Maleny Weather

Past Week’s Weather May 7 – 13

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:18:57 +0000

An extensive slow moving high across Queensland, combined with a warm NW air stream, continue to maintain dry and sunny conditions over the Ranges. Most days clouds were few and far between and 42 hours of Bright Sunshine was recorded. Clear blue skies on Mother’s Day brought perfect conditions for outdoor family reunions with temperatures in the mid-twenties. The main weather feature was the sudden drop in relative humidity; recording the lowest percentage since September last year. Please note wind velocity units are measured in km/hr.

Bureau of Meteorology report climate indicators across the tropical Pacific Ocean remain neutral (neither El Niño nor La Niña). During the past fortnight, the tropical Pacific Ocean reached its warmest state since May 2010. All major indicators of ENSO, including cloudiness, trade winds, the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, currently lie well within the ENSO-neutral range.

Solar Radiation and Energy May 7 – 13

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 07:46:23 +0000

Past Week’s Weather April 30 – May 6

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:09:22 +0000

There was a slow moving weather pattern over the hinterland due to the high in the Tasman Sea moving east toward New Zealand. This caused the ridge along the east coast to weaken. The moderate to fresh moist southeasterly winds precipitated fewer isolated showers than of late, with most of the heavier rain from an upper weak level trough falling mainly off the coast.

On Saturday a new high moving into The Bight extended into central and northern Australia and also east to Queensland. This brought atmospheric stability with cloudless azure blue sky as well as a sudden drop in overnight temperature to single figures for the first time this month.

Full Moon Perigee

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:02:48 +0000

Solar Radiation and Energy April 30 – May6

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 15:34:32 +0000

April Climate Statistics 2012

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:18:10 +0000

April Weather Summary

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:12:25 +0000

For most of April the Hinterland weather came under the influence of a strong high pressure system moving slowly over The Bight into the Tasman Sea. This extended a weak ridge along the east coast. Also there was an upper level trough moving over the region from west to east with some rain bearing lows, but precipitation was either off the coast or drifted farther south into the Gold Coast.

It looked as if April was going to be an exceptionally dry month with rainfall running well below the long term average of 181mm. Saturday 21^st turned out to be a hot sultry perspiring day with a heat stress factor of 33°C, not even a breeze to ease the high humidity and the overcast sky was drab and featureless. Not a typical autumnal day.

It was not until the last few days of the month when the upper level trough from the west finally reached us to combine with a surface low. This brought a four degree drop in daytime temperatures and two days of heavy downpour filling rain gauges with 86mm. The total rainfall for the month is 141.2mm, just 40mm below the 119- year average.

Past Week’s Weather April 23 – 29

admin — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:00:36 +0000

The week started with an inland surface low and an upper level trough moving slowly east toward the Blackall Ranges. Fine weather, with temperatures in the mid-twenties, was the delight of locals enjoying perfect autumnal days. Attendance numbers at the dawn service on ANZAC day grows from one year to the next. Far distant from the half-dozen people at the 1989 dawn service in the RSL Hall with the OBI-OBI lapping the top of the Bridge after four days of torrential rain that swept away the Yabba-Yabba Bridge.

On Friday a change of weather took place with a four degree drop in temperature as a trough of low pressure deepened off the Queensland coast. This sent copious amounts of rain over our region with the heaviest rate of fall of 43mm/hour occurring at 5.15pm on Saturday. The trough was fed by moist easterly winds flowing across the Coral Sea, generating unrelenting rainfall. The rain storm ended at 9.30pm on Saturday with 86.4mm
On Sunday morning an east coast low of 1008hPa developed off Fraser Island on an easterly track. Rainfall associated with this low did not reach the Ranges and instead fell well out to sea.

Solar Radiation and Energy April 23 – 29

admin — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:58:04 +0000

ANZAC Day 2012

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:33:42 +0000

It was an overcast dry dark morning when Kay and I stood with a large silent crowd at the Maleny RSL to remember the fallen who gave their lives for their country. Our thoughts also recalled the same service held in the RSL Hall 23 years ago. The year was 1989 after torrential rain had been falling for four days. We huddled together in the hall with just a handful of people. Minister Malcolm Eberhard said prayers that were hard to hear as ceaseless rain hammered the tin roof. Outside the wind shrieked and howled in a kind of agony for all those who gave their lives for their country’s freedom.

April 1989 was the wettest month ever to be recorded at Maleny with 1052mm rainfall. It started with ex-TC “Aivu” bringing in a rain depression early in the month followed by another depression later. Creeks overflowed and flash flooding was wide spread. The Yabba-Yabba Bridge was swept away.