Maleny Weather

The mild weather we have been having of late suddenly came to an end with our first taste of winter on Friday when the temperature at the Maleny Weather Station fell below average to a minimum of 2.9 degrees at 5.45am. This is the lowest June temperature since 2001 when 2.9 degrees was recorded on the 16^th of the month. Widespread frosts were reported in low lying areas and in particular Peachester, Conondale and Kenilworth. The very suddenness of the cold spell caught us almost unawares. The weather on the Range was dominated by a large slow moving high over southern Australia and a deep low in the Tasman Sea. Between the two of them cold dry air was whipped up on a frontal system from the southern ocean and extended up the east coast. This brought the humidity down to the low thirties with crystal clear blue skies and long hours of sunshine.

Six weather observers were selected as winners of the 2009 Thomas Jefferson Award. One of these is Gilbert Koch, from Nebraska, who has provided “exemplary weather observations and information to the US National Weather Service, his community, and the National Climatic Data Centre since 1 August 1969”. The Thomas Jefferson Award is the US National Weather Service’s most distinguished award for cooperative weather observers. Thomas Jefferson was one of the first people in the USA to collect daily weather information. Typically, only five awards are given annually to worthy candidates, who have demonstrated outstanding and unusual achievements.

The rainy season has just started in Tokyo, but residents in a small coastal town have reported a different phenomenon: tadpoles dropping out of the sky

An unusual intense high of 1038 hPa near Tasmania moved slowly east into the Tasman Sea and extended a ridge of high pressure up the east coast. This brought SE moist trade winds and stream showers on to the Blackall Ranges and provided no opportunity to dry out the saturated gardens and pastures. However by Saturday the wind veered northerly and brought in lower humidity, with a rise in temperatures and plenty of sunshine to help dry out the ground.

Whipped into fantastical shapes, these clouds hang over the darkening landscape like the harbingers of a mighty storm. But despite their stunning and frequent appearances, the formations have yet to be officially recognised with a name.

They have been seen all over Britain in different forms – from Snowdonia to the Scottish Highlands – and in other parts of the world such as New Zealand, but usually break up without producing a storm. And some experts believe the stormy weather phenomenon deserves its very own classification.

Experts at the Royal Meteorological Society are now attempting to make it official by naming it ‘Asperatus’ after the Latin word for ‘rough’.

If they are successful, it would be the first variety of cloud formation to be given a new label in over half a century

‘It is a bit like looking at the surface of a choppy sea from below,’ said Gavin Pretor-Pinney, founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, who identified the cloud from photographs sent in by members.

Geoff Love, Director WMO Talks to the Media

Geoff Love, WMO Director responsible for the Aeronautical Meteorology Programme, fielded questions from the media today about the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) programme in the wake of the Air France accident.

He clarified that AMDAR is not designed for en-route decision-making. AMDAR comprises modern sensors, computers and communications systems on board aircraft that, in the course of their customary activities, collect, process, format and transmit meteorological and environmental data to ground stations via satellite or radio links. Once received on the ground, the data are relayed to the global network of National Meteorological Services and other authorized users and incorporated in meteorological forecasts that are used by commercial, military and private aircraft some hours after the observations are taken. Some 3 000 commercial aircraft, as well as some military and private aircraft, participate in AMDAR

Monthly Summary

May 2009

May was a wet month with a total rainfall of 255 mm, the highest recorded since 1999. That year Maleny was drenched with 450 mm and yet providence decided to favour the Maleny Agriculture Show with dry weather and sunshine. Not so last year when the torrential rain put paid to all outdoor events. Back in 1923 Maleny celebrated its first Show. The facilities were sparse and the ladies of the district ran a Refreshments Booth from a marquee on the hill. These amazing ladies gave their best as rain pelted down and a `sou-wester’ blew with hurricane force.

The rain and high winds experienced this month were the result of two separate air masses interacting with one another. An upper level trough approaching from the north-west was the driving force behind the periods of heavy rain. As this trough line slowly moved seaward cells of east coast lows developed off-shore to bring more rain and whip up the surf still further. The steep pressure gradient between the fringes of the high in the Tasman Sea and the east coast lows were responsible for the strong winds experienced in some areas.

Autumn 2009 rainfall was 909 mm, and the wettest Autumn season since 1992 when 952 mm was recorded at the Maleny Weather Station

During the week some high cloud moved in over the Range from an upper level trough. This system was a weak one and produced no precipitation and nothing like the one we had in the previous week. An intensive high moved east out of The Bight and extended a ridge of high pressure up the east coast bringing trade winds and maritime shower activity to some Hinterland areas.

A saturated Maleny showground just dried out in time for this year’s Agricultural Show spectacular. People of all ages and backgrounds visited the two-day event. Had it been possible to order suitable weather the result could not be bettered. Not too hot and not too cold and plenty of sunshine. The quality of exhibits and friendly competitive spirit were as always of a very high standard.

Floods in Haiti kill 11 people

Heavy rains triggered floods which killed at least 11 people in Haiti this week, where people are still trying to re-build after last year’s hurricanes. Some areas were reported to have received up to 74 mm of rain on Thursday 21st. More rain and storms are forecast.

Over 120 lives lost as Cyclone ‘Aila’ strikes Bangladesh and E India

Some 120 people are reported to have been killed by Tropical Cyclone Aila that struck Bangladesh and eastern India. Millions remain marooned by floodwaters or are living in shelters. Many of the affected areas were still recovering from Cyclone ‘Sidr’ that killed 3,500 people in Bangladesh and made at least a million homeless in November 2007.