Sydney saw its second warmest day of the year today. The measurement of 34.9C at Sydney Airport at 2:29pm was 5C above the predicted top of 30C. That was the highest temperature recorded among Sydney's weather stations. Observatory Hill got to 32.4C.
The forecast was right on at least one count though. As a low pressure tough moved east across New South Wales during the afternoon, shower and storm activity increased west and south west of the city from Orange to Cooma. A thunderstorm warning was issued by the Bureau for those areas, but was later cancelled after 6pm.
In the Sydney region, Campbelltown was the first to receive rain. 14.0mm fell between 3:30pm and 4pm. A storm cell passed through Richmond in Sydney's north west just after 7pm with brief bursts of strong winds. One gust was recorded at 70km/h, the strongest there since December 5 last year.
Further showers with thunder and lightning affected locations throughout the rest of Sydney from 6pm. Sydney Airport first recorded rain just before 7pm. By midnight a total of 6.0mm had fallen there taking the monthly total to 54.0mm. Observatory Hill received 4.4mm taking its total to 55.8mm.
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Tuesday, 25 February 2014
An early spring for Finland?
Well it certainly seems like spring is just around the corner as the remarkable warmth of this February continues in Finland.
Yesterday saw temperatures above 5C in Jyväskylä for the first time this year. Another observation that is probably even more astounding is the fact that yesterday's daily minimum was 3.1C; a minimum that high doesn't usually occur for the first time until mid-April. As the table below shows, of the past 6 years yesterday was easily the earliest date for such high temperatures.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute reported yesterday that many places throughout Finland are seeing their second warmest February on record, with only 1990's edition topping this year. The warmest location in Finland yesterday was Pori on the west coast where it reached 8.1C. It went as high as 5.8C at Jyväskylä Airport. As mentioned above this was the first time above 5C this year. It was also the warmest temperature since December 17 last year.
Today has also seen warm temperatures reaching as high as 3.6C. The sun made an appearance during the day too as the sight of snow becomes rarer.
The hint of spring will be in the air for at least the next week. The coming days will still see above average temperatures, although not quite as high as yesterday and today. Temperatures for the next few nights should also dip to minus, although anything below -5C would be surprising.
Yesterday saw temperatures above 5C in Jyväskylä for the first time this year. Another observation that is probably even more astounding is the fact that yesterday's daily minimum was 3.1C; a minimum that high doesn't usually occur for the first time until mid-April. As the table below shows, of the past 6 years yesterday was easily the earliest date for such high temperatures.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute reported yesterday that many places throughout Finland are seeing their second warmest February on record, with only 1990's edition topping this year. The warmest location in Finland yesterday was Pori on the west coast where it reached 8.1C. It went as high as 5.8C at Jyväskylä Airport. As mentioned above this was the first time above 5C this year. It was also the warmest temperature since December 17 last year.
Today has also seen warm temperatures reaching as high as 3.6C. The sun made an appearance during the day too as the sight of snow becomes rarer.
The hint of spring will be in the air for at least the next week. The coming days will still see above average temperatures, although not quite as high as yesterday and today. Temperatures for the next few nights should also dip to minus, although anything below -5C would be surprising.
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Mild weekend
Temperatures climbed back above zero in Jyväskylä early yesterday morning. That was after several centimetres of snow fell on Friday evening and into the early hours of Saturday. The top of 2.1C at Jyväskylä Airport yesterday was the warmest temperature for February so far and the warmest since January 9. Today might also see 2C or warmer; it is currently 1.8C.
Tomorrow is likely to set the highest maximum of the month again though. Earlier forecasts had predicted it to be as warm as 5C, although currently the forecast is for 4C. Tuesday should also reach around 3C. Most of the snow on the streets in the city centre of Jyväskylä has melted away and whatever is left won't be there for much longer in these conditions.
The weekend has also seen cooler, but still comfortable weather in Sydney. It didn't top 25C at Sydney Airport yesterday or today; 24.3C and 24.4C were the daily maximums. So far only 2 other days this month were cooler than yesterday. There was a brief shower earlier this morning and 0.4mm was recorded, but otherwise there hasn't been any siginificant rain. Moderate southerly winds have helped to keep temperatures down though.
