New Year's Eve 2013 was a nice and warm day in Sydney. Temperatures at the Airport peaked at 30.2C just before 4pm. Today was the warmest New Year's Eve of the past 5 years in Sydney. It hovered around 26C for most of the day though as a result of easterly winds. By the time the fireworks go off at midnight it should be around 20C, which is fairly comfortable for those out and about.
Jyväskylä woke up to snow this morning. Temperatures dipped below zero for the first time since December 20 as well. Only a small amount of snow fell though and with temperatures currently at 1.6C and a forecast for 2C, it won't be around for long. New Year's Eve 2008 saw a daily maximum of 2.2C, the warmest of the last 6 years. Today will come close to, if not surpass, that figure.
2014 will start off warm in Sydney with mostly sunny weather and 28C predicted for tomorrow. 33C is forecast for Thursday. Jyväskylä will continue its above average trend with the chance of rain overnight and a top of 3C tomorrow.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Sunday, 29 December 2013
Above average temps continue for Finland, strong winds in Sydney
The last few days in Finland have seen above average temperatures continue. Including today, the past 5 days have a daily maximum above 4C, with 3 of those days not going below 3C. The highest monthly minimum was set again yesterday; it now stands at 3.4C.
Minus temperatures seem like a distant memory for Jyväskylä. In fact, it hasn't dipped below zero since December 20, 9 days ago. Of the 5 years prior to 2013, the latest time in the year for 9 consecutive days above zero was last year between November 17 and 26, a total of 10 days. Compare that to 2010 and you'll have to go back to the start of October. Also in 2010, the last day of the year entirely above zero was November 4. Since November 4 this year, there have been 21 days entirely above zero.
Today's maximum of 4.4C helped the monthly average maximum equal 2011's mark of 1.6C. With only 2 days remaining in the month and a maximum of 2C forecast for both, it should reach 1.7C. The average minimum for December, however, will stay below 2011's figure.
Sydney saw some strong winds this morning. A southerly change hit the city just after 5am. Winds picked up in the following hour and gusts remained at 80km/h or above between 6am and 8am. The strongest gust was 89km/h at 6:31am. That was the strongest recording since December 5. The rest of the day was rather cool, although it didn't dip below 20C all day.
Elsewhere in Australia, the Pilbara region in Western Australia is bracing for Tropical Cyclone Christine. It is currently a Category 2 storm, but is predicted to strengthen to a Category 3 by the time it makes landfall between Port Hedland and Karratha tomorrow evening. The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of gusts exceeding 165km/h and heavy rainfall as the cyclone crosses the coast and moves inland.
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
A wet Christmas
Both Jyväskylä and Sydney are having Christmas weather most people wouldn't have hoped for. Mild temperatures and rain continue in Finland while it rained in Sydney today as well.
It was a rather cool day for Sydney with the top temperature being 21.5C. It also reached the same figure yesterday and now both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day share the lowest maximum of the month with less than a week to go.
Rain swept across the city this morning and while the falls weren't too high, it didn't ease until just after midnight. At the Airport 15mm was recorded. The largest falls around Sydney were in the Blue Mountains and on the coast south of the city. At 1am on December 26, Bellambi had received 59.4mm during the previous 13 hours.
The graph below shows the minimums and maximums for December 25 in the past 5 years. Today had the lowest maximum of the most recent 5 Christmas Days in Sydney.
In Jyväskylä the trend of wet weather, cloud and above zero temperatures continued. In the 24 hours prior to 4pm, 9.1mm has fallen at Jyväskylä Airport and more is on the way. Just before midnight yesterday the temperature rose above 3C and it has remained around 4C for the past 12 hours. Forecasts predict it to continue like that until tomorrow morning.
While Sydney had its coolest Christmas Day of the past 5 years, Jyväskylä had its warmest of the past 6.
On the weekend it looked like there might be some snow around in Suonenjoki for Christmas, and there was, but it could have been so much better.
It was a rather cool day for Sydney with the top temperature being 21.5C. It also reached the same figure yesterday and now both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day share the lowest maximum of the month with less than a week to go.
Rain swept across the city this morning and while the falls weren't too high, it didn't ease until just after midnight. At the Airport 15mm was recorded. The largest falls around Sydney were in the Blue Mountains and on the coast south of the city. At 1am on December 26, Bellambi had received 59.4mm during the previous 13 hours.
The graph below shows the minimums and maximums for December 25 in the past 5 years. Today had the lowest maximum of the most recent 5 Christmas Days in Sydney.
In Jyväskylä the trend of wet weather, cloud and above zero temperatures continued. In the 24 hours prior to 4pm, 9.1mm has fallen at Jyväskylä Airport and more is on the way. Just before midnight yesterday the temperature rose above 3C and it has remained around 4C for the past 12 hours. Forecasts predict it to continue like that until tomorrow morning.
While Sydney had its coolest Christmas Day of the past 5 years, Jyväskylä had its warmest of the past 6.
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| It was still white a few days before Christmas. Kokkolampi in Suonenjoki, December 21 2013 |
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| Unfortunately the good snow didn't hang around. Conditions in Suonenjoki on Christmas Day 2013. |
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| The perfect Finnish Christmas weather was in 2010. Laukaa, December 24 2010 |
Whatever the weather may be, Merry Christmas!
Monday, 23 December 2013
Another hot one in Sydney, miserable weather continues in Jyväskylä
It was hot again in Sydney today. It was a strange day though with plenty of wind changes. There was a warm morning, a very brief period over 35C and a cool afternoon.
The morning started fairly warm with easterly winds. At 12:30pm it was 26.7C after reaching 29C around 11am. It wasn't until the northwesterlies came that the temperature spiked upwards. As a result of the wind change, it jumped almost 10C to 36C between 12:30pm and 1pm; the daily maximum of 36.6C coming at 2:23pm. This was the second warmest December temperature since 2005, after last Friday's 37.8C.
The temperature dropped soon after, similarly to the way it had risen earlier. This time it was a southerly change that hit the city just after 3pm. By 3:30pm it was only 23.3C. The southerly change brought some strong winds also, 72km/h the strongest gust at 3:31pm.
After the hot day on Friday, Saturday was much cooler, but temperatures rose again yesterday reaching 31.2C. At Penrith in Sydney's west it was 41.0C. Yesterday was also responsible for the highest minimum of the month so far, 21.6C.
Meanwhile in Jyväskylä, miserable weather continues. For this time of the year, it's just not good. The last 3 daily maximums including today have been between 3.4C and 4.1C and it hasn't been below zero since Friday. In addition to that, there has been wet snow, rain and a lot of cloud.
Yesterday's minimum of 2.8C was responsible for the highest minimum of not only the month, but of all December days in the period since 2008. The previous record dates back to December 12 this year when it was 1.7C. Prior to that though you have to go back to December 3 2008 when the daily minimum was 1.3C. The latest date in the year for a minimum as high or higher than 2.8C in the period since 2008 was 4.0C on November 27 2009.
The monthly averages are still holding below December 2011's figures thanks to a few colder days earlier in the month, but with the current forecasts it's hard to see at least the average maximum not going higher by the time December is done. The highest temperatures for the coming days are predicted to be 1C, 5C, 3C, 3C and finally 2C. The current averages are -4.8C and 0.9C, compared to 2011's -2.1C and 1.6C.
The warmer temperature have been due to a series of low pressure systems around Iceland and in the Norwegian Sea that have been pushing southwesterly winds across the northern half of Europe for quite some time now. A forecast released by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) predicts warmer than average weather to continue in Finland for the whole 4 weeks between December 23 and January 19. So those in Finland should get used to the current weather as it looks like it'll be here for at least another few weeks.
The morning started fairly warm with easterly winds. At 12:30pm it was 26.7C after reaching 29C around 11am. It wasn't until the northwesterlies came that the temperature spiked upwards. As a result of the wind change, it jumped almost 10C to 36C between 12:30pm and 1pm; the daily maximum of 36.6C coming at 2:23pm. This was the second warmest December temperature since 2005, after last Friday's 37.8C.
The temperature dropped soon after, similarly to the way it had risen earlier. This time it was a southerly change that hit the city just after 3pm. By 3:30pm it was only 23.3C. The southerly change brought some strong winds also, 72km/h the strongest gust at 3:31pm.
After the hot day on Friday, Saturday was much cooler, but temperatures rose again yesterday reaching 31.2C. At Penrith in Sydney's west it was 41.0C. Yesterday was also responsible for the highest minimum of the month so far, 21.6C.
Meanwhile in Jyväskylä, miserable weather continues. For this time of the year, it's just not good. The last 3 daily maximums including today have been between 3.4C and 4.1C and it hasn't been below zero since Friday. In addition to that, there has been wet snow, rain and a lot of cloud.
Yesterday's minimum of 2.8C was responsible for the highest minimum of not only the month, but of all December days in the period since 2008. The previous record dates back to December 12 this year when it was 1.7C. Prior to that though you have to go back to December 3 2008 when the daily minimum was 1.3C. The latest date in the year for a minimum as high or higher than 2.8C in the period since 2008 was 4.0C on November 27 2009.
The monthly averages are still holding below December 2011's figures thanks to a few colder days earlier in the month, but with the current forecasts it's hard to see at least the average maximum not going higher by the time December is done. The highest temperatures for the coming days are predicted to be 1C, 5C, 3C, 3C and finally 2C. The current averages are -4.8C and 0.9C, compared to 2011's -2.1C and 1.6C.
The warmer temperature have been due to a series of low pressure systems around Iceland and in the Norwegian Sea that have been pushing southwesterly winds across the northern half of Europe for quite some time now. A forecast released by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) predicts warmer than average weather to continue in Finland for the whole 4 weeks between December 23 and January 19. So those in Finland should get used to the current weather as it looks like it'll be here for at least another few weeks.
Friday, 20 December 2013
Sydney Airport records warmest December day since 2005, snow in Jyväskylä
It was hot in Sydney today. At Sydney Airport it reached 37.8C at 12:51pm. Based on my own recordings it is the warmest December day at least in the period since 2009. If you look at Bureau of Meteorology records, you have to go back almost 8 years to find a December day warmer than today; Christmas Eve in 2005 when it was 38.3C.
It was a little cooler at Observatory Hill where it only reached 33.5C. Penrith in the far west of the city was the hottest location in the Sydney region with 41.9C at 3:38pm. Today was also the warmest day since that unusually hot day in early October. The daily maximum for October 10 reached the same as today, 37.8C.
Tomorrow in Sydney should be cooler with southerly winds, but temperatures are expected to climb back into the 30s on Sunday and Monday. The current Christmas Day forecast is a balmy 25C.
I have temporarily moved to the town of Suonenjoki, about 80km to the northeast of Jyväskylä, for the Christmas period, but it has been snowing in Jyväskylä this morning. The snow depth at Jyväskylä Airport has climbed to 6cm.
