch 36 and Ormiston Gorge 33.4mm in the 2 day period to 9am Monday.

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Monday 7 June 1999

Showers and storms in southern NT, SE Qld and NE NSW; unusually cloudy in northern NT; fog in SA

The situation over the NT, Qld and NSW continues to produce the odd heavy storm or shower, and unusually cloudy conditions for this time of year over the NT Top End. In the southern NT, converging moist air ahead of a trough in the middle atmosphere produced some heavy storm rainfalls during the day. Alice Springs Airport registered 22mm in the 24 hours to 9am, while Jervois station, 250km ENE of the Alice, recorded 22mm in the same period, and a further 17mm between 9am and 3pm.

In the NT Top End, a major cloudband has produced little rain but a lot of public comment. Cloudy weather is unusual at this time of the year, and has been caused by moist tropical air being pulled down over the Top End ahead of the trough in the southern NT. SE Qld and the NSW North Coast continued to receive sporadic heavy rain in the onshore flow, with Mount Seaview, in the ranges west of Port Macquarie, getting 20mm between 9am and 3pm, and Coolangatta Airport 17mm between 6 and 9pm.

A fog bank enveloped much of the Adelaide Plains during the morning, reducing visibility at Adelaide Airport to 100 metres or less for most of the morning, delaying operations. The fog gradually dispersed from the north later in the morning. Fogs are unusual in the Adelaide area in June, the last occurring in 1995.

Continued dry weather in the north and wet weather in southern NSW and northern Victoria are creating problems for crop farmers. In northern and NW NSW, May produced less than 20mm of rain in most areas, with many centres recording less than 10mm. Narrabri's total was 2mm, Coonabarabran 3, Quirindi 6 and Tamworth 8. The rainband which swept across the area in the past couple of days gave most areas another 5 to 10mm or so, but rain is now urgently needed before the sowing of wheat crops. In southern NSW and parts of Victoria it's the opposite story. In the eastern Riverina, dry conditions have been replaced by waterlogged fields. While some farmers are using aerial sowing to get winter crops started, many are having to wait and face reduced crop yields. Washed potatoes are also likely to be in short supply after heavy rain in SW Victoria over the past few weeks. Heavy downpours have given some areas up to 300mm in a month, putting crops under water and preventing harvest machinery from getting into wet fields.

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Tuesday 8 June 1999

Heavy showers in the east, centre and southwest; Fog in Victoria

The unstable onshore flow continues to produce some heavy showers and the odd thunderstorm in SE Queensland and along the NSW North Coast. In NSW, Ballina received a major downpour with 72mm falling between midday and 3pm, while Lake Ainsworth, about 30km NW of Ballina, received 91.5 in 5 hours to 4pm. To the north Cape Byron received a steadier 64mm between 9am and 6pm. Off the Queensland southern coast, Heron Island reported 45mm between 3 and 9pm, while inland Charleville had steady rain through the day, giving 27mm between 6am and 3pm. Blackall, in Queensland's central west gauged 12mm in a thunderstorm in the early afternoon. In southern Northern Territory, rainfall to the east and northeast of Alice Springs has set some June records. Mount Riddock station, 110km NE of the Alice recorded 60mm over the 3 days to 9 this morning, 24mm falling in the past 24 hours. This breaks the station's previous record June 24-hour total of 21mm, as well as the previous monthly June record of 36.5mm in 26 years of record. Indiana Station, about 180km ENE of Alice Springs, registered 54mm in the 48 hours to 9am -- their previous monthly June record was 45.5mm in 34 years of record. In Western Australia, Rottnest Island, offshore from Perth, caught 20mm between 6 and 9am, and isolated thunderstorms were reported about the Southwest. In Victoria, fogs were widespread this morning across the north and west of the state.

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Welcome and widespread rain of from 10 to 50mm fell across central southern Queensland and central northern NSW in the 24 hours to 9 this morning, and the rainband moved east and southeast as the day progressed. Highest totals to 9am were 81at Ballina Airport, 74.2 at Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island, 73 at Kinkora on the Moonie River, 56 at Lilyview near Moonie, and 55.2 at Namarah near Surat, and 50mm at St George and Brewarrina. Other good falls in northern NSW included 27mm at Lightning Ridge, 29 at Collarenebri and 36 at Mungindi. The rain was produced by the interaction of cooler upper air coupled with a mid-level trough moving southeast across southern Queensland and the continuing flow of humid northeasterlies along the Queensland coast. A weak low centre developed in the trough during the day, then moved southward into NSW, dragging a huge cloudmass and a moderate rainband with it. Most of the rain fell steadily, but Maroochydore registered 27.2mm in the hour to 4.30am.

