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Record Breaking Heatwave Far North Queensland.


greysrigging

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An unprecedented heatwave is occurring in the Northern Queensland coastal districts this week. Yesterday many coastal towns recorded max temps of  43c (110f ), smashing November and all time records. An AWS at Mount Stuart just inland from Townsville reached 45.2c ( 113.4f ), some suburbs of Cairns hit 43.6c ( 110.5f ), Proserpine Airport 44.9c ( 112.8f ). Tropical North Queensland rarely sees extremes of heat or cold, and even towns at altitude on the Atherton Tablelands inland from Cairns hit 40c ( 104f ) yesterday.. Massive bushfires also burning out of control around Bundaberg. Another extreme day forecast today and for the rest of the week.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-27/queensland-bushfires-conditions-worsen/10557050

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The record breaking heatwave continues with Cooktown on the coast at 15.47*S reaching 44c ( 111.2f ) today. Cairns and Townsville both maxed out at 42c ( 107.6f ). Phenomenal temps for locations so deep into the tropics and coastal location !

https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/heatwave-far-north-temperatures-smash-records-with-hottest-ever-airport-reading/news-story/8ef662970a5e12cc96e83c712ecb8de6?nk=03d8e51fe9b803874e636321f74460ff-1543306642

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To get that hot right next to the coast has to feel miserable!

Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

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On 27/11/2018, 23:25:52, kinzyjr said:

To get that hot right next to the coast has to feel miserable!

You got that right, don't forget these areas are located in the tropics. It's usually very steamy, they don't usually get these extreme temps.

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Tell me about it. , Nov 29 and 17C @ 12.26am.... Unprecedented 

Lets see how this plays out....

5 year high 42.2C/108F (07/06/2018)--5 year low 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)--Lowest recent/current winter: 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)

 

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A lot of rainforest has gone up in flames in north QLD. The whole state appears to be on fire. The area west of Mackay has been burnt out. Finch Hatton Gorge, Eungella NP etc which is rainforest full of Calamus, Archontophoenix, Livistona, tree ferns, climbing pandanus, and huge buttress trunked ancient rainforest trees appear to have been decimated. Rainforest doesn't recover from huge extremely hot catastrophic fires. Its really really sad. I hope some parts escaped but it will never be the same anymore. 

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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14 hours ago, Tyrone said:

A lot of rainforest has gone up in flames in north QLD. The whole state appears to be on fire. The area west of Mackay has been burnt out. Finch Hatton Gorge, Eungella NP etc which is rainforest full of Calamus, Archontophoenix, Livistona, tree ferns, climbing pandanus, and huge buttress trunked ancient rainforest trees appear to have been decimated. Rainforest doesn't recover from huge extremely hot catastrophic fires. Its really really sad. I hope some parts escaped but it will never be the same anymore. 

Been following the situation there as well. Hoping anyone effected is okay.. Also quite surprised to see these kind of fire events occurring that far north in the country. 

Agree that as a whole, Rainforest areas don't respond well to frequent or intense fires in the same manner as vegetation in fire-prone regions can. Same with the Sonoran Desert here in the U.S. Southwest / N.W. Mexico.. most plants did not evolve with fire and can be completely wiped out.. or, the overall recovery after a serious burn is slow and much more subject to seeing the overall level of diversity greatly reduced / altered. 

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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-04/eungella-rainforest-future-questioned-by-expert/10578802

The stark reality of the Eungella area is it may never recover. 

Im just glad I saw it in its pristine glory before it disappeared. 

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Some relief forecast for the fire devastated regions of Central Queensland, with storms and cooler temps predicted from tomorrow (Wednesday ). The footage of the Eungella NP is just awful. The extreme heatwave has migrated West in the last few days, with North West Queensland and Eastern and Central districts of the Northern Territory bearing the brunt. Julia Creek 45c ( 113f ) and Adel's Grove at Lawn Hill 44c ( 111.2f ) the stand outs. Borroloola, McArthur River Mine, Wollogorang Station in the Territory at 43c/44c. even the towns of Numbulwar on the east Gulf coast and at 14*17' S and Ngukurr hit 42c !

The far northern Top End of the Territory has been spared the extreme record breaking temps of the past week.... we are simply enduring our normal brutal 'build up' conditions of energy sapping humidity, dew points of 26c-28c, 35c ( 95f ) daytime temps and shockingly uncomfortable 28c-29c overnight lows. Last night/this morning was a shocker with the temp on 29c-30c all night and relative humidity at 80% ! A 'feels like' temp of 34c-35c all night ! I might have to turn on the bedroom aircon soon, when it really warms up.....

This was Sunday morning.... I'm sure the 'feels like' is an error, but the dew point was our highest for the season at 28.3c and shade temp of 32.9c mid morning !

 

 

47211671_10157004620847764_5052012585373663232_n.jpg

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The area around Eungella was known for landslides with the rainforest there. Now there's nothing to hold the soil together in big rain events it could wash the sides of the mountain away. I wouldn't want to be downstream of that. 