Forecasts for Sydney show warmer temperatures in the next few days. There still aren't any 30C+ days on the horizon though - something that has been slightly lacking this February. There might be a few showers around throughout the week as well.
Tomorrow is likely to set the highest maximum of the month again though. Earlier forecasts had predicted it to be as warm as 5C, although currently the forecast is for 4C. Tuesday should also reach around 3C. Most of the snow on the streets in the city centre of Jyväskylä has melted away and whatever is left won't be there for much longer in these conditions.
The weekend has also seen cooler, but still comfortable weather in Sydney. It didn't top 25C at Sydney Airport yesterday or today; 24.3C and 24.4C were the daily maximums. So far only 2 other days this month were cooler than yesterday. There was a brief shower earlier this morning and 0.4mm was recorded, but otherwise there hasn't been any siginificant rain. Moderate southerly winds have helped to keep temperatures down though.
Forecasts for Sydney show warmer temperatures in the next few days. There still aren't any 30C+ days on the horizon though - something that has been slightly lacking this February. There might be a few showers around throughout the week as well.
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Unseasonal weather continues in Finland, storm activity throughout NSW
Those 3 cold weeks for Finland in January seem like a long time ago now. Since then unusually warm conditions have dominated. February last year was considered to be quite unusual with above average temperatures throughout the month, but the average minimum and maximum figures for February 2014 have been well above both the long term average and those of 2013.
The following graph compares the averages of the last 6 Februaries up to and including yesterday, February 18.
So far this month there has only been 1 day below -10C, and that was coming off the back of the 3 week cold period on February 1. In addition to that, there have been 13 days above 0C already. That is compared to 2 for the whole month of February in both 2009 and 2010, 3 in 2011, 4 in 2012 and 5 in 2013. This month has also seen 2 daily minimums at or above zero. Not one daily minimum at or above zero was seen in the previous 5 Februaries.
Cloudy and wet conditions have been prominent in the past couple of weeks. The sun has disappeared and has been replaced with cloud full of snow and wet snow. Lake ice has thinned due to the warmer temperatures also.
The next couple of days, however, should see slightly cooler temperatures. Earlier this morning it already dropped below -3C for the first time since February 7 and just earlier at 7:30pm it was at -5.1C.
Storms and heavy rain swept through Sydney and surrounding regions this afternoon. A band of rain extended from as far south as Bateman's Bay to north of Newcastle. Sydney Airport saw a total of 23.2mm, which was almost as much as the 3 day total across last weekend. Observatory Hill saw exactly half that amount with only 11.6mm.
Like it was on the weekend, Gosford saw a higher total with 56.6mm. The Central Tablelands and Central West Slopes saw good falls as well. Bathurst Airport, for example, recorded 39.0mm while 28.6mm fell at Dubbo. The recording at Bathurst was highest daily fall since March 1 last year. The highest daily total for New South Wales was 99.0mm which was recorded in Newcastle at Nobby's Lighthouse.
Temperatures for Sydney just topped the predicted maximum of 29C today. Sydney Airport reached 29.3C. Tomorrow morning will be warm but a southerly change should cool things down in the afternoon as a weekend of cooler temperatures draws closer.
The following graph compares the averages of the last 6 Februaries up to and including yesterday, February 18.
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| February averages at Jyväskylä Airport for the period 2009-2014 (as of February 18 2014) |
So far this month there has only been 1 day below -10C, and that was coming off the back of the 3 week cold period on February 1. In addition to that, there have been 13 days above 0C already. That is compared to 2 for the whole month of February in both 2009 and 2010, 3 in 2011, 4 in 2012 and 5 in 2013. This month has also seen 2 daily minimums at or above zero. Not one daily minimum at or above zero was seen in the previous 5 Februaries.
Cloudy and wet conditions have been prominent in the past couple of weeks. The sun has disappeared and has been replaced with cloud full of snow and wet snow. Lake ice has thinned due to the warmer temperatures also.
The next couple of days, however, should see slightly cooler temperatures. Earlier this morning it already dropped below -3C for the first time since February 7 and just earlier at 7:30pm it was at -5.1C.
Storms and heavy rain swept through Sydney and surrounding regions this afternoon. A band of rain extended from as far south as Bateman's Bay to north of Newcastle. Sydney Airport saw a total of 23.2mm, which was almost as much as the 3 day total across last weekend. Observatory Hill saw exactly half that amount with only 11.6mm.
