57 places in Australia record their hottest November days
More than 50 Australian towns have recorded their hottest November day as they sweltered during hot weather during a heatwave.
Temperatures in Sydney last the weekend eclipsed 40 degrees on both days while parts of Queensland are continuing to sweat through ongoing heat waves this week.
The Climate Change Communication Research Hub at Monash University in Melbourne looked through the Bureau of Meteorology’s climate data and determined 57 towns had their hottest November days on record.
Menindinee, in NSW’s west, reached 46.4 degrees on Saturday breaking its November temperature record previously set in 2012.
Two weeks earlier, Fitzroy Crossing in WA’s Kimberley region hit 46.5.
Roma and Dalby in Queensland both broke records set in 1996 when they reached temperatures of 43.7 and 41.3 on Sunday.
Andamooka, 600km north of Adelaide, recorded Australia’s highest November temperature breaking a record which previously stood since 2014 when it reached a blistering 48 on Saturday.
Spare a thought for residents of Nobbys Head in Newcastle who after a hot Saturday had an overnight temperature of more than 24, breaking a 64-year record.
Australia’s hottest November on record
Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said it was Australia’s hottest November on record.
“For the first time in records dating back to 1910 Australia’s mean temperature during spring was more than two degrees above the long-term average,” he said.
He added, after going through Monash’s data, 41 areas recorded their hottest spring nights.
Over the past week we've seen record heat in the east, record cold in the west & a dusting of #snow in Tas! ❄️
Yesterday #Perth set a new December min. temp record, while last weekend November max. & min. temp records were broken in #SA #Victoria & #NSW https://t.co/6hMAhTDFxi pic.twitter.com/i4t103zGNt— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 2, 2020
Mr Domensino said it “was surprising” to see such a hot and dry end to spring given the presence of La Nina.
La Nina, a climate driver, is meant to favour cloudy conditions and rainfall.
Mr Domensino put the high temperatures down to abnormally high pressure over northern and eastern Australia, limiting the amount of moisture and enhancing the strength of northwesterly winds.
Why this is only the beginning of hot springs in Australia
Monash University’s Professor David Holmes said the hot temperatures are evidence of climate change.
“Heat records like these are happening more and more as the climate warms,” he told Yahoo News Australia.
“Our previous research has shown that summer heat in Melbourne and Adelaide is projected to 'spill into' shoulder seasons like November and March in the future if we fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Did it rain much in November?
Rainfall was also 41 per cent below average, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s wrap for November.
Australia averaged 19.2mm with South Australia averaging just 4.4mm and WA averaged 24.1mm.
Moruya on the NSW South Coast had the wettest day for November when it was pummelled by 191mm on the first day of the month.
“Rainfall was below average for much of the eastern two thirds of Australia, and very much below average for large parts of Tasmania, northeast New South Wales, and greater south-east Queensland,” BoM’s report reads.
“Rainfall for the month was above or very much above average across large parts of Western Australia, including in the Kimberley, Pilbara, and the South West Land Division.”
It’s forecast Australia could yet receive its most rain in a decade.
Heat waves far from over
Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke told Yahoo News Australia earlier this week areas including Gympie, north of Brisbane, St George, Charleville and Cunnamulla are set to endure more of the heatwave.
A cool change will hit Queensland on Thursday but it won’t offer much reprieve for western parts of the state.
It also won’t last long, with some parts going back into sweltering conditions across the weekend going into next week.
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