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Tuesday, 18 DEC 2001

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Thunderstorms bring heavy hail to SE NSW
Dry conditions bring bushfires to NSW
Thunderstorms developed over eastern NSW today ahead of a trough moving through the state. A complex system developed northwest of Mudgee around midday, giving Mudgee airport 12mm in 10 minutes to 1.12pm then a further 13.6mm between 2 and 3pm. Winds in the Mudgee/Gulgong area lifted a shed roof and brought down powerlines and trees. This storm complex moved SE, then ESE to give hail to 3cm diameter at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains and 4 to 5cm at The Oaks in Sydney's outer southwest. A massive hailstorm dumped around 30cm of hail on Brown Mountain around 7pm, blocking the Monaro Highway between Bega and Nimmitabel and stranding and damaging cars and trucks. There were reports of hail damage to properties in the area. 

Warm windy conditions ahead of the trough also brought bushfires along a line from the NSW Central West to the South Coast. A fire in the Goobang National Park east of Parkes was burning on a 6km front. Two fires, at Limit Hill and Clews Ridge, were burning near Lithgow. In the Wollondilly area southwest of Sydney, fires were burning at Allum River, Blue Gum Mountain and Nattai. A small fire was also reported near Merricumbene on the NSW South Coast. 

National weather extremes for today
Data provided by the Bureau of Meteorology
Last updated at 19:57 EDST on 22/12/01

Quality control note: Data is complete, and has been visually checked by AWN for gross errors. Less obvious errors may remain. See Explanation of Extremes Pages for more information
Records set this day (none known)

Todays highest rainfall totals for the 24 hours to 9am. It includes the top 5 totals received, and/or all reported falls of 50mm or more.

144.0 HAMILTON ISLAND AIRPORT Central Coast E QLD
83.0 YEPPOON THE ESPLANADE Central Coast E QLD
67.6 YEPPOON PACIFIC HTS RD Central Coast E QLD
60.0 ABERCORN TM Wide Bay/Burnett QLD
59.4 ABERCORN Wide Bay/Burnett QLD

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
     E Kimberley
58.2 KIMBERLEY RES.STATION
50.0 KUNUNURRA AERO

QUEENSLAND
     Central Coast E
144.0 HAMILTON ISLAND AIRPORT
83.0 YEPPOON THE ESPLANADE
67.6 YEPPOON PACIFIC HTS RD
    Wide Bay/Burnett
60.0 ABERCORN TM
59.4 ABERCORN
58.0 EIDSVOLD TM
57.8 WURUMA DAM
57.0 EIDSVOLD POST OFFICE
55.1 CERATODUS
52.4 DINGLE DELL TM
52.0 CAMBOON STATION

High rainfall for periods of 6 hours or less.


WESTERN AUSTRALIA
     E Kimberley
KUNUNURRA AERO
20.4mm in 30 min to 03:00 40.8mm/h
20.4mm in 1 hr to 03:00 20.4mm/h
20.0mm in 3 hr to 03:00 6.7mm/h
23.4mm in 1 hr to 03:30 23.4mm/h
10.6mm in 30 min to 07:00 21.2mm/h
10.6mm in 1 hr to 07:00 10.6mm/h
16.0mm in 1 hr to 07:30 16.0mm/h
17.0mm in 3 hr to 09:00 5.7mm/h

NORTHERN TERRITORY
     Arnhem
MILINGIMBI
13.2mm in 19 min to 17:21 41.7mm/h
15.0mm in 3 hr to 17:30 5.0mm/h
GOVE AIRPORT
12.6mm in 16 min to 13:26 47.2mm/h
26.6mm in 34 min to 14:00 46.9mm/h
39.2mm in 1 hr to 14:00 39.2mm/h
45.0mm in 3 hr to 14:30 15.0mm/h
    Darwin-Daly
DOUGLAS RIVER
29.2mm in 2 hr to 19:30 14.6mm/h
29.0mm in 3 hr to 20:30 9.7mm/h

QUEENSLAND
     N Coast--Barron
CAIRNS AERO
8.0mm in 12 min to 17:37 40.0mm/h
MAREEBA AIRPORT
37.0mm in 6 hr to 21:00 6.2mm/h
MAREEBA AIRPORT AWS
30.4mm in 41 min to 17:41 44.5mm/h
7.6mm in 19 min to 18:00 24.0mm/h
38.0mm in 1 hr to 18:00 38.0mm/h
38.0mm in 3 hr to 18:00 12.7mm/h
    Central Coast E
PROSERPINE AIRPORT
35.4mm in 1 hr to 04:00 35.4mm/h
39.0mm in 3 hr to 06:00 13.0mm/h
HAMILTON ISLAND AIRPORT
91.0mm in 9 hr to 06:00 10.1mm/h
53.0mm in 3 hr to 09:00 17.7mm/h