Like it was on the weekend, Gosford saw a higher total with 56.6mm. The Central Tablelands and Central West Slopes saw good falls as well. Bathurst Airport, for example, recorded 39.0mm while 28.6mm fell at Dubbo. The recording at Bathurst was highest daily fall since March 1 last year. The highest daily total for New South Wales was 99.0mm which was recorded in Newcastle at Nobby's Lighthouse.
Temperatures for Sydney just topped the predicted maximum of 29C today. Sydney Airport reached 29.3C. Tomorrow morning will be warm but a southerly change should cool things down in the afternoon as a weekend of cooler temperatures draws closer.
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Decent falls in Sydney over the weekend
Bureau of Meteorology forecasts from last Thursday predicted up to 40mm of rain over the weekend. Sydney didn't quite get that much, but the city did receive some decent falls from Saturday morning until Monday morning.
Sunday was the wettest day at Sydney Airport with 14.0mm. That was the highest daily rainfall in almost 2 months; 15.8mm was recorded in the 24 hours to 9am on December 26 last year. The total across the 3 days was 22.6mm. Meanwhile at Observatory Hill, Sunday saw 16.8mm, also the highest daily total since Boxing Day. The total across the 3 days there was 27.8mm.
Other locations in the Sydney region received 3 day totals that were closer to the maximum potentials predicted late last week. West of the city at Penrith 32.0mm was recorded while Katoomba in the Blue Mountains received 46.6mm. Gosford, on the Central Coast north of the city, received a higher total of 49.6mm.
The monthly total at Sydney Airport now stands at 24.4mm, still well short of the long average of 113.3mm. There is currently a 90% chance of rain falling tomorrow as showers and storms develop during the afternoon. Heavy and isolated falls may occur across the Sydney Basin as an associated trough and cold front move east across New South Wales. Temperatures should still reach as high as 29C tomorrow before dropping later this week to 24C.
Sunday was the wettest day at Sydney Airport with 14.0mm. That was the highest daily rainfall in almost 2 months; 15.8mm was recorded in the 24 hours to 9am on December 26 last year. The total across the 3 days was 22.6mm. Meanwhile at Observatory Hill, Sunday saw 16.8mm, also the highest daily total since Boxing Day. The total across the 3 days there was 27.8mm.
Other locations in the Sydney region received 3 day totals that were closer to the maximum potentials predicted late last week. West of the city at Penrith 32.0mm was recorded while Katoomba in the Blue Mountains received 46.6mm. Gosford, on the Central Coast north of the city, received a higher total of 49.6mm.
The monthly total at Sydney Airport now stands at 24.4mm, still well short of the long average of 113.3mm. There is currently a 90% chance of rain falling tomorrow as showers and storms develop during the afternoon. Heavy and isolated falls may occur across the Sydney Basin as an associated trough and cold front move east across New South Wales. Temperatures should still reach as high as 29C tomorrow before dropping later this week to 24C.
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Finally some rain on the way for Sydney
A band of rain pushed north east through New South Wales this evening. There haven't been any significant recordings just yet in Sydney, but totals as high as 40mm might be seen in locations around the city up until Sunday. Locations south west and west of city, like Goulburn and Bathurst, received the highest falls this evening. 11.6mm had fallen at Goulburn Airport by midnight, while Bathurst Airport's 3.8mm was its highest daily total since December 26 last year.
Just before midnight yesterday showers swept across Sydney dropping a few millimetres. Sydney Airport only received a total of 1.0mm, but Observatory Hill recorded 3.6mm. Including today, the Airport has only recorded 1.8mm this month, compared to 9.2mm at Observatory Hill and 3.2mm at Penrith, so rain will be a welcome relief from the dry conditions.
After Monday's cooler temperatures, the last 3 days have been warmer. Today's top of 29.8C was the warmest of the 3. Yesterday saw the highest monthly minimum set once again. It only dropped as low as 22.3C.
The extreme weather experienced in Australia's south east recently was further highlighted in a post made on the Bureau of Meteorology's Facebook page on Tuesday. Records have been broken across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory as a result of the heat. Using measurements up until February 11, the following statistics presented by BoM are quite interesting.