As the Low and the cloud tracked south, rain spread into NSW during the day, giving good falls northeast of a line from Bourke to Nowra. Coolangatta Airport recorded 50mm between 9am and 3pm, while on the NSW North Coast there were heavy falls in the Tweed Valley. Murwillumbah recorded 59mm between 1 and 8pm, a fairly typical fall for the valley, but Tumbulgum caught an additional downpour during the evening, dumping 76mm on the village in one hour to 9.10pm. Rainfall totals in the 24 hours to 9am Thursday, which mostly reflected rain which fell today, were again highest on the coast near the NSW/Queensland border. Tumbulgum's 162 was well ahead of the rest, followed by 104.4 at Murwillumbah, 75 at Coolangatta Airport and Mullumbimby and 70 at Ballina Town. Over 6 days to 9am Tuesday, Coolangatta has received 287mm, while Ballina Airport has received substantial rain on each of the past 8 days totalling 272mm.

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At least 3 waterspouts were seen, and a truck reportedly burst into flames after being struck by lightning as storms passed through Perth soon after 3pm today. The storms developed in humid northerlies ahead of a substantial cold front which crossed the southwest coast around midnight. Earlier in the day, storms gave heavy rain and strong winds to WA's far southwest. Margaret River recorded 13mm in a few hours before 9am, and a further 30mm from 9am to 3pm, while Busselton Jetty recorded sustained winds of 67km/h and gusts to 85km/h at 11am. In Melbourne, heavy rain fell through the evening as strong, cold southwesterlies blew in behind a slow-moving cold front. The Melbourne City raingauge recorded 28mm between 4.20 and 10.30pm, an unusually heavy fall for Melbourne, while Fawkner Beacon on Port Phillip Bay registered several gusts to 83km/h between 6 and 6.30pm as the front moved through. In the eastern suburbs, Scoresby registered 33.2mm between 5 and 10pm. Temperatures hovering around 10C helped make it a memorably miserable Melbourne night. Some heavy falls of rain continued on Queensland's Curtis coast as moist unstable air cleared the area. Biloela recorded 38mm between 6am and midday, while Gladstone had 25mm in 3 hours to 6pm.

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An active cloudband ahead of a weakening, slow-moving cold front brought a day of heavy rain to far southwestern WA today. The 500km-wide cloudband streaming down from the northwest contained an active field of thunderstorms which crossed the southwest during the early afternoon. Between 9am and 3pm Manjimup recorded 41mm, Margaret River 39, Busselton Airport 35 and Windy Harbour 32mm. Dwellingup reported 23mm between 3 and 6pm, while Witchcliffe, 5km south of Margaret River, reported 63mm between 6am and 3pm. Rain gradually diminished during the evening as the active part of the cloudband moved away to the southeast and the front stagnated in the Great Southern region. Forest Grove, 10km south of Margaret River, reported the highest rainfall total in the 24 hours to 9am Saturday with 85.4mm. Most locations in the southwest reported over 25mm, and a dozen or so stations reported 40mm or more.

The NSW Hunter coast scored some isolated heavy showers during the day from moisture whipping around a low developing in the central Tasman Sea. Williamtown RAAF Base recorded 42mm in the 24 hours to 9 this morning, followed by another 22mm to 3pm, while to the northwest, Stroud reported a healthy 59mm for the two days to 9am. Nobbys Signal Station, on the southern shore at the entrance to the Hunter River and just east of Newcastle shopping centre, recorded 23mm in heavy showers between 9am and noon. Further north, Heron Island, 130km east of Rockhampton, Queensland, had heavy overnight rain. 76mm fell on the resort island between 9 last night and 6 this morning as a trough of upper cold air induced some localised convection off the Curtis Coast.

Fogs were a feature of the weather in southern NSW and northern Victoria. They were widespread and often dense, forming in stagnant air ahead of a weakening cold front which died over central Victoria during the early morning hours. Thick fog had again formed in parts of the Riverina and Mallee by 9pm tonight.

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An unusually long-lasting, large area of fog enveloped much of SW NSW, Victoria's Mallee region and the Murray Valley in SA today. It is clearly visible on the 10am visible light satellite image covering an area about 500km square, from Adelaide in the west to north of Broken Hill in the north. Visibility below 50m was reported from many stations, and in the Murray Valley around Renmark the fog persisted through the day. At Broken Hill, the top temperature for the day was only 9.3C, 6.3 below normal and the coldest day in the city for three years. The fog formed in light winds below high pressure ridging from Tasmania, and reached sufficient depth for the low-angle winter sun to be unable to burn it off during the day. In SE Queensland and NE NSW, heavy showers continued, giving many centres 25 to 50mm in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday. Rainbow Beach, Qld, topscored with 61.6mm, while Ballina Airport registered 34mm in just 3 hours to 9pm.

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An upper cold pool, which moved north from SA yesterday, slowly crossed southern Queensland today bringing some heavy falls to inland and south coastal Queensland and NE NSW. Heavy overnight rain was reported from parts of the Maranoa and Warrego in southwest Queensland as cloud developed with the northeastward movement of the cold pool into moist air. Woodlands station, 100km south of Charleville, recorded 56mm in the 24 hours to 9 this morning, with Springfield reading 23.6, Cunnyana near Bollon 23 and Mitchell PO 22.2mm. As the day progressed, the cold pool and associated mid-level trough broadened and another active cloud area developed over SE Queensland. Heaviest rain was again concentrated near the coast, with Heron Island recording 69mm, Coolangatta Airport 70 and Gold Coast Seaway 57 between noon and 9pm. 37mm fell at Heron Island in an hour to 3.40pm. Moderate rain was also reported on the NSW North and Mid North Coasts as shower activity in fresh southeasterlies was enhanced by the upper trough. Strong to galeforce winds were reported during the day from exposed coasts and offshore islands, with Cape Moreton and Double Island Point both reporting sustained winds to 74km/h and gusts to 93km/h.