Current and predicted temperatures still aren't too good though with 0.1C the current reading and 2C forecast for later today. Sunday's 3C is even worse. There is definitely more snow in Suonenjoki though so I might be lucky enough to get a white Christmas after all. It's a bit touch and go in Jyväskylä, but there will probably be at least a little of the white stuff around.
It was a little cooler at Observatory Hill where it only reached 33.5C. Penrith in the far west of the city was the hottest location in the Sydney region with 41.9C at 3:38pm. Today was also the warmest day since that unusually hot day in early October. The daily maximum for October 10 reached the same as today, 37.8C.
Tomorrow in Sydney should be cooler with southerly winds, but temperatures are expected to climb back into the 30s on Sunday and Monday. The current Christmas Day forecast is a balmy 25C.
I have temporarily moved to the town of Suonenjoki, about 80km to the northeast of Jyväskylä, for the Christmas period, but it has been snowing in Jyväskylä this morning. The snow depth at Jyväskylä Airport has climbed to 6cm.
Current and predicted temperatures still aren't too good though with 0.1C the current reading and 2C forecast for later today. Sunday's 3C is even worse. There is definitely more snow in Suonenjoki though so I might be lucky enough to get a white Christmas after all. It's a bit touch and go in Jyväskylä, but there will probably be at least a little of the white stuff around.
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Highest December temperature in Jyväskylä in last 6 years
Just before 5am this morning the temperature hit 5.9C at Jyväskylä Airport. This is the warmest December temperature in the period since 2008. The previous record of 5.8C was measured on December 27 2011 during the Tapani storm.
This morning's temperature was also the warmest in a month; 6.4C was recorded on November 17. It's quite a contrast to December 17 2009 when the daily minimum and maximum read -26.1C and -18.3C. These were responsible for both the lowest monthly minimum and the lowest monthly maximum for December that year.
Winds weren't quite as strong as predicted yesterday. The strongest gust in Finland this morning of 23m/s was recorded in Niinisalo, 175km southwest of Jyväskylä. In addition to the winds, rain fell in Jyväskylä for the first time in a few weeks.
There is pretty much no snow left in Jyväskylä. Only random chunks of ice are visible in gutters, parking areas and on some footpaths. Unless there is a surprise snowfall on or just before Christmas Eve, it looks like it'll be a black Christmas for most of the country.
This morning's temperature was also the warmest in a month; 6.4C was recorded on November 17. It's quite a contrast to December 17 2009 when the daily minimum and maximum read -26.1C and -18.3C. These were responsible for both the lowest monthly minimum and the lowest monthly maximum for December that year.
Winds weren't quite as strong as predicted yesterday. The strongest gust in Finland this morning of 23m/s was recorded in Niinisalo, 175km southwest of Jyväskylä. In addition to the winds, rain fell in Jyväskylä for the first time in a few weeks.
There is pretty much no snow left in Jyväskylä. Only random chunks of ice are visible in gutters, parking areas and on some footpaths. Unless there is a surprise snowfall on or just before Christmas Eve, it looks like it'll be a black Christmas for most of the country.
Monday, 16 December 2013
Warm weather returns to Finland, showers in Sydney
Temperatures in Jyväskylä could climb to over 5C later tonight and early tomorrow morning as strong westerly winds batter the southern half of Finland. Wind warnings are in place for all coastal areas as well as Central Finland. The Finnish Meteorological Institute warns inland gusts could exceed 20m/s, with the worst of the winds around 5am.
The mercury went above zero just before midnight yesterday and has been holding steady at 1.3C and 1.4C for the last 5 hours or so. Saturday evening saw the second coldest temperature of the month, -13.8C at 6pm. It has been climbing since then and should continue to do so this evening.
Brief but heavy showers hit parts of Sydney this morning. Sydney Airport and surrounding areas received the biggest falls. The Airport has recorded 26mm today. The majority of that, 24.4mm, fell between 6:40am and 9:30am. Temperatures still reached above 25C later in the day though; 25.1C the recording at 1:29pm.
The average maximum so far for December stands at 27.0C. This is equal with 2012's figure. No other December since 2009 is higher than that. Should the weather continue the way it has been going so far this month, this will be the warmest December in the last 5 years. The current forecast seems to support that idea. It's an absolute beauty at the moment with maximums ranging between 26C and 30C for the coming 7 days.
The mercury went above zero just before midnight yesterday and has been holding steady at 1.3C and 1.4C for the last 5 hours or so. Saturday evening saw the second coldest temperature of the month, -13.8C at 6pm. It has been climbing since then and should continue to do so this evening.
Brief but heavy showers hit parts of Sydney this morning. Sydney Airport and surrounding areas received the biggest falls. The Airport has recorded 26mm today. The majority of that, 24.4mm, fell between 6:40am and 9:30am. Temperatures still reached above 25C later in the day though; 25.1C the recording at 1:29pm.
The average maximum so far for December stands at 27.0C. This is equal with 2012's figure. No other December since 2009 is higher than that. Should the weather continue the way it has been going so far this month, this will be the warmest December in the last 5 years. The current forecast seems to support that idea. It's an absolute beauty at the moment with maximums ranging between 26C and 30C for the coming 7 days.
Saturday, 14 December 2013
Week long run of 25C+ ends for Sydney Airport, sunny but cold in Jyväskylä
Sydney Airport's week long run of 25C+ temperatures ended today. Only just though; it was 24.9C at 3:25pm. Observatory Hill was slightly warmer, reaching 26.7C, making today the 8th day in a row above 25C. For the Airport, which is more vulnerable to southerly winds, the 7 day run above 25C was the longest since the 9 day period between March 20 and 28.
Moderate southerly winds kept temperatures low for most of the day with the stronger gusts earlier in the morning. While it was a little cooler, the predicted showers stayed away from most parts of the city. The Blue Mountains and locations on the coast near Wollongong and further south received the biggest falls.
It's much cooler in Finland after a few warm days. The temperature in Jyväskylä just dropped below -11C. It had been hovering just above -10C for 3-4 hours after steadily declining from around -2C since 3pm yesterday. It had dropped to -5.5C by midnight.
During early yesterday morning the storm named Seija marched east through the lower half of Finland. The highest recorded gusts weren't quite as strong as those from Eino in November, but they were still strong enough to cut power and bring down trees. Locations in the south and west were worst affected. 70,000 homes were still without power yesterday evening.
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport recorded the strongest gust for an inland location; 29.8m/s (107km/h). For coastal areas, Kaskinen, a small town on the west coast, experienced an average wind speed over 10 minutes of 30.7m/s around 3am.
Jyväskylä also experienced strong winds briefly yesterday morning. The strongest winds hit just before 6am. I saw a wind gust recording of 19m/s around 8am, but from looking at the average wind speeds during those hours, it's likely that the highest gust already occurred around 6am.
It's hard to believe now that there had been such strong winds because, in addition to the clear skies, it's dead calm.
Moderate southerly winds kept temperatures low for most of the day with the stronger gusts earlier in the morning. While it was a little cooler, the predicted showers stayed away from most parts of the city. The Blue Mountains and locations on the coast near Wollongong and further south received the biggest falls.
It's much cooler in Finland after a few warm days. The temperature in Jyväskylä just dropped below -11C. It had been hovering just above -10C for 3-4 hours after steadily declining from around -2C since 3pm yesterday. It had dropped to -5.5C by midnight.
During early yesterday morning the storm named Seija marched east through the lower half of Finland. The highest recorded gusts weren't quite as strong as those from Eino in November, but they were still strong enough to cut power and bring down trees. Locations in the south and west were worst affected. 70,000 homes were still without power yesterday evening.
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport recorded the strongest gust for an inland location; 29.8m/s (107km/h). For coastal areas, Kaskinen, a small town on the west coast, experienced an average wind speed over 10 minutes of 30.7m/s around 3am.
Jyväskylä also experienced strong winds briefly yesterday morning. The strongest winds hit just before 6am. I saw a wind gust recording of 19m/s around 8am, but from looking at the average wind speeds during those hours, it's likely that the highest gust already occurred around 6am.
It's hard to believe now that there had been such strong winds because, in addition to the clear skies, it's dead calm.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Bye bye snow
Jyväskylä has been increasingly wet and sloshy over the past 48hrs as warm temperatures continue to melt more than 10cm of snow. Warm air is being pushed all the way to Finland from off the west coast of Africa. This warm air has been causing temperatures to rise in the United Kingdom and across the Nordic countries.
Many locations in Finland topped 5C yesterday, including Oulu, 310km north of Jyväskylä, where it reached 8.2C. The maximum temperature for Jyväskylä was 4.1C. This overtook December 3's monthly maximum of 3.9C and it was the warmest day since November 27. In the years since 2008, only 2011 has seen temperatures this warm this late in December. Yesterday's minimum of 0.9C was also the warmest in 3 weeks. Today's current minimum of 1.7C is even warmer.
The warm temperatures haven't been good for those hoping for a white Christmas. Most of the snow has melted already and long term forecasts aren't looking good with warm temperatures expected next week also.
The last two days in Sydney have been quite nice. Temperatures there have continued in the high 20s with 29.4C yesterday and 27.0C today. 27C is forecast for tomorrow also, although it should be slightly cooler over the weekend.
I didn't point it out in my previous post, but Tuesday's 34.4C in Sydney was the 3rd warmest December day in the period from 2009. December last year saw 2 days which were warmer; 36.2C on December 1 and 34.6C on December 20.
Many locations in Finland topped 5C yesterday, including Oulu, 310km north of Jyväskylä, where it reached 8.2C. The maximum temperature for Jyväskylä was 4.1C. This overtook December 3's monthly maximum of 3.9C and it was the warmest day since November 27. In the years since 2008, only 2011 has seen temperatures this warm this late in December. Yesterday's minimum of 0.9C was also the warmest in 3 weeks. Today's current minimum of 1.7C is even warmer.
The warm temperatures haven't been good for those hoping for a white Christmas. Most of the snow has melted already and long term forecasts aren't looking good with warm temperatures expected next week also.
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| Wet and icy paths were a common sight in Jyväskylä today as a result of warmer temperatures |
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| The ugly side of winter showed itself today |
The last two days in Sydney have been quite nice. Temperatures there have continued in the high 20s with 29.4C yesterday and 27.0C today. 27C is forecast for tomorrow also, although it should be slightly cooler over the weekend.
I didn't point it out in my previous post, but Tuesday's 34.4C in Sydney was the 3rd warmest December day in the period from 2009. December last year saw 2 days which were warmer; 36.2C on December 1 and 34.6C on December 20.
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Don't always believe the forecast
So in my post yesterday I commented that Sunday December 8 was the first day with a maximum below -5C and that yesterday December 9 was the first day with a minimum below -15C. Well it looks like I spoke too soon.
