Mildura had just under 30 and this was one of the earliest dates this temperature has occurred.

Out of about eight previous cases dating back to 1895 of early high temperatures at Mildura by the second week of September, there were high temperatures in late September and about October 20, again about the third week of November and a heat wave about December 19 to 22, over 42 degrees.   

High maximum temperatures in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and also in the top end of the Northern Territory were recorded during the first week of this month.

Fitzroy Crossing recorded 40.2 on September 4, and Friday September 7, Wyndham recorded 40 degrees.

These were the earliest dates for a 40-degree temperature recorded in Western Australia since 2000 and the third-earliest since 40 degrees was recorded on August 27, 1970 at Kalumburu.

In the Northern Territory, 39.0 degrees was recorded at Victoria River Downs, the highest temperature for early September since 2010.  

Although those two years, 2000 and 2010 did see excessive rains in our region for the rest of the year there were many warm to hot days during the latter half of September.

In 1970 September was wetter than average as was the last two months of that year, but a rather hot spell took place in early October of 1970.  

Those places with well over 130 years of rainfall records do show there is a definite 80-year cycle.  

The dry years of 1865 and 1866 were repeated in 1945 and 1946.  

The very wet year of 1870 was repeated in 1950.  

The wet year of 1875 was repeated in 1955.  

The wet period of 1889 to 1894 was repeated again from 1969 to 1974 and there were major flood events for both those periods.   

The severe drought of 1902 arrived again in 1982.   

The 1914 drought arrived again in 1994.

The wet years of 1916 and 1920-1921 were all repeated again in 1996, 2000 and 2001.  

The dry years of 1937 and 1938 have matched the dry conditions of last year and this year.

I do expect 2019 will see much above average rain because there were excessive rains from the end of February 1939 right up to August at most places and up to November 1939 at some places in Victoria.  

However, if the records are indeed correct indications are for bad drought in 2020.

Coonabarabran and many other places recorded their driest-ever year on record in 1940 and it is not looking good from 2024 to 2026 with a marked dry period from 1944 to 1946.