Australian Weather News -- January 2000

Australian Weather News

Go to the main news page	Find a place on a map	Tuesday 4 January 2000
*Today's weather extremes*		Gales and heavy rain lash Tasmania Heavy storms in NE half of NSW 13Apr00 Heat and bushfires in SW WA Minor flooding in 3 states
Highest rainfall, 24 hours to 9am
149.4 Eidsvold Qld 94.2 El Arish Bingil Bay Qld 90.6 Cardwell Qld 89.2 Meda Derby WA		A classic "bomb" low developed in eastern Bass Strait today bringing gales, thunderstorms and torrential rain to Tasmania's northeast. A broad area of low pressure with several centres formed in the Strait during the morning in a troughline moving across southeastern states. At the same time, a relatively small area of cold upper air moved through the area, with temperatures as low as -24° at 500hPa (18,000 feet), about 6° colder than over Hobart. The low rapidly deepened to around 996hPa by mid evening in response to the increased instability, and easterly gales, storms and heavy rain resulted on the exposed northeastern coast. Swan Island, between Flinders Island and the Tasmanian mainland, recorded a record 48.4mm in the 24 hours to 9 this morning. All of it fell in the 12 hours to 9am, with a further 42mm falling in the following 12 hours to 9pm. Gray, a seriously wet location at the top of the Elephant Pass near St Mary's recorded 168.2 and St Mary's itself 158.6 for the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday. Three homes were evacuated in St Mary's as the local creek rose, and the Tasman Highway was closed by floodwater near the town and south of Bicheno. In Launceston, two houses were unroofed by the gales which also brought down trees and powerlines, blocking roads and blacking out a wide area affecting 8000 consumers. Farther afield, powerlines brought down by falling trees in the Lilydale-Lebrina area and around Mt Barrow NE of the city caused power outages for over a day. At sea, a yacht, The Innkeeper, was dismasted off Flinders Island and its crew of seven, with one man injured, was winched off by helicopter in seas reportedly running to 20m. The wind and rain also caused heavy losses for some cherry farmers. Gusts to 59km/h were recorded at Launceston Airport and 94km/h at Eddystone Point on the far NE coast. Cape Grim, in the far northwest, reported sustained winds above 90km/h from 2pm until midnight. Some of the higher gusts and rainfalls are shown at left. Moderate to heavy thunderstorms, rather rare events in Tasmania, were reported from northeastern stations mid-morning. The cold pool and heavy cloud made for an unusually cold day, with Hobart's top of 12.1 the lowest maximum in the city since the January record of 12.0 was set in 1945. In Launceston, the maximum of 14 (rounded) is also possibly the coldest January day in 55 years. The same trough produced a line of heavy thunderstorms as it moved through the northeastern half of NSW during the afternoon and evening. Some of the heavier rainfalls are shown at left. At least five houses were damaged as a storm cut through a strip west of Port Macquarie during the evening, two with awnings torn off, two with roof damage, and one with a tree on its roof. Winds gusted to 93km/h at Port Macquarie Airport, and also at Bathurst, where large trees were blown down and a house damaged. A report on the Sydney area storms is at Australian Severe Weather Hot, seasonally dry weather along Western Australia's southwest coastal fringe has continued since 21 December with maximum temperatures 4 to 12 above normal. Today, a massive fire at Leeman, about 240km north of Perth, was brought under control after burning through 45,000 hectares of coastal bush since started by lightning on New Years Eve. In addition to strong river rises in the South Esk basin in Tasmania's northeast today, minor to moderate flooding from recent rain is continuing in NW Victoria and western Queensland. In Victoria, the Loddon and Avoca Rivers continue in minor flood south of Kerang. In western Queensland and far northwestern NSW, minor flooding is easing in the Paroo, Bulloo, Warrego, Lower Thompson, Georgina and Diamantina Rivers, and moderate flooding is easing on Coopers Creek around Windorah.
Highest & Lowest Temps
Maximum	Minimum
41.0 Camooweal PO Qld	28.4 Centre Is NT
7.5 Lookout Hill Vic	2.1 Mt Buller Vic
Greatest variations from normal
Maximum	Minimum
+9.6 34.5 Norah Head LH NSW	+6.2 20.6 Balladonia WA
-12.3 16.3 Maryborough Vic	-6.0 9.3 Maitland SA -6.0 18.1 Mt Isa AP Qld
Other extreme readings
Rainfall Cardwell Qld 68mm in 3 hrs to 6am Moree AP NSW 13.0mm in 10 mins to 11.01pm Tamworth AP NSW 30.8mm in 21 mins to 8.47pm Port Macquarie AP NSW 38mm in 3 hrs to 9pm Logans Crossing NSW 27mm in 1 hr to 7.30pm Eddystone Pt Tas 84.4mm in 17 hrs to 8pm Wind gusts Cape Grim Tas 126km/h at 3pm Hobart City Tas 59km/h at 10.14am Mt Wellington summit Tas 117km/h at 6.36pm and 7.17pm King Is AP Tas 83km/h at 1.11pm
Records set this day
Swan Island LH Tas: Heaviest January 24-hour rainfall in 93 years record -- 48.4mm breaking previous record of 45.2mm Lowest daily maximum temperature for January: Grove Res Stn Tas: 11.8. Previous record 12.3 in 44 years record Hobart AP Tas: 13.2. Previous record 13.6 in 41 years record.

Times stated are the clock time in force in the relevant state or territory
Stories, including those in the archives, are as new and corrected information becomes available, with updates underlined
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. I also thank Don White and the many contributors to the Aussie Weather mailing list who routinely provide much appreciated information.