The forecast at the time predicted a low of -19C by 2am this morning having dropped to -17C by 11pm yesterday. Shortly after I submitted my post, the forecast had been revised to -16C by 2am. Another hour later and it was revised to -12C.
So the lesson here is to not always believe the forecast 100% of the time (probably something we all know already). I have updated the table from yesterday's post, as shown below. Long term forecasts for warmer weather in the coming weeks might mean Jyväskylä will wait until January to fill that box.
FMI releases a daily map image showing temperature distribution throughout Finland during 24 hours from 8am to 8am. The image below is today's edition for low temperatures.
So it turns out that Jyväskylä, shown by the red dot, wasn't far off having those colder temperatures. In Kuopio, 120km to the north east of Jyväskylä, it was around -21C this morning. In many locations further east and to the north it went below -30C.
Sydney also defied forecasts today. The forecast yesterday predicted a top of 28C, but it went well above that reaching 34.4C at the Airport. The predicted overnight low of 22C was also below the actual. In fact it hasn't gone below 24C for almost 36 hours so far. Predicted rain this morning also didn't eventuate. No stations in Sydney recorded any rainfall today.
The forecast at the time predicted a low of -19C by 2am this morning having dropped to -17C by 11pm yesterday. Shortly after I submitted my post, the forecast had been revised to -16C by 2am. Another hour later and it was revised to -12C.
So the lesson here is to not always believe the forecast 100% of the time (probably something we all know already). I have updated the table from yesterday's post, as shown below. Long term forecasts for warmer weather in the coming weeks might mean Jyväskylä will wait until January to fill that box.
FMI releases a daily map image showing temperature distribution throughout Finland during 24 hours from 8am to 8am. The image below is today's edition for low temperatures.
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| Minimum temperatures throughout Finland between 8am 9.12.2013 and 8am 10.12.2013 Source: Finnish Meteorological Insitute |
So it turns out that Jyväskylä, shown by the red dot, wasn't far off having those colder temperatures. In Kuopio, 120km to the north east of Jyväskylä, it was around -21C this morning. In many locations further east and to the north it went below -30C.
Sydney also defied forecasts today. The forecast yesterday predicted a top of 28C, but it went well above that reaching 34.4C at the Airport. The predicted overnight low of 22C was also below the actual. In fact it hasn't gone below 24C for almost 36 hours so far. Predicted rain this morning also didn't eventuate. No stations in Sydney recorded any rainfall today.
Monday, 9 December 2013
Warmest day in a month in Sydney, coldest day in almost 9 months in Jyväskylä
Sydney returned to temperatures above 30C today for the first time in a month. The 32.0C measurement at 2:31pm was the warmest since November 8 when it reached 34.0C. The daily minimum of 20.0C was also the highest since November 22.
The prediction for last Friday of a low of 13C was right on the money. The low of 13.1C became and will probably remain as the overall monthly low. Friday's top of 21.8C is also the lowest maximum so far of the month. The weekend was warmer, slowly climbing towards today's 30C+ temperature with 25.6C for Saturday and 27.6C for Sunday. No rain fell over the weekend after 3.4mm across last Thursday and Friday.
Today in Jyväskylä has been quite cool. The maximum so far stands at -6.1C from around 4:30am. With it currently at -10C and unlikely to climb as high again this evening, it will mean this is the coldest day since March 18 when the temperature topped -6.3C. It had already dropped to -14.5C briefly earlier this evening before climbing again in the last 90 minutes.
The following table details the first dates of each winter that experienced a maximum below -5C and a minimum below -15C. Yesterday and today were responsible for this year's respective values (assuming it will drop below -15C later this evening as predicted).
This winter's values are fairly average if we consider the previous 5. The real winter isn't quite here just yet though. Overnight temperatures are predicted to drop to -19C, but rise again to the positive tomorrow evening. 3C and 2C are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.
The 10 day forecast from Foreca doesn't look very good for those hoping for a white Christmas either, with it currently predicting 3C, 4C and even 5C from Sunday into early next week. FMI currently has a snow depth of 14cm for Jyväskylä Airport, but if temperatures go in the coming days and next week, it won't be there for long.
Winter has certainly arrived in Finland's far north though. In Kilpisjärvi in the far north west near the borders of Sweden and Norway, it was -37.5C earlier today. It has been -32C or below for the last 48hrs. They also have over a metre of snow!
The prediction for last Friday of a low of 13C was right on the money. The low of 13.1C became and will probably remain as the overall monthly low. Friday's top of 21.8C is also the lowest maximum so far of the month. The weekend was warmer, slowly climbing towards today's 30C+ temperature with 25.6C for Saturday and 27.6C for Sunday. No rain fell over the weekend after 3.4mm across last Thursday and Friday.
Today in Jyväskylä has been quite cool. The maximum so far stands at -6.1C from around 4:30am. With it currently at -10C and unlikely to climb as high again this evening, it will mean this is the coldest day since March 18 when the temperature topped -6.3C. It had already dropped to -14.5C briefly earlier this evening before climbing again in the last 90 minutes.
The following table details the first dates of each winter that experienced a maximum below -5C and a minimum below -15C. Yesterday and today were responsible for this year's respective values (assuming it will drop below -15C later this evening as predicted).
This winter's values are fairly average if we consider the previous 5. The real winter isn't quite here just yet though. Overnight temperatures are predicted to drop to -19C, but rise again to the positive tomorrow evening. 3C and 2C are forecast for Wednesday and Thursday.
The 10 day forecast from Foreca doesn't look very good for those hoping for a white Christmas either, with it currently predicting 3C, 4C and even 5C from Sunday into early next week. FMI currently has a snow depth of 14cm for Jyväskylä Airport, but if temperatures go in the coming days and next week, it won't be there for long.
Winter has certainly arrived in Finland's far north though. In Kilpisjärvi in the far north west near the borders of Sweden and Norway, it was -37.5C earlier today. It has been -32C or below for the last 48hrs. They also have over a metre of snow!
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Windy day in Sydney
Strong winds picked up this afternoon in Sydney dropping temperatures and affecting transport throughout the city.
There was a brief shower earlier in the day, but it warmed up afterwards topping 25C around midday and reaching the daily maximum of 27.5C at 2:21pm. Winds were gusting around 50km/h for most of the morning before the gusts increased to 70km/h by 2:30pm. That's when the temperature dropped.
Three westerly gusts between 3:18pm and 3:25pm measured 95km/h, matching the yearly record set on October 29. At that time it was the strongest gust in over a year. At 4pm the temperature was reading only 15.8C. The strong westerlies have continued for the last few hours and shouldn't die down until tomorrow morning.
Traffic and transport throughout the city was affected this afternoon as the winds brought down trees onto roads and rail lines. Several sets of traffic lights were blacked out also as a result of widespread power failures.
The cooler temperatures are the result of strong southerlies as part of a low pressure system which moved east over Victoria today. Cold air has been pushed from south of Tasmania, and as the southerly winds have moved further north they have eventually turned westerly.
Alpine regions in Victoria and southern New South Wales received snow today. This article has some webcam shots of the slopes at the ski resort of Thredbo. Another good example of the cold was seen at Melbourne Airport today where it was only 9.1C at 1:30pm. All I can do is ask, it's supposed to be summer, right?
Showers might affect parts of Sydney in the coming hours as some rain moves across the Blue Mountains. Temperatures tomorrow should only reach a top of 21C after a cool overnight low of 13C.
There was a brief shower earlier in the day, but it warmed up afterwards topping 25C around midday and reaching the daily maximum of 27.5C at 2:21pm. Winds were gusting around 50km/h for most of the morning before the gusts increased to 70km/h by 2:30pm. That's when the temperature dropped.
Three westerly gusts between 3:18pm and 3:25pm measured 95km/h, matching the yearly record set on October 29. At that time it was the strongest gust in over a year. At 4pm the temperature was reading only 15.8C. The strong westerlies have continued for the last few hours and shouldn't die down until tomorrow morning.
Traffic and transport throughout the city was affected this afternoon as the winds brought down trees onto roads and rail lines. Several sets of traffic lights were blacked out also as a result of widespread power failures.
The cooler temperatures are the result of strong southerlies as part of a low pressure system which moved east over Victoria today. Cold air has been pushed from south of Tasmania, and as the southerly winds have moved further north they have eventually turned westerly.
Alpine regions in Victoria and southern New South Wales received snow today. This article has some webcam shots of the slopes at the ski resort of Thredbo. Another good example of the cold was seen at Melbourne Airport today where it was only 9.1C at 1:30pm. All I can do is ask, it's supposed to be summer, right?
Showers might affect parts of Sydney in the coming hours as some rain moves across the Blue Mountains. Temperatures tomorrow should only reach a top of 21C after a cool overnight low of 13C.
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
November 2013 Review - Sydney
Sydney experienced an above average November this year. Both the average minimum and maximum were comfortably above the long term averages. Despite that, the average minimum was the lowest in the period since 2009. Looking at the Bureau of Meteorology's records, it was actually the lowest average minimum in the last decade. The following table shows the averages since 2009.
While the average minimum was clearly the lowest, the average maximum was right in the middle of the 5 year period. Long term averages stand at 15.4C and 24.0C. As for the extremes, the highest temperature of the month occurred on November 3 when it reached 34.9C. This was again the median for the 5 years. The coldest temperature of the month was a few days later when it dropped to 11.9C on November 6.
The lowest maximum of 18.2C was on November 17, also the median for 2009-2013 period, and the highest minimum of 20.1C occurred on November 22. This was the second lowest of the period. Only just though, thanks to 2011's 20.0C.
Another thing to point out is that November actually had a lower average maximum than both September (25.1C) and October (26.2C). The graph below highlights November's lack of warm days in comparison to the previous 2 months.
Rainfall for the month was quite high. The monthly total of 180.4mm easily surpassed the average of 81.2mm. Only 4 Novembers since 1929 have seen greater totals. It was also the highest November total since 1984 when 362.4mm was recorded. The bulk of the rain fell across November 15 and 16. The late evening of November 15 saw 58.2mm fall in only 2 hours as heavy showers and storms affected most of Sydney.
November 2013 saw a few windy days, although the maximum gust wasn't quite as strong as previous months. A wind gust of 78km/h was recorded twice, only a few days apart on November 22 and 25. July was the previous month with a lower maximum gust, 67km/h.
On a national scale, a climatologist at BoM released an article on December 1 detailing Australia's warmest spring on record. In a way this seems like a sensationalist headline though as it should be noted that the average for the whole 2013 season was the highest above a 1961-1990 average used by BoM, discounting years prior to 1961 and only taking into account records from 1991 onwards. However, with the gradual warming experienced in the last century it certainly sounds like it was indeed the warmest spring on record.
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| November averages at Sydney Airport for the period 2009-2013 |
While the average minimum was clearly the lowest, the average maximum was right in the middle of the 5 year period. Long term averages stand at 15.4C and 24.0C. As for the extremes, the highest temperature of the month occurred on November 3 when it reached 34.9C. This was again the median for the 5 years. The coldest temperature of the month was a few days later when it dropped to 11.9C on November 6.
