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Friday 01 September 2000

Strong winds in SA
Big temperature variations across the nation
A sharp pressure trough and trailing cold front crossed South Australia today bringing squally winds and heavy showers, particularly in the state's northern and central areas. Marree and Moomba both recorded sustained dust-raising winds of around 70km/h mid-afternoon while, farther south, the southern Flinders and northern Mt Lofty Ranges recorded up to 25mm from heavy showers and thunderstorms as the change swept through. Totals for the 24 hours to 9am Saturday included 44.8mm at Hallett, 170km north of Adelaide in the northern Lofties, and 33.4 at Clarendon, 25km south of Adelaide. Average wind speeds around 70km/h were also reported from Tibooburra and Broken Hill in western NSW just before 7 this evening.
Low minimum temperatures in the nation's east and west sandwiched an unusually warm night through the centre BoM

Overnight minimum temperatures were a mixed bag across the country, with a record low for September recorded at Meekatharra Airport in central WA (see box below). While minima were 8 or more above normal at Alice Springs in the Centre and Urandangie in western Qld, they were 8 or more below average in central WA and southern Queensland.

Today's highest rainfall totals for the 24 hours to 9am

26.2 Cape Le Grand NP Esperance WA
17.4 Fraser Range Norseman WA
17.2 Narra Tarra Geraldton WA
16.0 Kimba SA
16.0 Cabramurra NSW

High falls for other periods:

South Australia:
Yongala: 25mm in 6h to 3pm
Clare: 19mm in 3h to noon
Kuitpo: 20mm in 6h to 3pm

Today's highest & lowest temps

Other extremes

Wind gusts:
Rottnest Is WA: 87km/h at 12.47pm and 1pm
Neptune Is SA: 111km/h at 12.25pm

Flood peaks:
Lachlan at Cottons Weir NSW: 3.9m around midnight this morning with minor flooding

Records set this day

Lowest minimum temperature for September: (previous record and years of computerised record shown in brackets):
Meekatharra AP WA: 3.0 (3.4, 51)
Maximum Minimum
38.6 Victoria River Downs NT
38.6 Cloncurry AP Qld		 25.0 Dum in Mirrie NT
25.0 Coconut Is Qld
-1.0 Crackenback NSW -4.4 Cooma Visitors Centre NSW

Greatest variations from normal

Maximum Minimum
+7.0
34.7 Birdsville Qld		 +8.7
21.4 Urandangie Qld
+8.0
18.0 Alice Springs AP NT
-8.3
24.4 Telfer AF WA
-8.3
13.0 Cobar MO NSW		 -8.5
3.0 Meekatharra AP WA
-8.4
-1.2 Mitchell PO Qld