August brings downpours, snow and sharp temperature changes to Western Australia
Western Australia ended winter with a rainy August after one of the driest Julys on record. A series of cold fronts and powerful storm systems brought much-needed moisture to many of the state's arid areas, ABC News Australia reports.
Temperature fluctuations in Perth
August in the state was marked by rapid temperature changes. At the start of the month, Perth's maximum temperature was 17.7 degrees Celsius, and just three days later it exceeded 25 degrees. In less than a week, the city came close to its coldest August day on record: the daytime maximum reached only 12 degrees.
In August, the rain gauge in the Perth area recorded 97 mm of rainfall. This was still below the average for that measuring point, but significantly different from the exceptionally dry conditions in July. Nighttime temperatures in the city dropped to 2.5 degrees, contributing to foggy and frosty mornings.
Rain, snow and hail
Unusual August rainfall first affected the western Pilbara and the Gascoyne region. A trough and a cloud band from the Indian Ocean brought rain to areas where the average monthly August rainfall for Exmouth and North West Cape is usually only 5–10 mm. Learmonth received 12 mm overnight, and in some locations this exceeded the monthly average.
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The cloud band then carried tropical moisture southward and merged with a cold front, bringing rain from the South West region to the Goldfields. In the middle of the month, an unusual cloud band formed over the country, stretching from Exmouth on the west coast to Sydney on the east coast. It brought thunderstorms and rainfall to inland areas of the state, although totals were generally lower in the Wheatbelt and Great Southern districts.
Cold fronts also caused snow on Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range. Snow was observed there on August 8, and reports of another snowstorm came in on August 11. The cold air also brought hail to many areas.
At the end of the month, a slow-moving cold front brought another wave of rain and thunderstorms to the south of the state, prompting hazardous weather warnings. Many areas received between 10 and 50 mm of rain. At Dungin Peak, located between Cunderdin and Kellerberrin, 44.2 mm was recorded in 24 hours—the highest daily August total in 133 years.
