Monthly Weather Review Queensland June 2010 Monthly Weather Review Queensland June 2010 The Monthly Weather Review - Queensland is produced twelve times each year by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Queensland Climate Services Centre. It is intended to provide a concise but informative overview of the temperatures, rainfall and significant weather events in Queensland for the month. To keep the Monthly Weather Review as timely as possible, much of the information is based on electronic reports. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of these reports, the results can be considered only preliminary until complete quality control procedures have been carried out. Major discrepancies will be noted in later issues. We are keen to ensure that the Monthly Weather Review is appropriate to the needs of its readers. If you have any comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us: By mail Queensland Climate Services Centre Bureau of Meteorology GPO Box 413 Brisbane QLD 4001 AUSTRALIA By telephone (07) 3239 8700 By email [email protected] You may also wish to visit the Bureau's home page, http://www.bom.gov.au. Units of measurement Except where noted, temperature is given in degrees Celsius (°C), rainfall in millimetres (mm), and wind speed in kilometres per hour (km/h). Observation times and periods Each station in Queensland makes its main observation for the day at 9 am local time. At this time, the precipitation over the past 24 hours is determined, and maximum and minimum thermometers are also read and reset. In this publication, the following conventions are used for assigning dates to the observations made: Maximum temperatures are for the 24 hours from 9 am on the date mentioned. They normally occur in the afternoon of that day. Minimum temperatures are for the 24 hours to 9 am on the date mentioned. They normally occur in the early morning of that day. Daily rainfall is for the 24 hours to 9 am on the date mentioned. This means a significant fraction of the rain may have occurred on the previous calendar day. Monthly rainfall is for the period from 9 am on the last day of the previous month to 9 am on the last day of this month. Maximum daily wind gusts are in the 24 hours from midnight to midnight. Climatological values The climatological averages shown in the text and tables are generally long-term means based on observations from all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site. They are not shown for sites with less than 9 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably. Climatological extremes are generally taken from available observations from all available years of record. The number of years can vary substantially from site to site. Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia 2010 This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 or posted at http://www.ag.gov.au/cca. Product code IDCKGC24R1. Prepared on 28 July 2010. ISSN 1836-3075 Cover photograph Thick altocumulus with associated virga highlighted by the angle of the setting sun, taken from the Brisbane Airport observation deck. Photograph by Bureau of Meteorology Observer Cameron Hines , 29 June 2010. Used with permission. 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Monthly Weather Review Queensland June 2010 Overview • Below average rainfall • Slightly above average minimum and maximum temperatures Extremes in June 2010 Hottest day (Highest daily maximum temperature) 35.1 °C at Coconut Island on the 1st Warmest days on average (Highest mean daily maximum temperature) 33.6 °C at Coconut Island Coolest days on average (Lowest mean daily maximum temperature) 14.8 °C at Applethorpe Coldest day (Lowest daily maximum temperature) 11.6 °C at Applethorpe on the 10th Coldest night (Lowest daily minimum temperature) −6.0 °C at Oakey Aero on the 28th Coolest nights on average (Lowest mean daily minimum temperature) 3.4 °C at Stanthorpe Leslie Parade Warmest nights on average (Highest mean daily minimum temperature) 25.6 °C at Coconut Island Warmest night (Highest daily minimum temperature) 26.5 °C at Coconut Island on the 1st Wettest overall (Highest total rainfall) 450.6 mm at Bellenden Ker Top Stn Wettest day (Highest daily rainfall) 79.0 mm at Bellenden Ker Top Stn on the 23rd Highest wind gust 85 km/h at Cape Moreton Lighthouse on the 14th 85 km/h at Double Island Point Lighthouse on the 22nd Significant weather No significant weather occurred in Queensland during June 2010. page 1 Monthly Weather Review Queensland June 2010 Synoptic summary afternoon and Sandy Cape in the evening. Shower activity increased on the 14th as an east to At the beginning of the month, a high pressure southeasterly airflow increased moisture over system over south eastern Australia extended a ridge eastern districts. On the 15th and 16th a high over most of Queensland, resulting in isolated pressure system over New South Wales and the showers over Cape York Peninsula in the moist Tasman Sea extended a firm ridge over Queensland, onshore trade flow. A low pressure system in the maintaining showers along the east coast but fine Tasman Sea to the north of New Zealand extended a conditions over inland areas. The strong trough towards the southern Queensland coast and a southeasterly winds between Torres Strait and large swathe of moisture driven by southerly winds Burnett Heads eased south of St Lawrence on the circulating on the western flank of the low resulted morning of the 16th and contracted to north of in drizzle areas over the southern Queensland Cardwell by late evening, before easing below 25 interior. knots during the morning of the 17th. Early on the 2nd, a surface low pressure system developed near Moreton Island, generating On the 17th, a surface trough entered the southwest maximum showers on its southern flank. The low of the state and mid-level cloud band with patchy moved south on the 3rd and the heavier showers light rain spread east over southern Queensland. The and rain areas focussed over northeastern New cloud and patchy rain band moved northeast on the South Wales, however scattered showers persisted 19th ahead of a middle and upper trough. Dry air over the far southeastern Queensland border region. spread over the southern half of the state on the Showers also occurred over the eastern tropics and 20th, leading to a cold morning and widespread early northern central districts due to sufficient moisture frosts - extending into inland parts of the Southeast to the east of a low level inland trough. These Coast district and north to southern central districts. showers persisted and merged into light rain for the A large high pressure system moving over southern central eastern districts on the morning of the 4th. Australia extended a strengthening ridge over the The low intensified off the New South Wales Coast east Queensland coast and strong winds developed on the 4th before moving southeast towards New between Torres Strait and Bowen, extending south Zealand on the 5th. Only isolated showers occurred to Mackay by the evening of the 21st and to Point over the far northeastern tropics and southern Danger during the 22nd. Winds gradually eased from interior on the 4th. Strong winds developed south of the south from the evening of the 23rd, to south of Double Island Point, contracting south on the 5th. Cairns by late morning of the 25th and to south of Cooktown by late morning of the 27th and south of From the 5th a ridge extended over much of Cape Melville by the morning of the 29th. Queensland from a high in the Great Australian By the 21st, a strong high pressure system over Bight, resulting in mostly fine conditions, with only Victoria was intensifying as it moved ease, very isolated light showers about the far north strengthening a ridge over the Queensland east tropical coast and Cape York Peninsula. coast and resulting in isolated shower activity along the east Queensland coast. On the 7th, the high moved over South Australia and weakened. Isolated showers along the southeast On the 23rd, a surface low pressure system formed coast remained mostly offshore as winds remained near New Zealand, blocking the intense high south to southeasterly. A convergence zone near pressure system east of Tasmania. Strong winds Fraser Island, associated with a deep low near New continued to develop along the whole Queensland Zealand, increased showers in the area on the 8th. east coast. Strong southeasterly winds also developed over the northern Gulf. Showers occurred Between the 9th and 12th, only isolated showers along the east coast, with isolated showers occurred about eastern Cape York Peninsula as a developing inland over the eastern districts during large high pressure system over southern Western the day. On the 24th there was a slight weakening of Australia moved slowly eastwards, extending a ridge the ridge on the Queensland coast with strong winds into southern Queensland. On the 9th, a trough contracting north. moved across southern Queensland waters with On the 26th, a surface trough over western strengthening southwesterly winds in its wake. Queensland moved east, reaching the Darling Downs Strong winds occurred south of Double Island Point in the evening.