Hopefully that won't happen, but all it would it take is one cyclone or a heavy monsoonal downpour.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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On 12/4/2018, 1:56:16, Tyrone said:

The area around Eungella was known for landslides with the rainforest there. Now there's nothing to hold the soil together in big rain events it could wash the sides of the mountain away. I wouldn't want to be downstream of that. 

Hopefully that won't happen, but all it would it take is one cyclone or a heavy monsoonal downpour.

Don't worry, the Eucalypts will be moving in soon....then they will dominate  :-( 

 

Gold Coast, Queensland Latitude 28S. Mild, Humid Subtropical climate. Rainfall - not consistent enough!

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On 12/4/2018, 9:49:03, greysrigging said:

Some relief forecast for the fire devastated regions of Central Queensland, with storms and cooler temps predicted from tomorrow (Wednesday ). The footage of the Eungella NP is just awful. The extreme heatwave has migrated West in the last few days, with North West Queensland and Eastern and Central districts of the Northern Territory bearing the brunt. Julia Creek 45c ( 113f ) and Adel's Grove at Lawn Hill 44c ( 111.2f ) the stand outs. Borroloola, McArthur River Mine, Wollogorang Station in the Territory at 43c/44c. even the towns of Numbulwar on the east Gulf coast and at 14*17' S and Ngukurr hit 42c !

The far northern Top End of the Territory has been spared the extreme record breaking temps of the past week.... we are simply enduring our normal brutal 'build up' conditions of energy sapping humidity, dew points of 26c-28c, 35c ( 95f ) daytime temps and shockingly uncomfortable 28c-29c overnight lows. Last night/this morning was a shocker with the temp on 29c-30c all night and relative humidity at 80% ! A 'feels like' temp of 34c-35c all night ! I might have to turn on the bedroom aircon soon, when it really warms up.....

This was Sunday morning.... I'm sure the 'feels like' is an error, but the dew point was our highest for the season at 28.3c and shade temp of 32.9c mid morning !

 

 

47211671_10157004620847764_5052012585373663232_n.jpg

I remember that kind of weather ...there used to be waterfalls coming off the windows in all of the air-conditioned office buildings...back then we had no air in the houses, only ceiling fans...

Gold Coast, Queensland Latitude 28S. Mild, Humid Subtropical climate. Rainfall - not consistent enough!

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30 minutes ago, Daryl said:

Don't worry, the Eucalypts will be moving in soon....then they will dominate  :-( 

 

Yes. Then the whole area will burn every couple of years. Absolute tragedy.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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The heatwave has slowly migrated west and south on the Australian continent. Groote Eylandt ( an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria  at 14*S recorded 41c ( 105f ) today, an all time record and Borroloola, ( 16*S ) slightly inland on the Gulf coast, recorded an all time max of 44.6c ( 112.3f ). Unprecedented temps so far north and coastal locations in the tropics. My home town of Darwin endured a filthy 30c ( 86f ) overnight low last night.... I am getting close to putting the bedroom aircon on.... lol !. The heat is ramping up into the Kimberley District and the Pilbara with Fitzroy Crossing and Marble Bar forecast to hit 47c ( 116.6f ) in the next day or so. This would be Fitzroy Crossing's all time max if it comes off. Again, locations deep in the Southern Hemisphere tropics don't normally record such extreme temps. Marble Bar, Australia's hottest town, has had below average temps up until the start of December. Forecasts of 45c to 47c for the next 7 days. Even southern locations in Victoria and South Australia are looking at 42c ( 107f ) in the next day or so.

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Luckily down here we are escaping the extreme heat. Ocean breezes are saving us for the foreseeable future. 

I reckon the Kimberley may break a few records in the next few days, and the Pilbara will be hot enough to melt lead in the sun. Not literally of course, but pretty hot.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The extreme heatwave continues in Outback Australia.... The Kimberley and Pilbara in Western Australia, central and southern Northern Territory, western Queensland and the far north west of New South Wales have all experienced temps nudging or breaking December record maximums. Alice Springs ( a desert town at altitude not quite 2000' ) hit 44.1c ( 111.4f ), Australia's most isolated roadhouse of Rabbit Flat in the Tanami Desert recorded a 47c... in fact it and a nearby town of Lajamanu are averaging nearly 6c above the monthly averages ( 110.5F ). Birdsville in far western Queensland cracked 48c ( 118.4f ) and Bourke in north western NSW managed 47.3 (117.1f) today.

My home town of Darwin has been spared the relentless heatwave conditions.... at 12*S and on the far north coast of Australia we rarely are affected by extremes of heat.... having said that we did break an overnight minimum temp record earlier in the month of 30c ( 86f ). In fact we are running 2.7c higher than the normal average for overnight minimums ( averaging 28c (82.4f) combined with extreme dew points and humidity.... this really is the pits, our mango madness and silly season exacerbated by no relief from rain. we are suffering a serious rainfall deficiency with only 6mm or 25 points at the Airport for all of December so far. Everyone is hanging out for the start of the Monsoon.....typically about Xmas Day/Boxing Day most years. Dreading my next quarterly water bill !

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It looks like we've got our first full week without rain in ages coming up. Been a wet and cool December down here on the south coast. 

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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