The lowest maximum of 18.2C was on November 17, also the median for 2009-2013 period, and the highest minimum of 20.1C occurred on November 22. This was the second lowest of the period. Only just though, thanks to 2011's 20.0C.
Another thing to point out is that November actually had a lower average maximum than both September (25.1C) and October (26.2C). The graph below highlights November's lack of warm days in comparison to the previous 2 months.
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| Number of days above certain temperatures for September to November 2013 |
Rainfall for the month was quite high. The monthly total of 180.4mm easily surpassed the average of 81.2mm. Only 4 Novembers since 1929 have seen greater totals. It was also the highest November total since 1984 when 362.4mm was recorded. The bulk of the rain fell across November 15 and 16. The late evening of November 15 saw 58.2mm fall in only 2 hours as heavy showers and storms affected most of Sydney.
November 2013 saw a few windy days, although the maximum gust wasn't quite as strong as previous months. A wind gust of 78km/h was recorded twice, only a few days apart on November 22 and 25. July was the previous month with a lower maximum gust, 67km/h.
On a national scale, a climatologist at BoM released an article on December 1 detailing Australia's warmest spring on record. In a way this seems like a sensationalist headline though as it should be noted that the average for the whole 2013 season was the highest above a 1961-1990 average used by BoM, discounting years prior to 1961 and only taking into account records from 1991 onwards. However, with the gradual warming experienced in the last century it certainly sounds like it was indeed the warmest spring on record.
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
November 2013 Review - Jyväskylä
2013's edition of November was rather warm in Jyväskylä with above average maximums and an overall above average average temperature (i.e. average of all minimums and maximums). The average minimum was cooler than the previous two years though. The table below details the averages since 2008.
The average maximum for November was the second warmest in the past 6 years, whereas the average minimum was almost in the middle, the third coldest. The difference between the minimum and maximum average is actually the highest of the last 6 years, further highlighting the up and down temperatures I referred to in my previous post.
If we look at averages over a longer period, the Finnish Meteorological Institute has an average average temperature for November in Jyväskylä of -2.0C between 1981 and 2010. This year's figure according to my numbers was 0.8C. This is lower than 2011 and 2012, but still well above the long term figure.
The highest temperature for November was 7.9C, recorded on the first day of the month. This was pretty normal if we look at the previous 5 years. The highest minimum of 4.3C occurred on November 16, a day before the storm known as Eino hit Finland.
The lowest temperature was, not surprisingly, later in the month, -13.3C on November 26. Only 2010 had lower minimums than that in the 2008 to 2013 period. The day before that, the 25th, was responsible for the lowest daily maximum, -1.6C. This was actually the highest of the past 6 years, as shown in the graph below.
As mentioned above, Eino hit Finland on October 17. It brought damaging winds to most parts of the country. Coastal locations in the south and west, as well as inland locations in Eastern Finland, experienced the strongest winds. According to FMI, Jyväskylä experienced a strongest gust of 19.2m/s. This wasn't quite as strong as the 32.9m/s (118km/h) gust at Kaskinen on the west coast. There were a few other windy days this month, notably November 5, 18 and 28.
Rainfall was above the 1981-2010 average. There was 75mm recorded compared to the average of 54mm. November 4 and 5 contributed a large amount to that total with 30mm recorded across those two days. Snow also fell a few times towards the end of the month. November 21 saw heavy falls with almost 10cm. Plus temperatures have caused most of it to melt away, but there was still a small amount of snow on the ground at the end of month.
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| November averages in Jyväskylä for the period 2008-2013 |
The average maximum for November was the second warmest in the past 6 years, whereas the average minimum was almost in the middle, the third coldest. The difference between the minimum and maximum average is actually the highest of the last 6 years, further highlighting the up and down temperatures I referred to in my previous post.
If we look at averages over a longer period, the Finnish Meteorological Institute has an average average temperature for November in Jyväskylä of -2.0C between 1981 and 2010. This year's figure according to my numbers was 0.8C. This is lower than 2011 and 2012, but still well above the long term figure.
The lowest temperature was, not surprisingly, later in the month, -13.3C on November 26. Only 2010 had lower minimums than that in the 2008 to 2013 period. The day before that, the 25th, was responsible for the lowest daily maximum, -1.6C. This was actually the highest of the past 6 years, as shown in the graph below.
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| Lowest maximums in November for the period 2008-2013 |
As mentioned above, Eino hit Finland on October 17. It brought damaging winds to most parts of the country. Coastal locations in the south and west, as well as inland locations in Eastern Finland, experienced the strongest winds. According to FMI, Jyväskylä experienced a strongest gust of 19.2m/s. This wasn't quite as strong as the 32.9m/s (118km/h) gust at Kaskinen on the west coast. There were a few other windy days this month, notably November 5, 18 and 28.
Rainfall was above the 1981-2010 average. There was 75mm recorded compared to the average of 54mm. November 4 and 5 contributed a large amount to that total with 30mm recorded across those two days. Snow also fell a few times towards the end of the month. November 21 saw heavy falls with almost 10cm. Plus temperatures have caused most of it to melt away, but there was still a small amount of snow on the ground at the end of month.
Monday, 2 December 2013
Snow and wind in Jyväskylä, cool weekend in Sydney
A good amount of snow fell in Jyväskylä over the weekend. Saturday saw the biggest falls before more snow arrived on Sunday morning and again in the afternoon. The Jyväskylä weather station in Tikkakoski currently has a reading of 4cm, but there appears to be slightly more than that outside. If it weren't for temperatures pushing above zero yesterday there would be more.
Saturday was only the 4th day of November entirely below zero, reaching -0.6C. December started off yesterday with the kind of temperature you'd prefer not to see here at this time of year, reaching 1.0C. Temperatures declined yesterday afternoon as strong northerly and northwesterly winds made their way east across Finland. I saw a wind gust recording of 19m/s (68km/h) at 6:20pm, which was stronger than the strongest gust from last Thursday's brief snow storm. It was -12.3C this morning thanks to those cold northerlies and clear skies.
Temperatures in Jyväskylä during the last several days have been a bit like a yo-yo. A few low pressure systems have been moving east through the northern half of Finland in the last week, resulting in a combination of cold and warm air. Northerly winds have been blowing cold air from the Arctic, but westerly and southwesterly winds are resulting in warmer temperatures. The next few days will see a similar pattern. It should rise to 2C tomorrow, but drop below -10C in the early hours of Wednesday before reaching only -6C in the afternoon.
It has still been relatively cool in Sydney. November ended with another day below average, getting to only 21.6C. December didn't start too differently, getting slightly warmer and reaching 22.7C. Today has been warmer though going above 25C to 25.6C. Daily minimums were also below average during the weekend, with Saturday's 14.4C helping to drop November's average minimum further. Sunday's minimum was also below 15C at 14.9C.
There isn't anything too spectacular showing in Sydney's forecast for the next week. Fairly average weather is expected with Wednesday being the pick of the next few days with sunny conditions and a predicted top of 29C.
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| A good amount of snow fell in Jyväskylä on November 30 |
Saturday was only the 4th day of November entirely below zero, reaching -0.6C. December started off yesterday with the kind of temperature you'd prefer not to see here at this time of year, reaching 1.0C. Temperatures declined yesterday afternoon as strong northerly and northwesterly winds made their way east across Finland. I saw a wind gust recording of 19m/s (68km/h) at 6:20pm, which was stronger than the strongest gust from last Thursday's brief snow storm. It was -12.3C this morning thanks to those cold northerlies and clear skies.
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| Sun greeting Jyväskylä this morning as the thermometer read -8C |
Temperatures in Jyväskylä during the last several days have been a bit like a yo-yo. A few low pressure systems have been moving east through the northern half of Finland in the last week, resulting in a combination of cold and warm air. Northerly winds have been blowing cold air from the Arctic, but westerly and southwesterly winds are resulting in warmer temperatures. The next few days will see a similar pattern. It should rise to 2C tomorrow, but drop below -10C in the early hours of Wednesday before reaching only -6C in the afternoon.
It has still been relatively cool in Sydney. November ended with another day below average, getting to only 21.6C. December didn't start too differently, getting slightly warmer and reaching 22.7C. Today has been warmer though going above 25C to 25.6C. Daily minimums were also below average during the weekend, with Saturday's 14.4C helping to drop November's average minimum further. Sunday's minimum was also below 15C at 14.9C.
There isn't anything too spectacular showing in Sydney's forecast for the next week. Fairly average weather is expected with Wednesday being the pick of the next few days with sunny conditions and a predicted top of 29C.
Friday, 29 November 2013
Temperature drops in both cities
Warm evening temperatures in Sydney yesterday continued until around 1am this morning. It was 24.9C at midnight at the Airport before the city was hit by a strong southerly change. The strongest winds for the day were between 2am and 5:30am, with the highest gust being 70km/h right on 5am.
The rest of the day was rather cool. Southerly winds continued throughout the day and showers affected most locations around Sydney. The Airport received 4.2mm between 10am and 2:30pm. The winds and showers dropped temperatures further during the day. At 1:23pm it was sitting at only 15.6C.
Just like Sydney, if it weren't for warmer temperatures just after midnight in Jyväskylä the daily maximum would be much lower. It sat just below zero before dropping below -5C by 6am. It's almost 3pm now and the temperature hasn't risen above that mark, with no signs of it doing so until tomorrow afternoon. The current daily minimum is -7.4C, although it might get colder this evening.
During yesterday afternoon and evening there were some strong winds and flurries of snow. After sitting a couple of degrees above zero, winds turned from westerly to northwesterly around 3pm dropping temperatures to minus. The strongest wind gust I noticed at Jyväskylä Airport was 17m/s (61km/h) at 8:40pm, not too far from storm force.
I went for a run around Jyväsjärvi yesterday around 4:30pm and for anyone who knows Jyväskylä, going across Kuokkala Bridge against strong winds while wet snow is falling is anything but nice. I've only gone across the bridge in conditions that bad two or three times before. The slippery ice didn't help either...
The rest of the day was rather cool. Southerly winds continued throughout the day and showers affected most locations around Sydney. The Airport received 4.2mm between 10am and 2:30pm. The winds and showers dropped temperatures further during the day. At 1:23pm it was sitting at only 15.6C.
Just like Sydney, if it weren't for warmer temperatures just after midnight in Jyväskylä the daily maximum would be much lower. It sat just below zero before dropping below -5C by 6am. It's almost 3pm now and the temperature hasn't risen above that mark, with no signs of it doing so until tomorrow afternoon. The current daily minimum is -7.4C, although it might get colder this evening.
