Sydney in January 2016: A wet January with hot and cold spells
Monday, 1 February 2016 - Monthly Climate Summary for Sydney -
Sydney recorded a very wet January during 2016, the wettest since 1988, with a heavy rain event at the start of the month as well as several severe thunderstorms. The heavy rain and cool conditions were interspersed with two heatwaves, which contributed to well above average maximum temperatures at Sydney Observatory Hill and the most hot days since 1991.
* Wettest January since 1988 * Most January days with 25 mm or more of rain since 1972 * Two hot spells contribute to above-average maximum temp*eratures * Most January days above 30 °C since 1991 * Coldest January day since 1978
Sydney Observatory Hill recorded 249.8 mm of rain during January 2016, more than double the historical average. This was the wettest January since 273.2 mm was recorded in 1988 and the tenth-wettest January on record, but well below the January record of 387.1 mm (set in 1911). At several stations including Strathfield and Parramatta this was the wettest January on record .. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/month/nsw/sydney.shtml#recordsRainTtlHigh . The rain fell over 13 days, close to the January average of 12 days, but five recorded at least 25 mm of rainfall (average one day). This is the equal second-highest number of heavy rain days on record for January, following six days in January 1972.
There were several heavy rain events during the month.
Just in from filling the green bin, in the end thanks to a friendly streetlight who never leaves swept leaves out front .. is perfect now. breeze through the window .. seriously, oooolaa .. http://www.bom.gov.au/places/nsw/marrickville/
Hot is back in Sydney today, yesterday and today 86F (an hour ago), 79 now going on 3:30pm
wow .. wind chill i'm hearing -70 in Chicago? .. it was about that when i got held up for hours while riding Greyhound, it was stopped in a truck stop somewhere out of NY .. -30 wind chill coming to NY ..
[Australia] Record temperatures for March a warning of what's to come, say experts
Date March 20, 2016 - 1:51PM
Caitlin Guilfoyle
[VIDEO] - 1:46 Happy feet of Antarctic penguins in decline New research by UNSW's Climate Change Research Centre reveals the staggering decline of Adelie penguin numbers at Cape Denison in Antarctica, following the grounding of a 97km iceberg in Commonwealth Bay.
Record-breaking autumn heat is just a warning of what's to come if Australia doesn't act immediately to combat climate change.
That's the message from environmental experts armed with a report that reveals a notable climb in average temperatures across the country at the start of March.
Figures reveal the overall average maximum temperature for the first four days of March was four degrees higher than average, with some places up to 12C hotter.
Feeling the heat: The first four days of March were at least four degrees hotter than average. Photo: Leigh Henningham
This summer has also witnessed a record 39 straight days above 26C in Sydney and the hottest ever March Melbourne night of 38.6C.
Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie says Australia is now experiencing the consequences of climate change, moving past the time for mere concern.
Average global temperatures could be four to six degrees warmer by the end of the century if nothing is done, Ms McKenzie said.
"That is something we just don't want to imagine," she said at the launch of the Climate Council's report, Heat Marches On, on Sunday.
"At the moment we're not even at one degree warming globally and we've seen such huge changes.
"It would be an unimaginable change for human civilisation."
Hot days like those this month put Australia's health at risk, as the vulnerable struggle to cope and bushfires are fuelled by warm conditions, Ms KcKenzie said.
She said reef tourism operators were also affected by widespread coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef, triggered by elevated sea surface temperatures.
"We're seeing the impact in our daily lives around Australia."
"We need to move rapidly away from fossil fuels, coal, oil and gas which are driving climate change and move to more renewable energy."
Professor Tim Flannery said temperatures would become less extreme as the current El Nino cycle began to fade, but the next would be even hotter.
Conditions over the last few months had been unprecedented and inaction from Australia was "quite disgraceful".
State and federal governments must take action, with policies to remove sources of pollution and build cleaner energy systems, Professor Flannery said.
"We've come through the Paris meeting where the world has agreed on action," he said.
"We've had three months in Australia where nothing has happened, but we got the announcement that emissions from the burning of fossil fuels have grown."
THE HEAT IS ON
Maximum temperature at least 4C above average, from March 1 to 4
* Temps 8 to 12C above average for most of southeast Australia * Record 39 straight days over 26C in Sydney * Perth had more 40C days this summer than ever before * Melbourne had hottest March night on record, at peak of 38.6C * Canberra had 10 straight days of 30C or more * Echuca, VIC, and Tocumwal, NSW, sweltered through eight straight days of 38C or more in March, breaking records for any month of the year *Temperature records shattered around the world, with this January and February hotter than any other.
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