THE widespread moderate to heavy rain which fell at most areas in eastern Australia last Thursday and Friday May 24 and 25 was certainly most welcome.
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The heaviest rains were in Queensland, in the central west of NSW, in southern Victoria and eastern Tasmania.
In Coonabarabran a total of 49.2mm fell and this took this month’s total to 59mm and the year’s total so far to 483mm, which is nearly three times the 176mm that fell to the end of May last year.
Last Friday Dubbo recorded 59.4mm and this was the highest daily total for May since 79mm was recorded 97 years ago on May 15, 1915.
A deepening low pressure enhanced by a cold pool aloft brought the rain.
This cold pool resulted in very low maximum temperatures for this time of year in South Australia and northern Victoria and the Riverina.
In South Australia, Clare and Cleve experieced their coldest May day in more than 100 years of records with 7.7 and 9.5 respectively.
By contrast, places in Tasmania were three to four degrees higher. At St Helens 13.5 was recorded on last Thursday and Friday with mild easterly winds.
Then as the deepening depression slowly advanced torrential rain fell on the east coast of Tasmania.
Other weather highlights last week was Perth’s coldest May morning with 1.3 since 1914 and Melbourne’s wettest May day since 1995.
Meanwhile, Broome recorded low minimum temperatures for May: 8.1 last Sunday and 7.7 last Monday morning.
These are record lows for May at Broome Airport which goes back to 1939.
The previous May low was 8.4 in 1966 and other May lows were in 1949 and 1955. Widespread heavy rain invaded our regions about June 6 to 8, 1917 and there were major floods in the North East. Another low reading for May at Broome was 8.0 in 1899. June 1899 was also wet in our region with the heaviest rains from June 20 to 22 June.