Friday, 11 February 2005

MEDIA RELEASE - HEAD OFFICE

Many weather records set by last week’s ‘big rain’

A detailed analysis by the Bureau of Meteorology of last week’s low-pressure system that brought severe storms to eastern Australia has revealed that about 100 weather records were broken. The system brought heavy rain to much of south-east Australia and abnormally low temperatures through much of the eastern half of the country.

A total of 13 locations (with 50 years or more of weather information) set all-time daily rainfall records. This included Melbourne, with 120.2 millimetres in the 24 hours to 9 am, Thursday 3 February. A further 25 locations in Victoria and southern NSW had their wettest February day on record. Among them was Dookie, near Shepparton, which broke its February record on two successive days, with 90.0 mm on 3 February and 103.4 mm on 4 February.

Director of Meteorology Dr Geoff Love said today: “This rain event was extremely unusual because of the wide area covered by the heavy rain. Records are often created in isolated spots, often as a result of slow-moving thunderstorms, but it is much rarer for extreme rainfall to occur across such an area.”

Last week’s dramatic event ranks with those of December 1934 and February 1973 as the heaviest rainfall events in the last century across central Victoria. The Central District recorded the highest one-day total on record, with an average of 106.0 mm across the region.

Dr Love said that many very low temperatures were also recorded. A total of 43 locations in northern Victoria, eastern South Australia and southern NSW had their coldest February day on record on either 2 or 3 February. “Some records were broken by 3 degrees or more,” Dr Love said. Mt Hotham (minus 0.2 degrees) had the first sub-zero maximum temperature ever recorded in Australia in February. There were also abnormally low minimum temperatures through much of inland eastern Australia from 2 to 5 February, with February record lows being set at 18 locations in western Queensland, South Australia and western NSW. Alice Springs had its coldest February night since 1954.

The question most often asked is whether this event was caused by climate change. In response, Dr Love said: “Climate is the average of many weather events, and so it will be some years before we can really decide whether this event was part of a changing climate or just a one-off, abnormal event.”

Further information:
Blair Trewin, National Climate Centre, Bureau of Meteorology,
tel: (03) 9669 4603, mob: 0413 849 309.

Table 1. Locations with highest daily rainfall on record for any month

Location State Date Rainfall
(mm)		 Previous
record (mm)		 Date Number of
years of data
Epping VIC 03/02/2005 137 131.8 26/02/1946 92
Essendon VIC 03/02/2005 118 112.8 29/01/1963 59
Melbourne City VIC 03/02/2005 120.2 108 29/01/1963 149
Oakleigh VIC 03/02/2005 109 97.8 25/02/1939 91
Prahran VIC 03/02/2005 102 96.8 29/01/1963 111
Scoresby VIC 03/02/2005 145.4 89.4 22/03/1970 54
Toorourrong Res. VIC 03/02/2005 129.6 112.2 8/04/1977 113
Ventnor VIC 03/02/2005 114 104.4 5/02/1973 85
Wonthaggi VIC 03/02/2005 117.5 102.9 1/12/1934 93
Durdidwarrah VIC 03/02/2005 128.4 118.4 6/02/1973 131
Avenal VIC 04/02/2005 129.4 110.5 18/03/1950 102
Kinglake West VIC 03/02/2005 166.8 135.4 1/12/1934 122
Forrest VIC 03/02/2005 142.6 118.1 19/02/1946 99

Table 2. Locations with highest daily rainfall on record for February

Location State Date Rainfall
(mm)		 Previous
record (mm)		 Date Number of
years of data
Jerilderie NSW 4th 69 68.8 24/02/1969 116
Mathoura NSW 3rd 65 53.1 16/2/1887 106
Dookie VIC 4th 103.4# 67.6 27/02/1939 125
Benalla VIC 3rd 78.4 64.3 27/02/1939 122
Euroa VIC 3rd 80 68.6 20/02/1973 119
Strathbogie VIC 3rd 110 89.7 20/02/1973 102
Mansfield VIC 3rd 98.2 68.6 18/02/1928 104
Whitlands VIC 4th 144.8 136.9 27/02/1939 75
Mount Buffalo VIC 4th 181.2 134.4 27/02/1939 94
Leongatha VIC 3rd 78.2 66.3 6/02/1973 113
Toora VIC 3rd 105 64.3 18/02/1928 99
Brighton VIC 3rd 97.2 89.7 6/02/1973 78
Flemington VIC 3rd 115 83.3 6/02/1973 101
Lilydale VIC 3rd 140.6 111.3 6/02/1973 115
Mornington VIC 3rd 96.4 91.4 27/02/1939 120
Preston VIC 3rd 126.4 99.1 26/02/1946 95
Springvale VIC 3rd 110.4 75.7 6/02/1973 57
Laverton VIC 3rd 99.8 90.2 6/02/1973 63
Alexandra VIC 3rd 91.6 72.9 6/02/1973 127
Bonnie Doon VIC 3rd 115.2 96 27/02/1939 102
Lake Eildon VIC 3rd 80 72.1 18/02/1919 117
Broadford VIC 3rd 81 76.2 6/02/1973 100
Weeaproinah VIC 3rd 141 139.6 2/02/1990 103
Hastings TAS 4th 101 91 9/02/1996 59
Levendale TAS 4th 56.4 43.9 16/02/1970 57