During yesterday afternoon and evening there were some strong winds and flurries of snow. After sitting a couple of degrees above zero, winds turned from westerly to northwesterly around 3pm dropping temperatures to minus. The strongest wind gust I noticed at Jyväskylä Airport was 17m/s (61km/h) at 8:40pm, not too far from storm force.
I went for a run around Jyväsjärvi yesterday around 4:30pm and for anyone who knows Jyväskylä, going across Kuokkala Bridge against strong winds while wet snow is falling is anything but nice. I've only gone across the bridge in conditions that bad two or three times before. The slippery ice didn't help either...
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Jyväskylä back to plus temperatures, Sydney 'cool' period continues
It's wet and cloudy again in Jyväskylä. A period spanning around 36 hours saw temperatures hold well below zero until a slow increase back to above freezing yesterday evening. It's currently sitting around 3.0C with the forecast predicting it to rise to 4C this evening.
Monday evening saw the mercury drop to -8.9C, but -13.3C around 9am yesterday was the coldest point in the 36 hour period. This is easily the lowest minimum of the month so far. In terms of the month of November, since 2008 only 2010 has seen lower temperatures; 5 days towards the end of November 2010 were -15C or lower.
There is still a fair amount of snow in Jyväskylä, but that will only decrease in the next 30 hours with forecasts showing plus temperatures for that whole period.
Sydney's 'cool' November continued with the average minimum not being improved in the last 2 days. Minimums of 15.8C yesterday and a cool 14.2C today actually dropped the average minimum further. Yesterday also had the lowest maximum in just over a week, only rising to 21.1C. It was slightly warmer today getting to 24.1C.
In addition to the low average minimum, the average maximum for the month has also taken a hit. After the first two weeks of November it stood at 26.1C. It has dropped to 24.7C since then. With summer drawing closer you would think it would work opposite to that.
Winds turned northerly this evening in Sydney though and temperatures are predicted to reach 30C tomorrow. Friday and Saturday's forecast maximums of 23C and 21C won't help increase the average though. If temperatures are as predicted then the average for the last three days would be 24.7C, coincidentally the current average maximum.
Monday evening saw the mercury drop to -8.9C, but -13.3C around 9am yesterday was the coldest point in the 36 hour period. This is easily the lowest minimum of the month so far. In terms of the month of November, since 2008 only 2010 has seen lower temperatures; 5 days towards the end of November 2010 were -15C or lower.
There is still a fair amount of snow in Jyväskylä, but that will only decrease in the next 30 hours with forecasts showing plus temperatures for that whole period.
Sydney's 'cool' November continued with the average minimum not being improved in the last 2 days. Minimums of 15.8C yesterday and a cool 14.2C today actually dropped the average minimum further. Yesterday also had the lowest maximum in just over a week, only rising to 21.1C. It was slightly warmer today getting to 24.1C.
In addition to the low average minimum, the average maximum for the month has also taken a hit. After the first two weeks of November it stood at 26.1C. It has dropped to 24.7C since then. With summer drawing closer you would think it would work opposite to that.
Winds turned northerly this evening in Sydney though and temperatures are predicted to reach 30C tomorrow. Friday and Saturday's forecast maximums of 23C and 21C won't help increase the average though. If temperatures are as predicted then the average for the last three days would be 24.7C, coincidentally the current average maximum.
Monday, 25 November 2013
Cool in Jyväskylä, mild in Sydney
The approaching winter in Jyväskylä has been better felt in the last few days. Despite temperatures rising to 2.5C on Friday after Thursday's snow, it has been cooler since then. I was in Helsinki since Thursday evening, but based on my observations after coming back to Jyväskylä yesterday it was rather wet here on Friday. There is a small layer of ice making walking in the centre of town a challenge. A fresh sprinkling of snow in the early hours of Sunday have turned the city white though.
Beautiful clear skies arrived yesterday morning and have led to lower temperatures. Temperatures for the whole day yesterday stayed below zero. This was the first day in 8 months that that had happened. The daily minimum of -7.6C was also the coldest temperature since April 11. Forecasts currently predict -8C overnight, but I wouldn't be surprised to see temperatures briefly drop below -10C.
The average maximum for November in Sydney continues to be lower than both September and October with less than a week remaining. Since Thursday the daily maximums in Sydney have slowly been decreasing. The average maximum is currently 24.8C after it reached only 22.0C today. This is still above the long term average of 24.0C though, further highlighting how warm September and October actually were.
The highest monthly minimum set last Thursday was short-lived with the temperature on Friday dropping only as far as 20.1C. As the end of the month draws near the average minimum is still the lowest in the period since 2009.
Southerly winds were strong this evening, reaching a maximum gust of 78km/h after 5:30pm. This matches the highest gust for the month which was recorded on Friday. A bit more than 10mm of rain also fell in the few days since my last post on Thursday, pushing the monthly total to 171.4mm. At least another 0.4mm is to be added from the current 24 hours to 9am period also.
Beautiful clear skies arrived yesterday morning and have led to lower temperatures. Temperatures for the whole day yesterday stayed below zero. This was the first day in 8 months that that had happened. The daily minimum of -7.6C was also the coldest temperature since April 11. Forecasts currently predict -8C overnight, but I wouldn't be surprised to see temperatures briefly drop below -10C.
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| Sun setting over Jyväsjärvi |
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| Ice is starting to appear in Jyväsjärvi |
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| The sun shining on buildings in Jyväskylä Centre and Lutakko |
The average maximum for November in Sydney continues to be lower than both September and October with less than a week remaining. Since Thursday the daily maximums in Sydney have slowly been decreasing. The average maximum is currently 24.8C after it reached only 22.0C today. This is still above the long term average of 24.0C though, further highlighting how warm September and October actually were.
The highest monthly minimum set last Thursday was short-lived with the temperature on Friday dropping only as far as 20.1C. As the end of the month draws near the average minimum is still the lowest in the period since 2009.
Southerly winds were strong this evening, reaching a maximum gust of 78km/h after 5:30pm. This matches the highest gust for the month which was recorded on Friday. A bit more than 10mm of rain also fell in the few days since my last post on Thursday, pushing the monthly total to 171.4mm. At least another 0.4mm is to be added from the current 24 hours to 9am period also.
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Snow for Jyväskylä, unsettled in Sydney
Snow has arrived in Jyväskylä. It began falling around midday and there is a few centimetres of ground cover after a bit more than 4 hours. Temperatures overnight were the coldest in a month dropping to -5.6C before midnight and to -5.7C just after.
It should slowly warm to 3C by tomorrow though so there'll be plenty of slosh around the city. In addition to the above zero temperatures, rain will probably melt most of the snow that will have fallen. The 5 day forecast shows minus temperatures and sun by the end of the weekend.
Sydney was warm again today reaching a top of 27.1C at the Airport. The daily minimum was the warmest of the month at 19.6C. This was the highest in almost a month.
Storms affected many parts of NSW this evening. Sydney was mostly spared but Canberra, for example, experienced a short but severe storm. Two separate wind gusts of 93km/h were recorded at 6:41pm and 6:46pm. This was after a gust recording of 19km/h less than 5 minutes earlier at 6:37pm. Rain was heavy also with 25mm recorded in just over 10 minutes at Canberra Airport.
Storms crossed the Blue Mountains west of Sydney around 8pm but weakened as they approached the coast. The Airport received 1.2mm around 9pm. More storm activity is forecast for tomorrow.
It should slowly warm to 3C by tomorrow though so there'll be plenty of slosh around the city. In addition to the above zero temperatures, rain will probably melt most of the snow that will have fallen. The 5 day forecast shows minus temperatures and sun by the end of the weekend.
Sydney was warm again today reaching a top of 27.1C at the Airport. The daily minimum was the warmest of the month at 19.6C. This was the highest in almost a month.
Storms affected many parts of NSW this evening. Sydney was mostly spared but Canberra, for example, experienced a short but severe storm. Two separate wind gusts of 93km/h were recorded at 6:41pm and 6:46pm. This was after a gust recording of 19km/h less than 5 minutes earlier at 6:37pm. Rain was heavy also with 25mm recorded in just over 10 minutes at Canberra Airport.
Storms crossed the Blue Mountains west of Sydney around 8pm but weakened as they approached the coast. The Airport received 1.2mm around 9pm. More storm activity is forecast for tomorrow.
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Calmer weather after a wild few days
Sydney and Jyväskylä returned to fairly normal weather yesterday and today after a wild weekend in both locations. Over the weekend and continuing on Monday, winds from the storm known as 'Eino' howled in Jyväskylä and other parts of Finland, while heavy rain continued in Sydney.
On Monday the northern Sydney suburb of Hornsby experienced a small tornado. Roofing from a local shopping centre was torn off, branches were ripped from trees and a small portable office building was blown over as powerful localised gusts associated with the tornado moved through the area.
Rain over the 5 day period totalled 119.6mm at Sydney Airport pushing the monthly total so far to 158.8mm. Observatory Hill recorded 92.8mm pushing its total to 171.6mm. Temperatures were cool over the weekend also. Sunday was the lowest maximum for the month so far at 18.2C. It only reached 18.8C on Monday also. Yesterday and today were much nicer with temperatures reaching 24.1C and 26.7C.
That familiar autumn rain and cloud arrived back in Jyväskylä early yesterday morning. Mist and rain fell continuously over a period of 27hrs, but it was fairly light with only 9.1mm being recorded throughout that time. Today has been much clearer though.
Temperatures were above zero again. It actually pushed above 5C yesterday evening and held there until just after midnight. Including today, that makes a run of 6 consecutive calendar days with the maximum above 5C. This is the latest time in the year for that to occur in the 2008 to 2013 period. The warm November of 2011 was responsible for the previous record, with 6 consecutive days above 5C up to and including November 8. Other years experienced this final occurrence in October.
Snow is forecast to fall tomorrow afternoon as temperatures drop leading in to the weekend.
On Monday the northern Sydney suburb of Hornsby experienced a small tornado. Roofing from a local shopping centre was torn off, branches were ripped from trees and a small portable office building was blown over as powerful localised gusts associated with the tornado moved through the area.
Rain over the 5 day period totalled 119.6mm at Sydney Airport pushing the monthly total so far to 158.8mm. Observatory Hill recorded 92.8mm pushing its total to 171.6mm. Temperatures were cool over the weekend also. Sunday was the lowest maximum for the month so far at 18.2C. It only reached 18.8C on Monday also. Yesterday and today were much nicer with temperatures reaching 24.1C and 26.7C.
That familiar autumn rain and cloud arrived back in Jyväskylä early yesterday morning. Mist and rain fell continuously over a period of 27hrs, but it was fairly light with only 9.1mm being recorded throughout that time. Today has been much clearer though.
Temperatures were above zero again. It actually pushed above 5C yesterday evening and held there until just after midnight. Including today, that makes a run of 6 consecutive calendar days with the maximum above 5C. This is the latest time in the year for that to occur in the 2008 to 2013 period. The warm November of 2011 was responsible for the previous record, with 6 consecutive days above 5C up to and including November 8. Other years experienced this final occurrence in October.
