Tuesday, April 28, 2015

World weatherwatch: California storms and outback heat

A rapidly advancing storm system affected southern California earlier this week, bringing more than an inch of rain, and prompting warnings of mudslides and flash flooding. Winter thunderstorm are not uncommon in California but these particular storm cells created the unusual sight of beaches and palm trees smothered 20-30mm deep in hailstones. A waterspout, in essence a tornado that forms over open water, was also spotted just off the coast of Santa Monica. The same winter storm left more than a foot of snow in Californian ski resorts, including Bear Mountain, and other south-western states such as Arizona and Utah, also saw large snowfalls.
Extreme heat continues to roast western Queensland in Australia, worsening drought conditions across large areas. Temperatures have exceeded 40C, several degrees above the seasonal norm, for days on end – 16 consecutive days in the small town of Boulia in the Queensland outback, peaking at 44C, although temperatures exceeded 37C every day in February. Worryingly, this region is in the midst of its climatological wet season with only a few weeks until the official dry season commences. Reservoirs are at record lows with very little farmland grazing remaining, promoting concern for the rest of the year’s agricultural industry.

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