Tag Archives: dry

Spring 2014 dry and hotter

Posted in Manilla NSW, Season Weather by

Weather log for spring 2014

Warm weather developed in early October, followed by a cool spell with one rain day of 26.4 mm. After that came three hot spells. There were showers and storms in the district, but little more rain fell at Manilla.
This spring was slightly hotter than spring 2013 and spring 2009, but not as hot as spring 2002. The air was not as extremely arid (dew point 3.6°) as in last spring (dew point 2.3°), and skies were a little more cloudy.
The total rainfall of 69.8 mm was in the 8th percentile: the 10th lowest spring rainfall. (Spring 2002 had been equal 5th lowest at 66 mm, and spring 1957 the lowest at 23 mm.) Rain fell on 11 days: more than in spring of 2002 (9 days), but fewer than in 2013 (13).

Climate for spring 2014

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Temperature, including subsoil at 750 mm, and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.

Dry July 2014

Posted in Manilla NSW, Monthly weather by

The daily weather log

Photo of sunlit house interior

July sun heats the house

Normal sunny July weather was broken by two rainy days in mid-month and another “rainy” day later. With the first rain there was a very warm night of 11.0°, at the time when nights are usually at their coldest (1.8°).
Late in the month days and nights were two degrees warmer than usual.Weather log July 2014

 Comparing July months

Average temperatures were normal, but the rainfall was low and the humidity (Dew Point) was very low. Recent July months have been quite different. Last July was very warm, July 2012 was very wet (ninth wettest), and July 2010 was very cloudy and wet, with warm nights. This month was not as dry as July 2011, which was not as dry as July in the drought year: 2002.
The total rainfall of 11.4 mm is in the 15th percentile. Taking rainfall totals for more than one month, the 4-month total of 83 mm is now a serious shortage (6th percentile). There are also serious shortages in the totals for 12 months (6th percentile), 15 months (8th percentile), and 18 months (9th percentile), Other totals have higher percentile values, and most totals for 36 months or more are above normal. In the very long term, the 30-year rainfall total (19,314 mm) has just fallen below the median for the first time since August 2010.
(Note. Figures for 30-year totals begin in 1914. The lowest 30-year total rainfall was 18,026 mm (601 mm per year) in November 1940; the highest was 21,031 mm (701 mm per year) in December 1978.)Climate July 2014

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Temperatures, including subsoil at 750 mm, and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.

2013-14: Third Driest Summer

Posted in Manilla NSW, Season Weather by

Weather log summer 2013-14.

After a cool start, this summer had no more cool weather. There were five warm spells 3° to 4° warmer than normal. Days were particularly warm, with a new 21st century record high of 43.7° set on 3/1/14. During warm spells, nights were also warm, but often 17° cooler than the days. The air was phenomenally dry in early January, with morning dew points (usually 14°) falling below zero three times. There were only 14 rain days (usually 21), and the heaviest fall of 18.8 mm was a 21st century record low for summer.

Taking average values, this summer had the highest daily maximum temperature this century: the value of 34.3° beats the 34.1° of 2005-6. However, the daily mean of 26.1° does not beat the 26.3° of 2005-6. By contrast, the summer of 2011-12 was the coldest, by day and by night. The total rainfall of just 84.8 mm makes this the third driest summer in the 131-year record, after 1929-30 (66 mm) and 1964-5 (70 mm). The summers of 1999-2000 and the two following were also very dry (125 mm, 158 mm, 137 mm) but this summer had not only less rain but also very much drier air and a wider daily range of temperature. Both the low dew point, 8.6° , and the wide daily temperature range, 16.4°, were record values. The earlier dry summers were less cloudy, however.Climate summer 2013-14.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Temperatures, including subsoil at 750 mm, and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.

Warm Dry February 2014

Posted in Manilla NSW, Monthly weather by

The daily weather logWeather log February 2014.

The month began sunny and dry, with extremely low humidity. The second week brought a warm spell, which became humid and cloudy, leading to rain. There were eight rain days, with 18.8 mm recorded on the 17th. The fourth week was fine, with normal temperatures.

Comparing February monthsClimate February 2014.

Like February 2011, this month was very warm, but not quite as warm as February 2006. February 2008 had been five degrees cooler, and February 2012 and 2013 also very cool.
The humidity, shown by early morning dew point, has fallen steadily for four February months. It was 15.6° in 2010, and is now a record low of 10.3°. February mean relative humidity values, which had been steady from 2006 to 2013, fell sharply to 2014: afternoon values fell from 31% to 16% and morning values from 80% to 58%.
The total rainfall of 37.4 mm is well below the February average of 67 mm and far below that for February 2012 (194 mm), the fifth wettest on record. This is the forty-fourth driest, and in the 35th percentile. Taking rainfall totals for more than one month, the greatest shortages are not serious (i.e. not below the 10th percentile). The two month total (39 mm) and the twelve-month total (452 mm) are both in the 12th percentile. Other totals have higher percentile values, and most totals for 30 months or more are above normal. Pools survive in Greenhatch Creek.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Temperatures, including subsoil at 750 mm, and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.

January 2014 the driest !

Posted in Manilla NSW, Monthly weather by

The daily weather logWeather log January 2014.

Two 21st century records were broken on the 3rd: the daily maximum was 43.7°, and the relative humidity fell to 2%. A west wind of 30 km/hr blew all that day. The early morning dew point on the 6th was a record January low of minus 3.3 degrees. A second warm spell came about the 15th. Subsoil temperature fell from high to normal during the month.
Rain of 1.8 mm was recorded on the 20th.

Comparing January monthsClimate January 2014.

As well as having almost no rain, this month had by far the lowest January dew point of the century: 6.9°, which is 7.3° below normal! Compared to January 2013, which was very hot, days were much the same (35.9°), but nights were cooler (18.5°). By contrast, January 2012 had been very cool and cloudy.
The total rainfall of 1.8 mm was the lowest January value in the 131-year record. The next lowest was 7 mm in January 1940.
Counting more than one month, the six-month rainfall total of 184 mm is the worst shortage at this time. It is in the 11th percentile of all six-monthly totals. However, such low totals usually come in August or September. It is rare for six-monthly totals as low as 184 mm to come in a summer month: it has happened only thirteen times. The lowest six-monthly total for a summer month was 145 mm for December 1946. Next was 151 mm for December 1951.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Temperatures, including subsoil at 750 mm, and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.