NEW SOUTH WALES
     C Tablelands N
MUDGEE AIRPORT AWS
12.0mm in 10 min to 13:12 72.0mm/h
16.8mm in 1 hr to 14:00 16.8mm/h
8.8mm in 22 min to 14:22 24.0mm/h
13.6mm in 1 hr to 15:00 13.6mm/h
33.0mm in 3 hr to 15:00 11.0mm/h
    Sydney--west
PENRITH LAKES AWS
12.8mm in 1 hr to 17:00 12.8mm/h
15.0mm in 3 hr to 18:00 5.0mm/h
    Illawarra
BELLAMBI AWS
8.4mm in 7 min to 17:56 72.0mm/h
    South Coast
MONTAGUE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE
9.2mm in 22 min to 20:22 25.1mm/h
12.4mm in 1 hr to 21:00 12.4mm/h
19.0mm in 3 hr to 21:00 6.3mm/h
BEGA AWS
7.8mm in 23 min to 19:00 20.3mm/h
11.6mm in 1 hr to 19:00 11.6mm/h
MORUYA AIRPORT AWS
6.0mm in 35 min to 21:56 10.3mm/h
    Goulburn/Monaro
BOMBALA AWS
11.4mm in 1 hr to 17:00 11.4mm/h
16.0mm in 3 hr to 18:00 5.3mm/h

TASMANIA
     N Coast
LAUNCESTON AIRPORT
5.8mm in 14 min to 18:00 24.9mm/h
10.4mm in 1 hr to 18:00 10.4mm/h
13.4mm in 1 hr to 18:30 13.4mm/h

ISLANDS
     Islands
CAPE WESSEL
16.0mm in 3 hr to 01:30 5.3mm/h
16.0mm in 3 hr to 02:30 5.3mm/h
23.0mm in 3 hr to 03:30 7.7mm/h
17.0mm in 3 hr to 04:30 5.7mm/h
16.0mm in 3 hr to 05:30 5.3mm/h

Todays highest & lowest temperatures

Maximum Minimum
42.0 MARBLE BAR E Pilbara WA
42.0 NEWMAN AERO E Gascoyne WA
42.0 TELFER AERO Interior WA
41.8 MARBLE BAR COMPARISON E Pilbara WA
41.5 WITTENOOM W Pilbara WA
30.0 BRADSHAW Darwin-Daly NT
29.3 MORNINGTON ISLAND Gulf Country QLD
29.0 NORTHERN ENDEAVOUR Islands
28.0 FITZROY CROSSING AERO W Kimberley WA
28.0 DUM IN MIRRIE Darwin-Daly NT
8.9 MOUNT WELLINGTON Southeast TAS
13.3 LIAWENEE AWS Central Plateau TAS
13.5 MOUNT READ W Coast TAS
13.9 HARTZ MOUNTAIN(KEOGHS PIMPLE) Southeast TAS
14.0 THREDBO (CRACKENBACK STATION) AWS Snowy Mtns NSW
 2.0 CHARLOTTE PASS (KOSCIUSKO CHALET) Snowy Mtns NSW
3.0 NARACOORTE AERODROME Lower SE SA
3.5 MORTLAKE RACECOURSE W Coast VIC
5.0 KEITH (MUNKORA) Upper SE SA
5.0 COONAWARRA Lower SE SA
5.0 PADTHAWAY SOUTH Lower SE SA
5.0 THREDBO VILLAGE Snowy Mtns NSW
5.0 HORSHAM AERODROME Wimmera S VIC
5.0 PERISHER VALLEY SKI CENTRE Snowy Mtns NSW

Todays greatest temperature variations from normal

Maximum Minimum
+14.7   39.8 EYRE Eucla WA
+10.2   34.9 EUCLA Eucla WA
+8.7   40.6 KALGOORLIE-BOULDER AIRPORT Goldfields WA
+8.4   39.2 BALGAIR Eucla WA
+7.4   37.5 BALLADONIA Eucla WA
+5.2   18.4 BALLADONIA Eucla WA
+4.2   15.7 GOULBURN PROGRESS ST Goulburn/Monaro NSW
+4.1   15.0 BURNIE (ROUND HILL) N Coast TAS
+4.0   8.6 LAKE ST CLAIR NATIONAL PARK Central Plateau TAS
+3.9   13.0 BUSHY PARK (BUSHY PARK ESTATES) Derwent Valley TAS
-8.3   26.5 CLERMONT POST OFFICE Central Highlands QLD
-7.8   26.4 SPRINGSURE DAME ST Central Highlands QLD
-7.7   26.3 BARALABA POST OFFICE Wide Bay/Burnett QLD
-6.3   27.1 MORANBAH WATER TREATMENT PLANT Central Coast W QLD
-6.1   27.9 ROLLESTON METEOR ST Central Highlands QLD
 -7.4   7.0 NULLARBOR ROADHOUSE W Agricultural SA
-7.0   7.0 CEDUNA AMO W Agricultural SA
-6.3   8.2 ELLISTON W Agricultural SA
-6.1   15.0 WILUNA Interior WA
-5.8   14.4 ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT Alice Springs NT

Highest wind gusts above 89km/h or mean wind above 62km/h (gale force). Wind direction and mean windspeed shown in brackets.

DUBBO AIRPORT AWS CW Slopes S NSW: 108 (330/ 78 ) at 13:25
MONTAGUE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE South Coast NSW: 83 (120/ 69 ) at 22:17

Other extremes

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