WEATHER WATCH: Victoria faces one of its driest, warmest Septembers

In the past the highest temperature ever recorded for September was either September 23, 2017, or September 28, 1928. These two all-time record high September records remain unchallenged.

However, Gabo Island, on Tuesday, September 19, easily recorded its hottest September day in 160 years of records with 34.6 degrees; almost three degrees above the previous hottest September day of 31.7 on September 23, 2017. It was almost as hot as Gabo Island's hottest October day of 35.6 degrees in 2015.

A cooler change is now approaching but little or no rain is anticipated.

Victoria is facing one of its driest Septembers as well as the warmest September on record; like what happened in 2008 after which we had Black Saturday five months later.

The recent large bushfire which broke out north of Tennant Creek and approached this town on a 140 kilometre front. Dew point temperatures at Tennant Creek last weekend fell to minus 10 degrees with abnormally humidity just 1 per cent.

In Victoria there were six successive days of 24 degrees or more at both Laverton and Essendon from September 12 to September 17. This was an all-time record sequence at both stations in the last 85 years.

The previous record was five successive days in September 1944. The rest of 1944 was very dry, hotter than usual and a very high frequency of dust storms and not much rain before mid-January 1945, although southern coast of Victoria got some thunderstorms and useful rainfalls a week before Christmas 1944.

Sydney has recorded successive days of over 30 degrees this month only for the eighth time in the last 164 years in September. The previous times were in 1898, 1907, 1937, 1946, 1965, 1987 and 1998. Maximum temperatures for the rest of those years up to January the next year were notably above normal. Rainfalls were below average for the next five months together but many places had above average falls in November and December.

Ceduna on the far west of South Australia this week recorded 39.8 degrees which is a new record high temperature for September in 88 years of records, The previous highest 1980 September record was just 0.1 degrees less than the September record of this year.

Other very high readings for September were in 1944, 1965, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1987, 1990 and 2019. All except 1973 and 1981 led to conditions in our regions warmer and drier generally right up to the following summer season, the heaviest rains being either in December or in January. The 1973 and 1981 cases were perpetually wet in the winter, which certainly did not happen this last winter in our regions.

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