Sydney - Second hottest November day on record

[gary]

The bureau has reported that Sydney today surpassed 2009 by having
the second hottest November day on record at 40.9C.

Despite some recent good rain, it is remarkable how quickly the bush
has dried out already and it is very crunchy under foot when I investigated
at 1pm today.

A reminder to everyone to go safe this bush fire season.

As has been noted on this forum before, one distinct danger is
when people throw cigarettes from cars.

Anecdotally, I have observed it now and then in particular at the start of the M1
freeway in Sydney's north. Shortly after joining the freeway, the offender
will toss the still burning cigarette from the car as they get up to speed,
shortly before winding the window up.

It is all to easy to start a grass fire and with the freeway neighbouring
bushland, for it to spread.

Throwing cigarettes from cars is of course illegal and heavy penalties exist.

The NSW RFS encourages the public to report a cigarette butt 'tosser'.
You can report online here -
http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/cigarette-form
or you can call on 1800 679 737, leave a message and an officer will
make contact.

[pluto]

Oh yeah, it sure is hot out there!
The weather station on my roof in Darlinghurst reported a top of 42.8 at a bit after 3pm today. Not sure how accurate it is as it's just an ebay job but it sure felt like it was above 40.

[Somnium]

I was out of air conditioned comfort for about 30 seconds today and that was enough !

[torana68]

[QUOTE=gary;1215453]The bureau has reported that Sydney today surpassed 2009 by having
the second hottest November day on record at 40.9C.

out of interest and hoping not to open a can of whatever, is this one of those "hottest ever" that doesn't include earlier data due to it being seen as "inaccurate"?
EDIT appears so...
December 27, 1790: “Great heat in Sydney, 39C in the shade. Settlement visited by myriads of flying foxes, birds dropped dead from the trees.”
February 10 and 11, 1791: “On which days the temperature at Sydney stood in the shade at 41C, the heat was so excessive at Parramatta, made worse by the bushfires, that immense numbers of the large fox-bats were seen to drop from the trees into the water, and many dropped dead on the wing.”
thermometer was 41C, and on the shore it was, in some parts of the town, 38C, and in others 40C.


As has been noted on this forum before, one distinct danger is
when people throw cigarettes from cars.

people doing this in summer should have their car crushed.

[multiweb]

Went well over 40c under shelter in my backyard this arvo in hoxton park. The wind was like a hairdryer but not dry enough to dry the sweat. I'm amazed the blue mountains didn't light up. They usually do a day like today.

[andyc]

[QUOTE=torana68;1215472]
Hi Roger, the November day that was hotter was the 25th November 1982 (http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062_All.shtml), no reason to suggest it isn't a robust observation. But more extremes like this aren't exactly surprising...

We were lucky it wasn't hotter, but the evaporative cooling effect of having had a decent drop of rain in the past few weeks probably prevented the record and saved the bush from lighting up.

[Paul Haese]

We get somewhere between 5 and 10 days over 40 each summer in Adelaide. Already had one this year. Had a couple of 36-39's too. Used to this sort of thing, maybe you guys over that side of the continent will get a few more in the coming years. Over here we consider it as being normal. Like walking into an oven. ;)

[RB]

Have to admit Paul, we're not used to walking into ovens over here.....:lol:

[Paul Haese]

You will Andrew. Personally I don't mind 36 or so but once it gets up in the 40's its a pain. Last year I think we had 5 days over 40 in a row. It was pretty unbearable after the first 3 days. I think from memory that was part of a heat wave over 35 for about 12 days. Those sorts of days are testing. One day here and there is easy to deal with and most Adelaidians would not be concerned with the odd day here and there. It's the long heat waves that are starting become worrying. We seem to be getting longer stretches of heat during a season. Those stretches present the biggest risks for heat stroke and bush fire danger.

[RB]

Very true Paul, I remember those long stretches of heat, 40+, you guys were getting.
Don't know how you coped, very dangerous conditions indeed.
Back to back heat becomes unbearable for long stretches and we were all thinking of you guys.

Today we're back down to 22C and it's hard to believe we were in the 40s yesterday.


:)

[pgc hunter]

About to experience my first summer in Renmark, freshly transplanted from cold and cloudy Melbourne. I look at the Melbourne forecasts and observations from the other side of the fence with amusement at how much colder it is there at times. Southern Victoria be damned, I'd sooner take a month of 50C temps before I ever endure that freaking casserole of climatic afterbirth again.

We are renovating my parents houseboat, here is a happy snap from the other day inside

[BJ]

I can remember growing up in Adelaide in the 70's and having 2 week stretches of very hot temps, so hot in fact that the edges of the road used to melt and if you walked on it the roadbase would stick to your shoes like black cat chewing gum!.
Here in Qld the humidity is the issue and easily dealt with using de humidify function on the A/C, no such luck in South Australia where it is a dry heat which permeates everything and barely cools down at night.
Growing up in Adelaide was hell on earth sometimes and I am always grateful my parents decided enough was enough and moved here to paradise 32 yrs ago.....of course since then half of the rest of the country has moved here too!.

[astroron]

I agree Paul about those day after 40° temps.
I have vowed never to set foot in SA or WA again in Summer.
I can cope with the few day very hot periods here in Queenslands Sunshine Coast,but the continuous 40° + days where enough for me.:(
Cheers:thumbsup:

[AstralTraveller]

For a hot day it wan't too bad down here. It hit 42C in Albion Park and 39 at Bellambi (which is out on a point) and my place would be a bit warmer than Bellambi. But the duration of the heat was very short: it didn't get above 30 until 2pm at Albion Park and after 3pm at Bellambi and then the southerly hit at 6pm and the temperatures dropped. It seems that the hot winds hit the central coast quite early and moved south during the day but didn't get much south of Nowra.

As others have noted duration of the heat really makes a difference and this is also true of the diurnal cycle. Years ago I spent a wet season in Kununurra where for months the daily maximum was 42. A friend flew down to Perth for a week, where daily maximums were likewise consistently around 40. However she said it was no where near as hot as Kununurra. In Perth it is warm in the morning and gets hot in the afternoon before the sea breeze arrives. But, as she said, in Kununurra it was 40 at 8am when she was going to work. In October I was getting up at 3.30am for work and it was 36! It was up there that I first really realised how quickly a person can get into trouble if they run out of water.

Anyway, down here it looks like we are in for some pleasantly warm weather for a while with just enough rain the water the garden :).