NH Winter/SH Summer 2023-2024

Heavy precipitation band incoming. Around 27 mm expected from noon until tomorrow morning. It will probably start as snow, but will turn to rain later. Interesting to see what will fall down the sky.

There needs to be more weather stations in that area, especially the flat lands between Carnarvon and Gascoyne junction.

Outback WA region facing third heatwave this summer could be hottest place in Australia
( source: ABC Pilbara )

^^A region covering the northern Gascoyne and Pilbara could be the hottest area in the country.(ABC Pilbara: Michelle Stanley)

In short: The "heat triangle" takes in the north-west towns of Onslow, Telfer and Gascoyne Junction, more than 1,000 kilometres north of Perth.
The area has suffered several extreme heatwaves this year, with temperatures rising above 47 degrees Celsius on numerous occasions.
What's next? Temperatures in the region are expected to continue to rise and have increased 1 degree on average over the last fifty years.
Meteorologists consider a triangular-shaped region in outback WA to be one of the hottest areas in Australia. So what is it about this region that makes it so warm?

The "heat triangle" takes in the north-west towns of Onslow, Telfer and Gascoyne Junction, more than 1,000 kilometres north of Perth.

Residents in the triangle are sweltering through their third heatwave this summer, and temperatures in some parts are set to reach 48 degrees Celsius over four consecutive days starting this weekend.


Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Blair Trewin said the triangular area had some similarities to some of the hottest places in other parts of the world.
"You're pretty much at the same latitude as the Persian Gulf and the middle of the Sahara desert," Dr Trewin said.

Dr Trewin said the hottest parts of the planet tended to be inland areas at 25-degree latitude north and south of the equator.
While it may not be an inland town, Onslow made headlines in 2022 when the mercury hit 50.7 Celsius.

It equalled the record set in 1960 in Oodnadatta in South Australia for the hottest day recorded in Australia.

While Onslow has lower averages than some of its inland neighbours, Dr Trewin said the town saw a higher spike on that day because it was at sea level.
"Certain inland places like Newman and Meekatharra, both of them have record high temperatures just over 47 degrees," Dr Trewin said.
"The sea level equivalent is about 52 degrees, so if they were at sea level, their record would be 52 degrees."

Dr Trewin said temperatures decreased between 0.7C to 1C degree for every 100 metres of elevation.

Hotter than recorded
While most people who live in the heat triangle are used to the heat, some believe this year has been hotter than what is officially recorded.

The Shire of Upper Gascoyne takes in 46,000 square kilometres, but there are no BOM measuring stations.

Its Tourism and Community Development Officer, Ainsley Hardie, said the shire managed its own manual weather station and fed data to the Bureau of Meteorology.

"Our pastoralists have weather stations set up, and we ring around to them to get information, but it's not an official record," Ms Hardie said.
"We had one of our pastoralists ringing in the other day and they had 49 degrees at their place and wanted that to be recorded on BOM, but it's not as simple as that.
"Gascoyne Junction is like 80 per cent of the size of Tasmania, and people ask us about the weather, but it's like asking someone in Hobart the weather for Launceston."
Ms Hardie said multiple pastoralists had rung in with 50C-plus readings this summer.
"There really is a distinction when you start to go over 45 degrees, and it's very different to those lower 40-degree days we have," she said.
"It's like that feeling when you open an oven door, and it all just flies out onto you."

Nathan McGill and his family have been experiencing their first summer in Onslow.
Despite a few days in the high 40s, he said conditions had been more pleasant than other places they had lived.
"We were living in Indonesia for 10 years prior on the equator, so the temperature is much lower there," Mr McGill said.
"But because of the humidity, it was actually more uncomfortable with 32 degrees than it is in Onslow with 45 with a nice ocean breeze and great facilities."

Heat Rivals:
Dr Trewin said the only other Australian region that rivalled this patch of northern WA was an area in the eastern interior centred around the remote Queensland town of Birdsville.

