Heat wave breaks records across Southeast Australia – Melbourne endures record seven nights above 20C, after nine days in a row above 30C
By Jane Holroyd
18 March 2008 (The Age) – Melburnians tossed and turned through the warmest March night on record with the mercury dipping to a balmy minimum of 26.9 degrees just before 7.30am today. Weather bureau senior forecaster Peter Blake said it was the city’s warmest March night, beating the previous record on March 3 1988, when Melbourne recorded an overnight low of 26.7 degrees. Melbourne copped the worst of gusty winds that kept the city warm through the night, with the temperature not dropping below 30 degrees until 11.30pm. […] Also due for respite are long-suffering South Australians. Adelaide recorded a high of 40.5 degrees yesterday, its 15th straight day above 35. [more]
Melbourne suffers warmest March night on record
By Rob Sharpe
12 March 2013 (Weatherzone) – Southeastern Australia has been sweltering for well over a week, with the strongest pulse of heat just before the end. South Australia The heat pushed into South Australia almost two weeks ago beginning an eleven day run of over 30 degree temperatures. This is the third longest run of March heat in over 120 years of records. Mt Gambier smashed the March record for consecutive days above 30 degrees with eleven. This is five more than the record and is also equal to the summer record set in 1956. Victoria Melbourne has broken multiple records in this run of heat despite having records dating back 156 years. It has had the longest ever run of days above 30 and 32 degrees with nine days reaching 32.7 and above. The previous records were eight days above 30 and seven above 32, set in the same run in February 1961. Nights have also been very warm in Melbourne meaning that buildings without air conditioning have struggled to cool from the daytime heat. The city has equaled the record of six mornings in a row failing to drop below 20 degrees. Tonight is likely to break the record with the mercury likely to be in the low 30’s or high 20’s most of the night. There is a chance that tonight will break the record for the warmest March minimum of 26.3 degrees. All of Victoria has been bombarded by this heat with temperatures rising as high as 40 degrees at Cape Nelson. This is 19 degrees above the March average and half a degree short of the March record. Tasmania Records have been equaled and they have been doubled in Australia’s southern most state. Launceston has been staggering in its consistently hot temperatures. It has doubled its record run of four days above 30 degrees with a staggering eight days, including a new record March temperature of 33 degrees. Hobart came very close to its longstanding March record of 37.3 degrees today, reaching a top of 36.7 degrees. Just inland of Hobart, Bushy Park succeeded in equaling its 47 year old March record of 37.6 degrees. Strathgorden and Strathan had their hottest March day in at least 30 years. [more]
Heat records tumble in SA, VIC and TAS
13 Mar 2013 (AAP) – Melbourne has endured a record seven nights above 20C, after nine days in a row above 30C. Melbourne is continuing to break heat records, after sweltering through its hottest seven nights in a row. After a record nine consecutive daytime temperatures over 30C, sleep-deprived Melburnians have now endured another record, for the longest run of high minimum temperatures. Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Rod Dickson says the minimum temperature has hovered above 20C for seven consecutive days. The previous record of six consecutive nights above 20C occurred twice before – once in 2009 and once in 2008. “It has certainly been the warmest start to March on record,” Mr Dickson said. But it will take more hot days to beat the warmest March ever, in 1940 where the average maximum temperature was 28.9C. “Currently our average for the first couple of weeks is 32.5C, so we’re above the highest March average ever recorded but we’ve still got half a month to go,” Mr Dickson said. [more]
