Weather Watch: Dry conditions set in with a vengeance during August

The only places which received above average rainfalls were Innisfail with 142 millimetres, Cairns with 46 millimetres and Cooktown with 43 millimetres, which may be due to above normal sea surface temperatures in the Timor Sea.

Carnarvon in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia this year up to August 20 has had only 53.4 millimetres. This is the driest on record this year to this point. Other very dry such periods did occur previously in 1938, 2006, 2014 and 2017.

Maximum temperatures up to August 20 have been three or four degrees above normal over most of inland NSW and outback QLD.

The mean maximum temperature in Coonabarabran was 20 degrees. The warmest Augusts in Coonabarabran were in 1885, 1888, 1895, 1928, 1977 and 1982 and 2009.

The Warrego and Maranoa region in Queensland has been notably warmer than usual, the mean maximum temperatures have been up to four degrees above the August normal. The warmest Augusts included 1895, 1914, 1928, 1946, 1982 and 2009.

The city of Melbourne is now heading towards its driest ever July and August period in over 165 years with only 40 millimetres of rain to date. The driest years were in 1902, 1928, 1948 and 1982.

East Gippsland has had an exceptionally dry winter. Gabo Island has recorded only 36.2 millimetres up to August 20. This is more than 50 millimetres below the driest ever winter, which previously occurred in 1948.

I do remember we had a notably warm dry September in 1948 with temperatures topping 26 degrees on September 26, then the last three months, October to December 1948, saw a high frequency of thunderstorms in Melbourne and heat wave conditions during Christmas.

Summing up we are facing very dry conditions and much warmer conditions for the rest of this year in our regions and continuing well into January next year.

The fire danger will be dangerously high at many districts.

Quite a few places will receive above average rainfalls in either December, January and early February with thunderstorm activities.

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