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SIGNIFICANT WEATHER - MAY 2000
At the start of the month, the combination of a strong high in the Tasman Sea and a low off the Capricornia coast brought coastal gales and resulted in many places in Queensland recording record temperatures for May. During the last week a major trough crossed eastern Australia with strong cyclogenesis near Tasmania. This produced a spell of very cold and windy weather in South Australia and eastern States with snow to very low levels and widespread small hail. Many places recorded record low temperatures for May. Dry weather continued in much of Western Australia where many locations recorded the lowest rainfall on record for May.
Tasmania Blackouts due to lightning strikes and strong winds were experienced in the north of the state on the 26th. South Australia On Thursday 25th May a deep low was centred well south of the continent. A front south of South Australia intensified near southern coasts overnight and a low developed near Tasmania on Friday morning the 26th. A line of showers and thunderstorms associated with this cold front crossed southern South Australia producing wind gusts to 90km/h during the morning of the 26th. A cold squally southwest airstream followed the front, bringing widespread showers with isolated small hail across agricultural districts. Local heavy falls and some snow were reported about the Mount Lofty Ranges. An intense low moved from near Tasmania over the Tasman Sea by the morning of Saturday the 27th. This low maintained scattered showers and isolated small hail across the agricultural districts and the south of the pastoral districts for most of Saturday.
Queensland The combined effect of a high pressure system over the Tasman Sea and a low off Queensland's Capricornia coast between the 1st and 3rd brought strong to gale force winds and very rough seas to the area. The wind caused powerline damage and felled trees. Easterly swells averaging 5m were reported off the south coastVictoria On the 13th, severe gusts to around 95 km/h occurred in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne causing minor damage. On the 27th to 29th, severe gusts and squalls were recorded, the highest being 132 km/h at Mt Buller AWS and 124 km/h at Fawkner Beacon AWS. A person was killed near Wodonga due to a branch breaking in strong winds. Tasmania The Spirit of Tasmania was delayed and damaged by strong winds and rough seas on the night of the 28th. South Australia Wind gusts of 94km/h during storms on the 26th occurred at Adelaide Airport.
Northern Territory Dry and gusty SE winds resulted in a period of very high fire danger over the Top End during the last four days of May. A large wildfire on the 27th and 28th burnt out 50 sq km of bushland in the Marrakai/ Corroboree area, about 90 km ESE of Darwin. The fire threatened several houses in a subdivision, but no major property damage occurred.
Victoria From the 27th to 29th the cold outbreak produced snow falls in southern and mountain districts. Near Marysville a person was killed by a falling snow covered tree. In central Melbourne, light snow falls were observed. Tasmania The spell of cold weather between the 27th and 30th saw snowfall to many elevated areas. The Murchison and Lyell highways were both cut due to snow at various times during the period. 20 car accidents were reported, mostly in southern Tasmania. South Australia Snow was reported on the higher parts of the Mount Lofty and southern Flinders Ranges on the morning of Saturday 27th.
Queensland In the Paroo River catchment rainfall totals up to 130 mm were recorded in the Paroo from the 2nd to 6th which resulted in major flooding throughout the catchment with the main flood waters reaching Hungerford about the 11th. Moderate flooding resulted in the Bulloo River during the same time as the floods in the Paroo. The main flood waters reached Thargomindah on the 18th causing minor flooding.
Queensland The cyclogenesis near Tasmania in the last week of the month forced cold air well north into Queensland. All but the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula experienced the colder conditions. Overnight minimum temperatures were commonly more than 8 degrees and sometimes 10 to 12 degrees lower than the May mean with frosts through the southern and central interior and on the Atherton Tablelands.
Note: Some statistical records mentioned in this report are based on data that have yet to be fully validated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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