Snow is forecast to fall tomorrow afternoon as temperatures drop leading in to the weekend.
Sunday, 17 November 2013
3rd strongest storm for Finland since 2000
Finland experienced its 3rd strongest storm since 2000 today. An intense low pressure system that was originally off the north-western coast of Norway a couple of days ago moved over the northern half of Finland during the day.
The most destructive part of the storm were the strong westerly and northwesterly winds which were felt throughout most of the country. The strongest gust of the day was recorded in Rantasalmi, located in the central eastern part of the country between the towns of Varkaus and Savonlinna. The gust was measured at 29.2m/s (about 105km/h) this afternoon. The most unusual thing about this is the fact that Rantasalmi is not near the coast. While Rantasalmi is situated nearby a large lake, this goes to show that many inland locations throughout Finland, not just coastal areas, were affected by the strong winds.
In the south, gusts at Helsinki-Vantaa airport were above 25m/s also. In Jyväskylä strong winds were felt during the morning and into the early hours of the afternoon. I tried to monitor wind gusts as they were updated each 10min but there appeared to be a power outage at the station around 11am. Before that point the strongest gust I saw was 19m/s (about 68km/h). There were power outages throughout the country, with an estimated 100,000 properties without electricity at some point during the day.
I have to say I personally didn't notice the storm developing. I'm pretty sure the first forecasts predicting the storm were made only a couple of days ago, which in a way is rather late considering the force of the storm as experienced today. Warnings issued by the Finnish Meteorological Institute were in place yesterday evening though as the potential effects of the storm were realised.
As for temperatures and rainfall, precipitation fell in areas north of Jyväskylä while temperatures mostly remained above zero. In Jyväskylä there was a brief shower and flurry of snow just before midday. There were no significant falls though. In fact, the station at the airport didn't even record trace amounts. Temperatures in Jyväskylä were above 4C this morning before dropping to around 2C this afternoon.
I took a few photos this morning when the winds were at their peak. My images unfortunately don't show some of the more serious damage that took place, including fallen trees and damaged buildings, but this is a small glimpse of what Jyväskylä was like today.
The most destructive part of the storm were the strong westerly and northwesterly winds which were felt throughout most of the country. The strongest gust of the day was recorded in Rantasalmi, located in the central eastern part of the country between the towns of Varkaus and Savonlinna. The gust was measured at 29.2m/s (about 105km/h) this afternoon. The most unusual thing about this is the fact that Rantasalmi is not near the coast. While Rantasalmi is situated nearby a large lake, this goes to show that many inland locations throughout Finland, not just coastal areas, were affected by the strong winds.
In the south, gusts at Helsinki-Vantaa airport were above 25m/s also. In Jyväskylä strong winds were felt during the morning and into the early hours of the afternoon. I tried to monitor wind gusts as they were updated each 10min but there appeared to be a power outage at the station around 11am. Before that point the strongest gust I saw was 19m/s (about 68km/h). There were power outages throughout the country, with an estimated 100,000 properties without electricity at some point during the day.
I have to say I personally didn't notice the storm developing. I'm pretty sure the first forecasts predicting the storm were made only a couple of days ago, which in a way is rather late considering the force of the storm as experienced today. Warnings issued by the Finnish Meteorological Institute were in place yesterday evening though as the potential effects of the storm were realised.
As for temperatures and rainfall, precipitation fell in areas north of Jyväskylä while temperatures mostly remained above zero. In Jyväskylä there was a brief shower and flurry of snow just before midday. There were no significant falls though. In fact, the station at the airport didn't even record trace amounts. Temperatures in Jyväskylä were above 4C this morning before dropping to around 2C this afternoon.
I took a few photos this morning when the winds were at their peak. My images unfortunately don't show some of the more serious damage that took place, including fallen trees and damaged buildings, but this is a small glimpse of what Jyväskylä was like today.
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| A fallen branch in Mäki-Matti |
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| Trees bending over from the force of the wind |
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| A piece of what appeared to be roofing which had been torn off blew around close to cars in the city centre |
Friday, 15 November 2013
Heavy rain and storms in Sydney right now
Heavy rain and storm activity has been affecting different parts of Sydney for the last few hours. The Northern Beaches and suburbs further north on the Central Coast have seen strong falls with well over 50mm in only a couple of hours.
Sydney Airport and surrounds have also received big falls. From 10pm to midnight 58.2mm fell. If we look at long term averages for November at Sydney Airport, we can see that the average monthly rainfall is only 81.2mm. So more than 70% of the average monthly rainfall fell in just 2 hours!
Currently the rainfall total in the 4 hours from 9:45pm to 1:45am stands at 75.0mm with rain still falling. These falls have been rather isolated though as Observatory Hill, not more than 10km to the north, has received a much lower total of 21.2mm since 3pm. On the other hand, from the Rainfall since 9am view of the Sydney rain radar on the BoM site, it looks like Sylvania and surrounding suburbs in Sydney's south have received over 80mm.
Most of the rain is now off the coast of Sydney and is moving out to sea. The forecast for Saturday predicts further falls though with the chance of storms.
Sydney Airport and surrounds have also received big falls. From 10pm to midnight 58.2mm fell. If we look at long term averages for November at Sydney Airport, we can see that the average monthly rainfall is only 81.2mm. So more than 70% of the average monthly rainfall fell in just 2 hours!
Currently the rainfall total in the 4 hours from 9:45pm to 1:45am stands at 75.0mm with rain still falling. These falls have been rather isolated though as Observatory Hill, not more than 10km to the north, has received a much lower total of 21.2mm since 3pm. On the other hand, from the Rainfall since 9am view of the Sydney rain radar on the BoM site, it looks like Sylvania and surrounding suburbs in Sydney's south have received over 80mm.
Most of the rain is now off the coast of Sydney and is moving out to sea. The forecast for Saturday predicts further falls though with the chance of storms.
Thursday, 14 November 2013
An uneventful few days
The showers and cloud returned to Jyväskylä after the sun on Monday. Only a couple of millimetres fell across Tuesday and Wednesday though. Today has been dry, although the sun hasn't been sighted at all.
Temperatures are still holding above zero for the time being. In terms of daily maximums, the past 5 days have been quite similar to the same time period in the 2011 and 2012 editions of November, with temperatures hovering between 2C and 6C. Minimums on the other hand have continued to be quite warm as I mentioned in a previous post.
There are no real signs of snow for the coming week with the warmer temperatures. Large areas of Lapland, on the other hand, have well over 10cm of snow on the ground. It has also been a little cold in the north. Temperatures have been below -10C and -15C in many locations across Western Lapland for the last 24hrs. The forecast for Pello predicts -21C for later this evening.
Sun and warmer temperatures returned to Sydney in the meantime. Maximums of 29.7C and 28.6C were recorded for yesterday and today. Cooler weather should return for the weekend though with the chance of some showers. Currently the 7 day forecast doesn't show any days above 30C. Actually only one day has a predicted top over 25C, so the cooler spell of weather will continue for a bit longer.
The low pressure system that was the cause of the rain earlier in the week in Sydney moved south to the Bass Strait by midday on Tuesday. It felt like winter again in Melbourne yesterday as it only reached 14.1C in the Victorian capital. The coming weather for Sydney is mainly due to a persistent high pressure system, which has been sitting in the Great Australian Bight for the few last days, moving east towards Tasmania as the weekend draws near.This will generate southerly and southeasterly winds for most of NSW over the weekend.
Temperatures are still holding above zero for the time being. In terms of daily maximums, the past 5 days have been quite similar to the same time period in the 2011 and 2012 editions of November, with temperatures hovering between 2C and 6C. Minimums on the other hand have continued to be quite warm as I mentioned in a previous post.
There are no real signs of snow for the coming week with the warmer temperatures. Large areas of Lapland, on the other hand, have well over 10cm of snow on the ground. It has also been a little cold in the north. Temperatures have been below -10C and -15C in many locations across Western Lapland for the last 24hrs. The forecast for Pello predicts -21C for later this evening.
Sun and warmer temperatures returned to Sydney in the meantime. Maximums of 29.7C and 28.6C were recorded for yesterday and today. Cooler weather should return for the weekend though with the chance of some showers. Currently the 7 day forecast doesn't show any days above 30C. Actually only one day has a predicted top over 25C, so the cooler spell of weather will continue for a bit longer.
The low pressure system that was the cause of the rain earlier in the week in Sydney moved south to the Bass Strait by midday on Tuesday. It felt like winter again in Melbourne yesterday as it only reached 14.1C in the Victorian capital. The coming weather for Sydney is mainly due to a persistent high pressure system, which has been sitting in the Great Australian Bight for the few last days, moving east towards Tasmania as the weekend draws near.This will generate southerly and southeasterly winds for most of NSW over the weekend.
Monday, 11 November 2013
Weather swap
Sun sighted in Jyväskylä! That's almost a headline itself as the sun shone all day in Jyväskylä today. This was the first time that has happened since I arrived back in Finland on October 17. I guess that gives a pretty good indication of the weather that is typical for this time of year.
Temperatures were cooler today thanks to the clear sky. It is currently the coldest it has been for almost 3 weeks with the temperature dropping below -2C. It'll probably drop a little further later this evening as well. If not for the cloudy and warmer early hours of the morning, the maximum would only be 1.2C for the day.
The early hours of Sunday saw heavy rain in southern Finland. Once again Jyväskylä escaped most of the falls with 5.8mm recorded throughout yesterday. This is compared to recordings at southern locations such as Espoo with 16.4mm and Lohja with 18.9mm.
As beautiful blue skies were visible in Jyväskylä today, Sydney faced its second day of rain. Rain started falling on Sunday morning with showers coming across the city from the north. 6.4mm fell on Sunday, with a further 22.6mm falling today.
Strong southerly winds continually around 50km/h for the last 48hrs have kept temperatures down with the mercury just managing to hit 20.0C yesterday. It was cooler still today with 17C or less for most of the day. The daily maximum of 18.6C came later in the evening during a break in the rain.
Rain and showers should continue tomorrow with the chance of a storm before the sun returns with warmer temperatures on Wednesday.
Temperatures were cooler today thanks to the clear sky. It is currently the coldest it has been for almost 3 weeks with the temperature dropping below -2C. It'll probably drop a little further later this evening as well. If not for the cloudy and warmer early hours of the morning, the maximum would only be 1.2C for the day.
The early hours of Sunday saw heavy rain in southern Finland. Once again Jyväskylä escaped most of the falls with 5.8mm recorded throughout yesterday. This is compared to recordings at southern locations such as Espoo with 16.4mm and Lohja with 18.9mm.
As beautiful blue skies were visible in Jyväskylä today, Sydney faced its second day of rain. Rain started falling on Sunday morning with showers coming across the city from the north. 6.4mm fell on Sunday, with a further 22.6mm falling today.
