Climate change produces Australia's warmest May
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Climate change produces Australia's warmest May*
By Rosemary Desmond
June 01, 2007 03:26pm
Article from: AAP
CLIMATE change gave much of Australia's drought-stricken east coast its
warmest May on record, weather experts say.
Global warming and an absence of significant cold changes drove
temperatures well above the monthly average, said meteorologist Matt
Pearce, from consultants Weatherzone.
"Most of Queensland, NSW, Victoria, the ACT and Tasmania all had their
warmest May on record, so I guess you could say the east coast of
Australia had its warmest May on record," Mr Pearce said.
"This is yet another sign of the widespread climate change that we are
seeing unfold across the globe."
Sydney had its warmest May since 1958, but could have hit an all-time
high if it wasn't for a spell of cool nights in the past week.
There also was little rain in the city with only 10mm falling - a far
cry from the long-term normal of 123mm and making the past month the
driest May since 2004.
In Canberra, the average temperature of 12C through May was well up on
the long-term normal of nine.
This made it the mildest May in 68 years' worth of records, Mr Pearce said.
Brisbane's average maximum temperature of 27C was well above the
long-term average of 24C, making it the warmest May in seven years.
The temperature peaked at 30C on May 4 - the hottest May day in four
years - but on May 21 the mercury struggled to just 22C, the coolest May
day in two years.
There also was little good news about rainfall, with only the northern
tropics recording any significant totals.
Mr Pearce said many parts of Victoria also had their warmest May on record.
The longest-standing record broken was that of Melbourne itself.
The state's capital had an average temperature during May of 16C, well
above the long-term normal of 13C and making it the mildest May in 152
years of records.
Melbourne's average maximum temperature of 20C was also well up on the
long-term normal of 17.
In Tasmania, Hobart's average May temperature was 14C, three degrees
higher than normal and the mildest May in 124 years of records.
"Normally by this time of year, Tasmania would be well and truly in the
grips of Southern Ocean cold fronts," Mr Pearce said.
"While the fronts have been moving through fairly regularly over the
last few weeks, they have not had the very cold air associated with them
that would be typical at this time of year."