Rain is likely to fall across most of the south east of the country in the coming days, so hopefully those areas that are in desperate need of rain receive some good falls.
Just before midnight yesterday showers swept across Sydney dropping a few millimetres. Sydney Airport only received a total of 1.0mm, but Observatory Hill recorded 3.6mm. Including today, the Airport has only recorded 1.8mm this month, compared to 9.2mm at Observatory Hill and 3.2mm at Penrith, so rain will be a welcome relief from the dry conditions.
After Monday's cooler temperatures, the last 3 days have been warmer. Today's top of 29.8C was the warmest of the 3. Yesterday saw the highest monthly minimum set once again. It only dropped as low as 22.3C.
The extreme weather experienced in Australia's south east recently was further highlighted in a post made on the Bureau of Meteorology's Facebook page on Tuesday. Records have been broken across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory as a result of the heat. Using measurements up until February 11, the following statistics presented by BoM are quite interesting.
- Melbourne's had 7 days of 40C or above; annual average is 1 day
- Adelaide's had 11 days of 42C or above; annual average is 1 day
- Canberra's had 19 days of 35C or above; annual average is 5.4 days
Rain is likely to fall across most of the south east of the country in the coming days, so hopefully those areas that are in desperate need of rain receive some good falls.
Monday, 10 February 2014
Grey day for Sydney, unseasonal warmth returns to Finland
Today was a grey day in Sydney. After a rather nice, sunny weekend with tops of 29.8C and 30.7C on Saturday and Sunday, it only reached a high of 23.5C today. There was plenty of cloud around and some light drizzle was seen in some parts of the city. Despite the drizzle, the dry spell has continued as no rain has been recorded. Only 0.8mm has fallen so far at Sydney Airport this month.
As usual, the cooler temperatures today were the result of southerly winds. Winds were quite strong around dawn this morning. A mild southerly change occurred between 1:30am and 2am, but winds picked up around 3:30am. A south-southwesterly gust of 76km/h at 4:37am was the strongest of the day. It was also the strongest so far this year, with the previous strongest recorded on December 29.
As predicted, weather reminiscent of mid to late December last year has returned to Finland. Yesterday reached a high of 1.8C in Jyväskylä while the daily low was right on 0C. Today has had a low of 0.3C. To put this warmth into perspective, the highest minimums from each February from 2009 up until today are shown in the table below.
Not only did yesterday have the highest February minimum of the last 6 years, but it occurred fairly early in the month. The maximum of 1.8C yesterday is also the equal second warmest of the previous 6 years, only surpassed by last year's 5.8C recorded on the last day of the month.
Saturday saw a few centimetres of snow as temperatures hovered around zero, but it turned to wet snow later in the day as warmer air moved in. Roads have mostly been cleared of snow and ice courtesy of the warmer weather, while footpaths have almost turned into ice skating tracks. More snow is predicted to fall overnight and tomorrow morning, but temperatures aren't likely to go below -1C until Friday.
As usual, the cooler temperatures today were the result of southerly winds. Winds were quite strong around dawn this morning. A mild southerly change occurred between 1:30am and 2am, but winds picked up around 3:30am. A south-southwesterly gust of 76km/h at 4:37am was the strongest of the day. It was also the strongest so far this year, with the previous strongest recorded on December 29.
As predicted, weather reminiscent of mid to late December last year has returned to Finland. Yesterday reached a high of 1.8C in Jyväskylä while the daily low was right on 0C. Today has had a low of 0.3C. To put this warmth into perspective, the highest minimums from each February from 2009 up until today are shown in the table below.
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| Highest minimums for each February in the period 2009-2014 (as of Feb 10 2014) |
Not only did yesterday have the highest February minimum of the last 6 years, but it occurred fairly early in the month. The maximum of 1.8C yesterday is also the equal second warmest of the previous 6 years, only surpassed by last year's 5.8C recorded on the last day of the month.
Saturday saw a few centimetres of snow as temperatures hovered around zero, but it turned to wet snow later in the day as warmer air moved in. Roads have mostly been cleared of snow and ice courtesy of the warmer weather, while footpaths have almost turned into ice skating tracks. More snow is predicted to fall overnight and tomorrow morning, but temperatures aren't likely to go below -1C until Friday.
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