Maleny Weather

Extremely cold weather across northern Europe has left scores of people dead and caused widespread transport chaos.

Temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees Celsius have led to the deaths of 122 people in Poland, with the main river, the Vistula, now frozen over and causing fears of flooding.

In the Swiss Alps, avalanches have killed at least seven people, while in western France, 14 regions have been hit by heavy snow.

Severe weather warnings are still in place across the UK, which is in the grip of its longest cold snap in 30 years.

The military was called in after around 1,000 vehicles were stranded when more than 40 centimetres of snow blocked the A3 highway overnight.

Authorities in southern Britain have warned motorists to only use their vehicles if absolutely necessary.

Thousands of schools have been closed and around half the UK workforce stayed home, which is said to have cost the economy $1 billion in lost output.

Around 5,000 homes in Sussex are still without power as the country suffers through the cold snap, which is expected to last at least another week.

A good example of what a tropical ‘storm’ can do was in the early hours of New Years Day 1963 when overnight rainfall measured nearly 200 mm.

Over 300 revelers were dancing the old year away at a New Year’s Eve Ball in Maleny’s School of Arts unaware a rapidly developing rain depression was crossing the Sunshine Coast bringing havoc to Buderim and Flaxton before blowing part of the roof off Maleny Hospital in the early hours of New Years Day. The tropical storm then moved on to Peachester where St Andrews Church was completely destroyed exactly 55 years after it opened (the organ donated by Queensland’s first long range weather forecaster, Inigo Jones, the stool, the Prayer Seat, the alter cross and candlesticks were recovered and are now displayed in Landsborough Historical Museum)

The Nambour Chronicle newspaper reported the roof of the 40-year-old hospital blew off at 3.00am and so began thirteen hours of anxiety for Matron O’Laherty. “Rather frightening”- was the matron’s description of the ‘turbulent night’. “I realized at once what was happening when I heard the first sheet of roofing tearing off “- she said.

“The power went off with the roof. This left the hospital’s youngest patient, a two-week-old premature baby in an un-warmed humidicrib”.

While struggling to move the hospital’s other twelve patients to the only roofed ward, Matron O’Laherty and two night sisters devised a makeshift crib with blankets and hot water bottles’.

As the 50 knot winds shattered windows and the cyclonic rain poured in through the damaged roof the matron and her staff moved their patients in pitch darkness to the hospital’s one new wing. At first light, with the help of local residents the majority of patients were moved to a temporary ‘hospital’ in Maleny’s School of Arts”. 

I was talking to my neighbour – Colin – the other day and he told me he was seeing the New Year in at the Ball. The first they all knew of the disaster was when they went out into the street and saw the sheets of iron flying through the air. Colin was one of the many residents helping to remove patients to the School of Arts.

January.  An extensive high pressure system hovered in the Tasman Sea bringing inclement weather to the Blackall Ranges.

February.  A complex synoptic weather pattern with a monsoonal trough line drifting south were the main features of the month when some useful falls of rain were brought into our region.

March.  Hot and humid. TC Hamish was off Fraser Island where it became a tropical low. Evacuation of all low lying areas.  Cargo ship “Pacific Adventurer” off Moreton Island loses upper deck containers overboard and holes ship’s side in process.  Oil seepage pollutes coastline. Big mopping-up operation by councils.

April.  A wet month with 429 mm of rainfall, a twenty year record.

May.  Another wet month with 12 days of rainfall giving 255 mm of rain.  Providence decided to favour the Maleny Show with dry conditions and sunshine. Not so last year when torrential rain put paid to all outdoor events.

June.  The third month in succession to exceed the 117 year average. The Hinterland watershed played a useful part in helping to fill Brisbane dams.

July.  Strong wins bring cold Antarctic winds to the Ranges with long hours of blue skies and bright sunshine. The only exception being on the 2^nd when a dust storm polluted the atmosphere.

August.  The weather topic was our winter mini-heatwave that sent the mercury soaring to some of the highest temperatures ever to be recorded for the month. Rainfall was down to single digits.

September.  The major phenomena were the widespread dust storms that twice covered the east coast from Sydney northwards, arriving to the Blackall Ranges on 12rd and 27^th. Visibility dropped to 300m.

October.  Strong winds brought some more dust storms to pollute the atmosphere.

November.  Hottest November since 1997 with temperatures in the upper thirties and  a heat stress factor recording as high as 42°C. Smoke from Noosa bush fires was trapped by a temperature inversion.

December.  Maleny town water reserve down to a six-week supply level. Water rationing in force. Our saviour came by way of upper level lows, enhanced by remnants of ex-TC Laurence carried across the continent by a jet stream.

Annual.  Total rainfall was 1825mm, representing 155 mm below the 117 year average.

Once again we were all aware Mother Nature is a law unto herself. The expected and hoped for wet season failed to arrive in early December. By the third week in December the demand for town water outstripped supply and we were given notice Obi-Obi dams only had enough in reserve  for another six weeks. Water was rationed and road tankers were in evidence.

The ground was dry and cracked. It was not until we had a series of thunderstorms in the third week of the month before conditions improved. The rain over Christmas came from upper level troughs, enhanced by the remnants of ex-TC Laurence carried across the continent with the help of a jet stream.  Temperatures rose to over 34ºC with a heat exhaustion factor of 42ºC. This is well into the danger zone for the elderly and young alike, not to mention the unwary tourist sunbathing on the beach in extreme UV Index of 14.

Welcome Rain creates flooding problems. Heavy rain has cut the Landsborough Highway in western Queensland.

Monsoonal Troughs arrive in north Queensland. Heavy overnight and early morning rain in Townsville in north Queensland has led to the airport recording its highest 24-hour December rainfall figure for 33 years