Strong southerly winds continually around 50km/h for the last 48hrs have kept temperatures down with the mercury just managing to hit 20.0C yesterday. It was cooler still today with 17C or less for most of the day. The daily maximum of 18.6C came later in the evening during a break in the rain.
Rain and showers should continue tomorrow with the chance of a storm before the sun returns with warmer temperatures on Wednesday.
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Back to 30C+ in Sydney, still mild and wet in Central Finland
Today in Sydney was the third consecutive day above 30C. The mercury hit 31.8C at 11:15am before a southerly change saw temperatures slowly drop during the afternoon. This was after Thursday's top of 30.3C and Friday's 34.0C.
Overnight temperatures have also been warm. Yesterday's minimum of 19.1C is the warmest of the month so far. Temperatures held steady above 21C last night, although the southerly change has dropped it below 20C this evening and it is likely to drop further before midnight.
Today's 31.8C was easily above the forecasted 27C. The forecast had also predicted showers and the chance of thunderstorms. By looking at rain radars around NSW, however, it appears that rain activity has stayed clear of Sydney, and instead it has been mainly affecting coastal areas from the Central Coast to the Mid-North Coast of NSW.
Sydney shouldn't escape the rain for too much longer though as a low pressure system is forecast to settle right off the coast of NSW in the next couple of days. Tomorrow's forecast is for showers increasing to rain, with rain also predicted on Monday and Tuesday.
Despite a few glimpses of sun, Jyväskylä has remained mostly wet for the past few days. Not as much rain has fallen as earlier in the week, but persistent showers, drizzle and grey cloud has started to feel a little tiresome.
With the increased cloud cover and continuing winds from the south, conditions have remained humid and temperatures mild. The days of November 6-8 didn't see the temperature rise above 5C but minimums haven't gone below 0C either.
If the temperature today does not fall below zero (which I wouldn't bet any sum of money on happening) then that will make 9 days of November gone with only one day dropping into the negative. 2008* saw 7 of the first 9 November days drop below 0C, all 9 days went below in 2009, 6 in 2010, 2 in 2011 and 5 in 2012. The forecast at the moment doesn't show any sharp drops to freezing temperatures, although -1C and -2C are predicted for Monday and Tuesday mornings.
* I actually started recording weather in November 2008 for Jyväskylä only, so I have data for November and December 2008 in addition to 2009-2013 for both locations.
Overnight temperatures have also been warm. Yesterday's minimum of 19.1C is the warmest of the month so far. Temperatures held steady above 21C last night, although the southerly change has dropped it below 20C this evening and it is likely to drop further before midnight.
Today's 31.8C was easily above the forecasted 27C. The forecast had also predicted showers and the chance of thunderstorms. By looking at rain radars around NSW, however, it appears that rain activity has stayed clear of Sydney, and instead it has been mainly affecting coastal areas from the Central Coast to the Mid-North Coast of NSW.
Sydney shouldn't escape the rain for too much longer though as a low pressure system is forecast to settle right off the coast of NSW in the next couple of days. Tomorrow's forecast is for showers increasing to rain, with rain also predicted on Monday and Tuesday.
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| A bit of morning sun and blue sky in Jyväskylä on November 9 |
Despite a few glimpses of sun, Jyväskylä has remained mostly wet for the past few days. Not as much rain has fallen as earlier in the week, but persistent showers, drizzle and grey cloud has started to feel a little tiresome.
With the increased cloud cover and continuing winds from the south, conditions have remained humid and temperatures mild. The days of November 6-8 didn't see the temperature rise above 5C but minimums haven't gone below 0C either.
If the temperature today does not fall below zero (which I wouldn't bet any sum of money on happening) then that will make 9 days of November gone with only one day dropping into the negative. 2008* saw 7 of the first 9 November days drop below 0C, all 9 days went below in 2009, 6 in 2010, 2 in 2011 and 5 in 2012. The forecast at the moment doesn't show any sharp drops to freezing temperatures, although -1C and -2C are predicted for Monday and Tuesday mornings.
* I actually started recording weather in November 2008 for Jyväskylä only, so I have data for November and December 2008 in addition to 2009-2013 for both locations.
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Wet weather for Jyväskylä, cool in Sydney
The last few days in Jyväskylä have seen quite a bit of rain. Almost 30mm fell over Monday and Tuesday. While this might seem quite low in comparison to rainfall in Sydney, if you look at averages for Jyväskylä it is quite high. In 2011 only 26mm fell during the whole month of November, and 36mm fell in 2012. The 1981-2010 monthly average stands at 54mm so we're on target at the moment to match or beat that mark.
The rain late yesterday was part of an intense low pressure system that moved north across the western part of the country. Along with the rain, strong winds were felt in many locations. I noticed a highest gust of 13m/s (about 47km/h) for Jyväskylä while monitoring observations on the FMI website. I may have missed a stronger gust though as FMI doesn't give daily recordings in the same way as BoM. Despite that, 13m/s is pretty strong for inland parts of Finland and a strong wind warning was in place yesterday. The strongest wind gust in Finland was at Kokemäki in the country's south west where a 23.3m/s (84km/h) gust was recorded.
Meanwhile in Sydney, it was the third coldest November morning since 2009. Around 6am this morning it was only 11.9C. Only November 2010 has seen lower minimums with two successive days at the start of the month dropping to 11.5C.
The start of the week was rather cool as strong southerly winds kept daily maximums below 20C with 18.4C and 19.6C recorded on Monday and Tuesday respectively. This was after the equal 6th warmest day of the year on Sunday. Temperatures peaked at 34.9C before a southerly change in the afternoon. Rain has stayed away for the time being although the current forecast shows the chance of a storm on Friday followed by showers and rain from Saturday to Monday.
The rain late yesterday was part of an intense low pressure system that moved north across the western part of the country. Along with the rain, strong winds were felt in many locations. I noticed a highest gust of 13m/s (about 47km/h) for Jyväskylä while monitoring observations on the FMI website. I may have missed a stronger gust though as FMI doesn't give daily recordings in the same way as BoM. Despite that, 13m/s is pretty strong for inland parts of Finland and a strong wind warning was in place yesterday. The strongest wind gust in Finland was at Kokemäki in the country's south west where a 23.3m/s (84km/h) gust was recorded.
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| November 6 in Jyväskylä was a showery day with hints of sunshine. Clouds cleared by late afternoon allowing the sun to briefly show itself again before setting. |
Meanwhile in Sydney, it was the third coldest November morning since 2009. Around 6am this morning it was only 11.9C. Only November 2010 has seen lower minimums with two successive days at the start of the month dropping to 11.5C.
The start of the week was rather cool as strong southerly winds kept daily maximums below 20C with 18.4C and 19.6C recorded on Monday and Tuesday respectively. This was after the equal 6th warmest day of the year on Sunday. Temperatures peaked at 34.9C before a southerly change in the afternoon. Rain has stayed away for the time being although the current forecast shows the chance of a storm on Friday followed by showers and rain from Saturday to Monday.
Sunday, 3 November 2013
October 2013 Review - Jyväskylä
October 2013 started in typical fashion with some of the last days of the year above 10C and a few nights below zero. The second half of the month was started with a hint of November when temperatures didn't climb above 3.5C for a week. However, warmer temperatures did return towards the end of the month with 11.7C and 10.4C being recorded on October 24 and 28 respectively.
Jyväskylä actually saw the highest number of October days over 10C for the last 5 years. A total of 10 days in the month were above 10C compared to 0 days for 2009, 5 for 2010, 7 for 2011 and 6 for 2012. This year also saw the highest October temperature of the last 5 years, 14.4C recorded on October 7. Despite that, the average maximum for the month was still below 2011's mark.
The table below compares averages from the last 5 years for the month of October in Jyväskylä.
The average minimum was in the middle for the 5 year period as shown in the table above. A monthly low of -7.4C on October 20 was also in the middle, with the 5 year low of -10.1C recorded last year. The highest minimum for the month was 9.9C, second only to last year's 10.3C.
While the average minimum was in the middle, the timing of the higher temperatures was quite different. As shown in the graph below the minimum of 8.4C recorded on October 28 was the latest time in the year for such a high during the last 5 years. If not for the cooler period in the middle of the month the average minimum probably would have been the highest.
In terms of rain, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute the monthly rainfall of 60mm was well below last year's total of 103mm and also below the 1981-2010 average of 66mm. The cooler period mentioned above also brought the first real snowfall. Places around Jyväskylä received up to 10cm of snow on October 18. It slowly disappeared during the week that followed but disappeared completely afterwards.
Jyväskylä actually saw the highest number of October days over 10C for the last 5 years. A total of 10 days in the month were above 10C compared to 0 days for 2009, 5 for 2010, 7 for 2011 and 6 for 2012. This year also saw the highest October temperature of the last 5 years, 14.4C recorded on October 7. Despite that, the average maximum for the month was still below 2011's mark.
The table below compares averages from the last 5 years for the month of October in Jyväskylä.
Jyväskylä
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2009
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2010
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2011
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2012
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2013
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Average Min.
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-3.0
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0.2
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2.0
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1.0
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0.5
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Average Max.
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4.1
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5.7
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8.3
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6.0
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7.7
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Monthly averages for October in Jyväskylä for the period 2009-2013
The average minimum was in the middle for the 5 year period as shown in the table above. A monthly low of -7.4C on October 20 was also in the middle, with the 5 year low of -10.1C recorded last year. The highest minimum for the month was 9.9C, second only to last year's 10.3C.
While the average minimum was in the middle, the timing of the higher temperatures was quite different. As shown in the graph below the minimum of 8.4C recorded on October 28 was the latest time in the year for such a high during the last 5 years. If not for the cooler period in the middle of the month the average minimum probably would have been the highest.
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| October minimums in Jyväskylä for the period 2009-2013 |
In terms of rain, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute the monthly rainfall of 60mm was well below last year's total of 103mm and also below the 1981-2010 average of 66mm. The cooler period mentioned above also brought the first real snowfall. Places around Jyväskylä received up to 10cm of snow on October 18. It slowly disappeared during the week that followed but disappeared completely afterwards.
Friday, 1 November 2013
October 2013 Review - Sydney
Sydney saw very warm maximums for most of the month of October. There were 7 days above 30C, with a monthly maximum of 37.8C recorded on October 10. This was the 4th warmest October day since 1939. The highest monthly minimum of 20.2C recorded on October 23 was the warmest in the last 5 years and within the top 90th percentile for records since 1939. Bushfires affected areas around Sydney for more than a week in the middle of the month on the back of these warm temperatures.
The table below compares averages from the last 5 years for the month of October at Sydney Airport.
The table below compares averages from the last 5 years for the month of October at Sydney Airport.
Sydney
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2009
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2010
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2011
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2012
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2013
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Average Min.