"If you look at the second half of the 20th century, the hottest Pilbara sites are a couple of degrees hotter than Birdsville, but that gap has been closing for the last 20 years," Dr Trewin said.
"[Northern WA] has warmed a degree in the last fifty years whereas a lot of the eastern interior it's more like two degrees."
Dr Trewin said Northern WA temperatures had not risen as fast because the wet season had also intensified over the same period.

Well, all these 'pastoralists' claiming +50c actually dont 'get' the whole DALR thingy.... Places in the Pildara and Gascoyne at 300-500m asl ain't gunna crack the big Five 0.
There are some sites out there.... Paraburdoo at 424m asl made it to 48.1c a few weeks ago... all time record for the site.

Chilly afternoon. 43F as of 2 PM with a wind chill of 35F. Unfortunately today's high will be 61F because of the cold front arrived just after midnight. Temp has been in the low 40's during the daylight hours.

Lows forecast in the upper 20's tonight and tomorrow night. Then warming up quite a bit with temps in the upper 70's the middle of next week. Wouldn't be surprised to hit 80F for the first time this year.

Western WA town cracks Australia’s top ten hottest temperatures
(source: Weatherzone )

^^Observed temperatures at 1pm AWST with overlaid Oracle model temperatures over the region.

Temperatures reached close to 50 degrees over parts of WA’s Gascoyne and Central West, setting new town records over the region, and ranking in some of Australia’s hottest temperatures ever recorded.

The Gascoyne region of Western Australia spans over 135,000 square kilometres (about double that of Tasmania), yet only has a total of 6 weather stations monitoring conditions across the region. Two of these stations managed to get within 0.2°C of the scorching 50-degree mark, setting station records, and ranking in some of Australia’s hottest temperatures ever recorded.

The 49.9°C recorded at Carnarvon Airport is:

Hottest location in Australia today (Sunday 18th) and for this summer.

2nd hottest February temperature ever recorded in Australia.

Tied 8th hottest temperature ever recorded in Australia (any month).

Hottest day ever recorded at the town, with records dating back to 1883.

The highest temperature recorded in the world so far in 2024.

Some 100 kilometres to the south, Shark Bay Airport, which services the town of Denham, reached a maximum temperature of 49.8°C, making it tied 3rd hottest February maximum ever recorded, and again, a station record.

And, while not in the Gascoyne district, the town of Geraldton in WA’s Central West was the third location in Australia on Sunday 18th to reach the 49-degree mark, with temperatures peaking at 49.3°C. This is the third time this month that Geraldton Airport has reached above 46 degrees, and makes it the hottest day on record for the town, with records dating back to 1877.

56 (13 c) today, tomorrow should be in the 60s. February has been great—generally mild, a few snowfalls and a record rainstorm. As a whole this has been quite a good winter, only the first 10 days of January sucked but I wasn’t here then.

Orders of magnitude better than last winter which had a terrible November, January, and March.

Median highs per cool season, 22-23 vs 23-24

Nov:  49.0    60.0
Dec:  47.0    51.0
Jan:  39.0    45.0
Feb:  49.0    48.0
Mar:  49.0  Likely warmer

Much milder December and January and winter didn’t start in November. Mild November makes a massive difference.

And this cold season hasn’t lacked for snow, sitting at 24.0”, last season only had 27.0” through February despite being much colder. And this winter still had the coldest January temp in 40 years despite being an overall mild winter.

Looks like the heat and drought might break in the southern Pilbara and Gascoyne in the next few days.

44.1C so far today after a 26C low. By far the warmest low this summer, this Fuckuary had severely cold lows. Was delightful in the shed at work.  Unfortunately, it's not Saturday so no post-work beer binge. That hot hair dryer air gives me a perverse pleasure. Much better than boring gay ass wishy washy mid-high 20's with 10-15C lows bullshit in mid crummer. 


A severe to extreme polar outbreak (as per usual) will result in a 30C temp drop overnight, and a lame and gaybo 26C tomorrow followed by 10C lows