Table 3. Locations with lowest daily maximum temperature for February

Location State Date Temperature
(degrees C)		 Previous
record
(degrees C)		 Date Number of
years of data
Mount Barker SA 3rd 15.5 15.8 20/02/1987 48
Meningie SA 4th 17.7 18 21/02/1993 38
Murray Bridge SA 3rd 17.4 18.3 14/02/1972 38
Keith SA 3rd 16.2 17.2 15/02/1965 43
Lameroo SA 3rd 16.5 17.8 1/02/1960 48
Balranald NSW 3rd 12.5 17.3 28/02/1996 38
Ivanhoe NSW 3rd 19.5 19.7 21/02/1977 42
Yass NSW 3rd 14.5 15 20/02/1966 39
Thredbo Village NSW 3rd 5.4 6.5 22/02/1993 33
Cabramurra NSW 3rd 3.8 4 22/02/1993 44
Hume Reservoir NSW 3rd 12 15.6 9/02/1996 40
Tumbarumba NSW 3rd 8.9 11.4 9/02/1996 38
Wagga Wagga NSW 3rd 13.4 16.4 25/02/1909 132
Burrinjuck Dam NSW 3rd 13.6 13.9 20/02/1966 39
Wyalong NSW 3rd 15.5 16 21/02/1993 46
Corowa NSW 3rd 12 16 1/02/1990 35
Tocumwal NSW 2nd 13.8 16.6 1/02/1990 34
Narrandera NSW 3rd 13 17.8 4/02/2002 33
Deniliquin NSW 2nd 11.7 15.1 18/02/1951 144
Hay NSW 2nd 13 17.7 22/02/1996 48
Hillston NSW 2nd 16 19.5 23/02/1992 48
Lake Cargelligo NSW 3rd 18 19.2 7/02/1973 39
Ouyen VIC 3rd 15.1 16.8 28/02/1987 48
Walpeup VIC 3rd 16.1 17.2 28/02/1987 40
Horsham VIC 3rd 15.5 17.2 8/02/1996 48
Longerenong VIC 2nd/3rd 16.6* 17.1 28/02/1987 40
Echuca VIC 2nd 11.8 16.8 28/02/1996 48
Kerang VIC 2nd 11.7 17 28/02/1987 41
Kyabram VIC 2nd 12.5 15.9 1/02/1990 40
Tatura VIC 2nd 13.1 15.6 1/02/1990 40
Benalla VIC 3rd 12.5 16.4 9/02/1996 48
Corryong VIC 3rd 13.1 15.4 22/02/1993 33
Rutherglen VIC 3rd 12 16 3/02/2002 40
Strathbogie VIC 3rd 10.5 13 1/02/1990 31
Omeo VIC 3rd 9.8 11.1 4/02/2002 48
Scoresby VIC 2nd 14 15.5 16/02/1998 37
Melbourne Airport VIC 2nd 13.5 14.9 1/02/1990 34
Lake Eildon VIC 3rd 11.9 14 9/02/1996 34
Maryborough VIC 2nd 11.3 14.2 9/02/1996 40
Mangalore VIC 2nd 12.8 14.3 1/02/1990 46
Castlemaine VIC 2nd 10.5 14 28/02/1993 38
Ballarat VIC 2nd 10 11.1 9/02/1996 48
Ararat VIC 2nd 11.9 13.2 1/02/1990 35

Table 4. Locations with lowest daily minimum temperature for February

Location State Date Temperature
(degrees C)		 Previous
record
(degrees C)		 Date Number of
years of data
Nonning SA 3rd 6.5 7.5 17/02/1990 34
Cleve SA 2nd 8.3 8.5 12/02/1964 48
Hawker SA 2nd 9.4 9.9 21/02/1972 32
Cape Willoughby SA 2nd 9 9.2 8/02/1985 37
Barcaldine QLD 5th 15.2 15.3 17/02/1962 43
Isisford QLD 4th 13.6 14 18/02/1976 47
Longreach Airport QLD 4th 14.5 15 19/02/1999 37
Camooweal QLD 5th 14.3 15.6 26/02/1964 46
Urandangi QLD 5th 14.3 14.4 4/02/1989 46
Cunnamulla QLD 3rd 11.5 12.8 24/02/1964 47
Thargomindah QLD 3rd/4th 13.0* 13.3 24/02/1964 46
Collarenebri NSW 3rd 8.4 8.9 23/02/1993 37
Condobolin NSW 3rd 5 6.6 27/02/1985 39
Coonamble NSW 3rd 7.9 9.5 22/02/1972 40
Walgett NSW 3rd 7.1 9.4 22/02/1931 125
Baradine NSW 3rd 6.4 7.1 22/02/1972 36
Barraba NSW 4th 5 7 23/02/1993 37
Coonabarabran NSW 3rd 3.6 5.6 23/02/1993 47

Note: Only locations with at least 50 years of data (for rainfall) or 30 years (for temperature) are listed. In some cases data is drawn from two or more sites in the same general location.
Maximum and minimum temperatures are for the 24 hours ending 9 am local time. Melbourne City was widely reported as having set a record low February maximum temperature on the 2nd, but it rose above the previous record early on the morning of the 3rd, before the 9 am cut-off time.
#  Also broke previous record on 3 February (90.0 mm)
*  Set record on the first date listed and equalled it on the second.

Ends