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14.0
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14.7
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14.2
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13.5
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14.4
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Average Max.
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21.9
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22.5
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22.1
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23.8
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26.2
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Monthly averages for October at Sydney Airport for the period 2009-2013
Of the last 5 years this October was easily the warmest in terms of daily maximums. In fact, looking at Bureau of Meteorology records, this October was actually the second warmest since 1939. Only 1988 was warmer with an average maximum of 27.0C. It's also worth pointing out that only 2007 besides 1988 and 2013 had an average maximum above 25C.
Another interesting observation is that the average maximum was actually 27.2C with 8 days remaining in the month. If not for the cooler final 8 days of October, which had an average maximum of 23.3C, the record would have been broken.
Minimums, on the other hand, were fairly normal compared to the previous 5 years. A steady increase of average minimums since 1939 means 2013's average was above the overall average of 13.2C. The lowest overall temperature of the month, 9.7C on October 17, was similar to previous years, while the lowest maximum of 17.7C on October 16 was the warmest in the last 5 years.
As I mentioned in a recent post, the highest wind gust in more than a year was also experienced, 95km/h on October 29. In terms of rain, the monthly total of 16.2mm was well below the long term average of 70.1mm.
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Stormy weather for Sydney and southern Finland
The strongest wind gust in over a year was recorded today at Sydney Airport. A gust of 95km/h from the south was measured at 2:08pm this afternoon, the strongest since a 106km/h gust in August 2012. The initial southerly change hit around 10:30am and temperatures stayed below 20C for most of the afternoon after reaching 24.3C in the morning.
A severe storm warning was also issued by the Bureau of Meteorology this afternoon for the Sydney Metropolitan area. Most of the southern half of the city escaped unscathed but northern suburbs were affected. The Central Coast north of Sydney bore the brunt of the rain with just over 27mm recorded at Gosford.
The past week has been much cooler than previous weeks. Between September 24 and October 23 there was a maximum gap of only 4 days between two 30C+ days. That's pretty remarkable for this time of year. To put it into perspective, there was a run of 16 days earlier this year in the summer month of February that didn't see a day above 30C. The current run including today is 6 days, with the forecast not showing another 30C+ day until this Sunday.
Stormy weather affected Finland overnight also. Leftovers from St Jude, the storm that hit the UK, The Netherlands and Denmark yesterday, hit the southern half of Finland late last night. Jyväskylä had just under 10mm of rain and escaped the strong winds that were felt in the south. The southern port town of Hanko had consistent winds just under 20m/s (72km/h), and while I don't have actual recordings for the strongest gusts, I'm sure they were well above that mark, possibly 23-25m/s. This was still well below wind gusts recorded in Denmark, including a new national record of 194km/h. Weather warnings are still in place for coastal areas in the south with strong waves also being experienced.
Temperatures in Jyväskylä in the meantime have been quite warm. The mercury went above 10C again yesterday. Only 2011 since 2009 has had temperatures above 10C this late into the year. Minimums are the highest for this time of year since 2009. A mild 8.4C was the minimum for yesterday, much warmer than -10.1C from the same date last year. A typical level of cloud, i.e. full cover, for this time of year has also been experienced with only a hint a sunshine.
A severe storm warning was also issued by the Bureau of Meteorology this afternoon for the Sydney Metropolitan area. Most of the southern half of the city escaped unscathed but northern suburbs were affected. The Central Coast north of Sydney bore the brunt of the rain with just over 27mm recorded at Gosford.
The past week has been much cooler than previous weeks. Between September 24 and October 23 there was a maximum gap of only 4 days between two 30C+ days. That's pretty remarkable for this time of year. To put it into perspective, there was a run of 16 days earlier this year in the summer month of February that didn't see a day above 30C. The current run including today is 6 days, with the forecast not showing another 30C+ day until this Sunday.
Stormy weather affected Finland overnight also. Leftovers from St Jude, the storm that hit the UK, The Netherlands and Denmark yesterday, hit the southern half of Finland late last night. Jyväskylä had just under 10mm of rain and escaped the strong winds that were felt in the south. The southern port town of Hanko had consistent winds just under 20m/s (72km/h), and while I don't have actual recordings for the strongest gusts, I'm sure they were well above that mark, possibly 23-25m/s. This was still well below wind gusts recorded in Denmark, including a new national record of 194km/h. Weather warnings are still in place for coastal areas in the south with strong waves also being experienced.
Temperatures in Jyväskylä in the meantime have been quite warm. The mercury went above 10C again yesterday. Only 2011 since 2009 has had temperatures above 10C this late into the year. Minimums are the highest for this time of year since 2009. A mild 8.4C was the minimum for yesterday, much warmer than -10.1C from the same date last year. A typical level of cloud, i.e. full cover, for this time of year has also been experienced with only a hint a sunshine.
Monday, 28 October 2013
A few interesting weather stations around Australia (Part 2)
While I follow weather more closely for Sydney, there are also a few other locations around Australia that I find interesting to look at. Here are a couple more in addition to Mount Wellington and Marble Bar from a previous post.
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, is located in the central north of the country. It is a tropical location with distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry season usually lasts from May to September with the wet season mostly in the summer months.
Darwin is quite unlike any other capital city in Australia in terms of weather. Due to its tropical location, temperatures are very similar throughout the whole year. The average monthly maximums range from 30.5C in July to 33.3C in November. Just looking at 2013 so far daily maximums have ranged between 27.4C, recorded once each in May and July, to 36.6C from October 10. That's not even a 10C difference. Jyväskylä on the other hand can almost have a 60C difference. The yearly minimum stands at 15.8C from August 8, but has been as high as 29.1C.
In terms of rainfall, the wet season during the summer months can present remarkable levels of precipitation. In the 24hrs to 9am on February 16 2011 a record 367.6mm fell. February 2011 also holds the record for the most rain in a month, 1110.2mm, which is more than the average annual rainfall for Sydney.
Darwin is also susceptible to cyclones. Cyclone Tracy, which hit on Christmas Eve in 1974, remains as one of the most significant storms to affect Australia. A maximum wind gust from Tracy of 217km/h is still the holder of the strongest gust in 52 years of records.
Macquarie Island, Tasmania
Although Macquarie Island is politically a part of Tasmania it is quite a long way from it. Macquarie Island is a small island in the Southern Ocean approximately halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. It has no permanent population but weather measurements have been taken since 1948.
As you can probably imagine, Macquarie Island is not the warmest place on the planet. Although, it's actually quite similar to Darwin in a way. Temperatures on the island do not vary too much throughout the year. July is typically the coldest month with an average maximum of 4.9C and January is the warmest with 8.8C. The record high is only 14.4C from December 10 1984, while the record minimum stands at -9.4C from July 3 2003.
Macquarie Island is also very wet. It has an average of 315 days of rain each year! Rainfall levels are usually quite low though. Even with 315 days of rain per year the average annual rainfall is lower than Sydney (971.7mm compared to 1085.4mm). So far this year there has only been 22 days without rain.
Being a small island in the middle of wide open ocean, it's not surprising that wind gusts can be extremely strong as well. 185km/h is the overall record, measured on September 24 1980, but strong winds can be experienced year round.
So there's a few weather stations around Australia that are quite different from each other. I'm sure there are plenty of others that are quite interesting to follow as well so this is just a quick look at what's out there. Have a look around the Bureau of Meteorology site for yourself and see what you can find.
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory, is located in the central north of the country. It is a tropical location with distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry season usually lasts from May to September with the wet season mostly in the summer months.
Darwin is quite unlike any other capital city in Australia in terms of weather. Due to its tropical location, temperatures are very similar throughout the whole year. The average monthly maximums range from 30.5C in July to 33.3C in November. Just looking at 2013 so far daily maximums have ranged between 27.4C, recorded once each in May and July, to 36.6C from October 10. That's not even a 10C difference. Jyväskylä on the other hand can almost have a 60C difference. The yearly minimum stands at 15.8C from August 8, but has been as high as 29.1C.
In terms of rainfall, the wet season during the summer months can present remarkable levels of precipitation. In the 24hrs to 9am on February 16 2011 a record 367.6mm fell. February 2011 also holds the record for the most rain in a month, 1110.2mm, which is more than the average annual rainfall for Sydney.
Darwin is also susceptible to cyclones. Cyclone Tracy, which hit on Christmas Eve in 1974, remains as one of the most significant storms to affect Australia. A maximum wind gust from Tracy of 217km/h is still the holder of the strongest gust in 52 years of records.
Macquarie Island, Tasmania
Although Macquarie Island is politically a part of Tasmania it is quite a long way from it. Macquarie Island is a small island in the Southern Ocean approximately halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. It has no permanent population but weather measurements have been taken since 1948.
As you can probably imagine, Macquarie Island is not the warmest place on the planet. Although, it's actually quite similar to Darwin in a way. Temperatures on the island do not vary too much throughout the year. July is typically the coldest month with an average maximum of 4.9C and January is the warmest with 8.8C. The record high is only 14.4C from December 10 1984, while the record minimum stands at -9.4C from July 3 2003.
Macquarie Island is also very wet. It has an average of 315 days of rain each year! Rainfall levels are usually quite low though. Even with 315 days of rain per year the average annual rainfall is lower than Sydney (971.7mm compared to 1085.4mm). So far this year there has only been 22 days without rain.
Being a small island in the middle of wide open ocean, it's not surprising that wind gusts can be extremely strong as well. 185km/h is the overall record, measured on September 24 1980, but strong winds can be experienced year round.
So there's a few weather stations around Australia that are quite different from each other. I'm sure there are plenty of others that are quite interesting to follow as well so this is just a quick look at what's out there. Have a look around the Bureau of Meteorology site for yourself and see what you can find.
Friday, 25 October 2013
Warm front pushes temperatures above 10C in Jyväskylä
Warm air from south western Europe has been pushed all the way to Finland raising temperatures above 10C across the lower half of the country. In Jyväskylä yesterday the temperature rose to 11.7C around 3pm. It had actually been steadily increasing from 0C over the previous 36hrs.
Of the 5 years since 2009 this was the latest time in the year for such temperatures to be measured. October 19 2012 is the previous time above that mark when 11.9C was recorded. The warm autumn temperatures were quite a change seeing as the week between October 16 and 22 had an average maximum of only 1.6C. The only remnants of snow in Jyväskylä can be seen in a few small piles from what was cleared last week.
Wet and mild weather should continue for at least the next few days.
Of the 5 years since 2009 this was the latest time in the year for such temperatures to be measured. October 19 2012 is the previous time above that mark when 11.9C was recorded. The warm autumn temperatures were quite a change seeing as the week between October 16 and 22 had an average maximum of only 1.6C. The only remnants of snow in Jyväskylä can be seen in a few small piles from what was cleared last week.
Wet and mild weather should continue for at least the next few days.
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