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Monday 28 June 1999

Wet and windy still in SE Qld, NE NSW; Cold in the NT; Windy in the southwest

Wet, windy weather continued in SE Queensland during the day as a middle level trough moved slowly north through the Sunshine Coast and weakened. Periods of galeforce winds continued to be reported from exposed coastal locations, with large seas causing some local beach damage on the Gold Coast. Overnight, heavy rain was also reported from the NSW North Coast, with Murwillumbah reading 97mm in the gauge for the 24 hours to 9am, and Nimbin not far behind with 87.6. In Queensland, 25 to nearly 100mm was recorded along the coast north to Fraser Island in the same time, with similar falls on the Curtis Coast in the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday as the system moved slowly north. Glengaven reported 92mm and Heron Island 90mm in the 24 hours to 9 this morning, while Palmwoods registered 100mm, Nambour DPI 98mm and Eumundi 84.6mm in the 24 hours to 9 on Tuesday morning. Local minor flash flooding was reported in both NSW and Queensland, and the Wilson River above Lismore rose to minor flood level this afternoon as the rain continued. Between 200 and 350mm has fallen in parts of North Coastal NSW and SE Queensland so far this month, compared to a monthly average around 60 to 70mm, making it one of the soggiest Junes in memory. On the Gold Coast, organisers of the Mudgeeraba Show cancelled the event for the first time in over 70 years because the grounds were too wet, while strawberry growers on the Sunshine Coast are battling fungal diseases brought on by the unseasonably wet weather.

Cold southern air spread into the Northern Territory Top End bringing minimum temperatures up to 10 below average in places. Katherine Airport's minimum of 3.8 was the lowest temperature recorded there in at least the last 13 years, while Wave Hill New Station reported a minimum of 2.4. Flying Fox, 100km east of Mataranka, reported an overnight minimum of 3.2, comprehensively breaking the previous June low of 5.6 in 22 years of record. Meanwhile, a pair of cold fronts sweeping across southern Western Australia today produced strong wind gusts with their passage. Cape Leeuwin recorded a peak gust of 109km/h just after 7am, Rottnest Island registered 83 and Dwellingup 80km/h around 11am and Salmon Gums, north of Esperance, reported gusts to 83km/h around 4pm.

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Heavy rain in SE Queensland continued north of Brisbane overnight as the rain-producing system weakened and continued to move northwards, however rain had cleared most areas by mid-morning.

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Thick fog caused transport disruption in Sydney this morning. The fog covered most of the metropolitan area, with visibility in some western suburbs as low as 20 metres. At Sydney Airport, only one international flight landed before the airport was closed with visibility down to 100m. Over 50 subsequent flights were delayed, cancelled or diverted until the airport reopened mid-morning. On the harbour, only one Manly ferry service and one Jet Cat were operating, and traffic on motorways was slowed to a crawl. The fog lifted in most areas by about 10am. In Western NSW and northern Victoria, a rainband with some embedded thunderstorms gave widespread falls of 10 to 30mm as it passed. Heaviest falls were in southwestern NSW, where Hillston Airport recorded 30mm between 6am and 3pm, Naranderra had 24mm between 9am and 3pm, and West Wyalong received 27 and Wagga Airport 22mm between 3pm and 9pm. Earlier, Lookout Hill, north of Beaufort in Victoria, registered 26mm between midnight and 6am.

With the official rainfall month ended at 9am this morning, it was time for rainfall observers from the soggy "Sunshine" Coast in Queensland to the NSW Mid North Coast to tally their figures after a month of consistent moderate to heavy rain. On preliminary reports, Coolangatta Airport Automatic Weather Station topped the list with 438.4mm, with Ballina Airport AWS (426.8), Murwillumbah (421.5), Alstonville Tropical Fruit Research Station (402.2) and Ballina Town (388.0) not far behind. Heron Island, east of Rockhampton, was the surprise, with its total of 382.4mm breaking its 35 year record of 312.9 for June rainfall. Other substantial falls were Coffs Harbour Airport 374.4, Cape Byron Lighthouse 354.1 and Mullumbimby 352.0. This coastal strip normally receives around 60 to 100mm during June, rising to 120 or 140mm on offshore islands and shorelines exposed to rainy southeasterlies, so the totals are generally between 2 and 4 times normal, though generally one or two hundred millimetres below the all time June records.

Heavier than average rain was also reported from far southwest WA, with Margaret River receiving the highest total on preliminary figures, at 349.3mm. Other large totals were 339.6 at Witchcliffe, 324.1 at Northcliffe and 317.7 at Walpole. While these are large figures, this area normally receives 150 to 250mm in June, one of its wettest months.

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