Some notably hot temperatures have occurred in WA in January 2009 to date.

Emu Creek Station in the Pilbara recorded a maximum temperature of 49.0°C on the 10th, breaking its January record of 48.2°C, set on 1 January 2004. It was the equal seventh hottest day in January ever recorded in WA, and the hottest temperature recorded in WA since 11 January 2008, when 49.2ºC was recorded at Onslow. The mean maximum temperature for January so far at Emu Creek Station is 45.6°C.

Gascoyne Junction also registered its new highest January temperature on record on the 11th with 48.6 °C. Its previous record was 48.3°C on 4 January 2008. The mean maximum temperature for January so far at Gascoyne Junction is 46.4°C.

The table below shows the top ten hottest temperatures in WA in January.

Note: the highest temperature recorded in WA is 50.5 °C at Mardie on 19 February 1998.

Its also been hot in Perth!

Perth has experienced 14 consecutive hot days over the New Year and into the start of 2009, with maximum temperatures remaining above 32°C from 29 December 2008 to 11 January 2009. This type of hot spell has only been exceeded on three occasions since 1897: 29 December 1961 to 12 January 1962 (15 days); 1 to 16 Febuary 1996 (16 days); and 24 December 1999 to 7 January 2000 (15 days).
The hottest day was 30 December 2008, which reached 39.0°C, followed by 38.4°C on 11 January 2009.

The mean maximum temperature in Perth to the 11th was 35.3 °C, the equal second hottest start to a year on record . The hottest January to date was 36.8 °C in 1962 (see table below).

These extremes are based on preliminary data, and are subject to verification as later reports become available.

Further information:
John Relf (JR), or Yanhui Blockley tel: (08) 9263 2222.