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Monday 17 January 2000 |
Heatwave
strengthens in SA heavy storm falls in S Qld, NE NSW ![]() Storms around Darwin NT ![]() |
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Highest rainfall, 24 hours to 9am |
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The
heatwave that has cooked South Australia for the past week increased
in intensity by several degrees today. Overnight minima in a band across
the west coast and central north down to Adelaide were some 4 or 5° warmer
than yesterday, putting them 8 to 15 above the January average. Port
Pirie's minimum of 32.2 was a whopping 14.9 above normal. Daytime temperatures
also stepped up a couple of degrees, with all except the far SW and SE of
the state recording maxima between 40 and 45°. Notable highs and variations
from normal are shown at left.
Substantial thunderstorms developed on the Qld Darling Downs and NSW Northern Tablelands and Slopes today. Warwick appears to have been hardest hit with 23mm and small hail falling in a storm just before 4pm, which also brought wind gusts to 81km/h. 16.2mm fell in 18 minutes to 3.53pm at the height of the storm. Around 3,000 homes lost power on the Darling Downs due to lightning strikes. Powerlines were reported down in Warwick, Toowoomba, southern Brisbane suburbs and the northern Gold Coast. Earlier, Barraba on the NSW NW Slopes recorded 22mm and hail in a storm, while hail to 3.5cm diameter was observed 20km east of Inverell around 6.30pm. Winds gusting to 93km/h destroyed three sheds and ripped branches off trees with a storm at Narrabri. Strong winds and lightning strikes with a thunderstorm squall line caused damage in and south of Darwin, NT. Power blackouts in Darwin were widespread, with 1438 lightning strikes recorded in two hours. |
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Highest & Lowest Temps |
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Maximum | Minimum | |
45.2
Mt Dare SA 45.0 =Oodnadatta AP SA, Lyons Siding Tarcoola SA 44.6 Kyancutta SA |
32.2
Port Pirie BHAS SA 30.6 Arid Lands Port Augusta SA |
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15.1 Katoomba NSW | -1.2 Lake St Clair Tas | |
Greatest variations from normal |
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Maximum | Minimum | |
+15.6 44.0 Ceduna AP SA +15.4 40.8 Elliston SA 15.2 44.0 Whyalla Town SA |
+14.9 32.2 Port Pirie BHAS SA +13.5 28.1 Snowtown SA +12.8 28.2 Kimba SA |
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-8.2 25.5 Narembeen WA |
-7.7 14.8 Yeelirrie WA |
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Other extreme readings | ||
Rainfall: Darwin AP NT 33mm in 1hr to 9pm Coconut Is Qld 146mm in 12hrs to midday Jimna Forestry Qld 23mm in 3hrs to 9pm Oakey AP Qld 21mm in 3hrs to 9pm |
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Records set this day | ||
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