During the past week a series of cold fronts in a strong south-westerly air stream across Tasmania, Victoria and the southern half of NSW has brought below normal temperatures generally with light frosts at many places.
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Parkes recorded a minimum temperature of 0.5 degrees, the lowest October temperature since minus 2 in 2009; after which notably hot conditions returned quickly in November 2009. The summer of 2009-2010 was also warmer than usual but wetter than average with high frequency of thunderstorms.
The continued cool conditions in Victoria for most of October will finally be replaced by a notably warmer November.
During the past week severe heat wave conditions have been intensifying over the western half of Western Australia and also across the Top End.
Darwin recorded a maximum temperature of 38 degrees. This was the third-ever highest temperature recorded in Darwin; the higher readings were 38.9 in October 1982 and 38.2 in October 2019. Very hot weather arrived in November and December in our regions after these two events, and widespread bushfires.
![Rain earlier in the week left things damp along Albury's walking tracks. Picture by Tara Trewhella Rain earlier in the week left things damp along Albury's walking tracks. Picture by Tara Trewhella](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/zVtrQGhRGBmiD3RNa8bKgt/e37989e5-14a3-4b00-b533-b6d86333d698.jpg/r0_0_4880_3253_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
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Carnarvon in Western Australia recorded its highest October temperature in 140 years of records on Sunday, October 15, with a reading of 43.3 degrees. The next day Carnarvon recorded a hotter day with 43.9 degrees. The mean maximum temperature this month at Carnarvon is 31.6 degrees and this will break the record hottest October of 1896.
The last three months of 1896 were notably warmer and drier than usual in Victoria before heavy rain arrived early in January 1897. Further north into NSW and Queensland, it was also notably warmer up to December 1896 but heavy rain arrived just before December and continued into January 1897.
The former hottest October day was 42.4 degrees on October 24, 1958. It was interesting to note that the heat at Carnarvon on the day in 1958 reached inland parts of NSW and also in Queensland in six days; 38 degrees at Coonabarabran, 40 degrees and 42 degrees at Roma. November 1958 was very hot and dry at these three towns but the summer of 1958-59 was much wetter indeed.
However the spring of 1958 in Victoria was much wetter than average with frequent thunderstorms mainly in November 1958 which was warmer than usual. It was dry and cool in December 1958, but January 1959 was exceptionally hot with six days reaching 40 degrees from January 17 until February 2, 1959. Then heavy rain arrived mid February 1959 and more of the same in March 1959.
Perth has had near-record hot days for October with the highest temperature reaching 36.5 degrees on Monday October 16. Past cases of hot October days in Perth were in 1961, 1967, 1996 and 2013. There was no escape from much warmer months from November right through to February in Victoria and the Riverina after these four cases. It was cooler and wetter further north from Dubbo right up to outback Queensland.
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