Community & Business
31 July, 2024
July temps take a tumble to new lows
FREEZING temperatures had Tablelanders reaching for an extra blanket in July, with the month producing some of the coldest nights experienced for 20 years.
Weather enthusiast Richard Hole of Tolga says his equipment at Kalunga near Herberton recorded a minimum of -4.4°C on Friday 19 July in a Stevenson screen, while -7.7°C was recorded on the grass which was covered in frost.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Mareeba officially had 4.4°C on Thursday 18 July, which is the coldest night in July since the record of 4°C was set in 2001.
Walkamin also shivered with 5.7°C on 18 July, but its coldest night of that month was way back in 1984 when just 2.6°C was recorded.
Rainfall in the Mareeba area has been scarce in the past three months, with just 1mm falling in May and nothing much since. Atherton has had around 100mm in the past three months.
Richard is a keen weather watcher and wants to hear from like-minded people who would like to record the weather at their homes. He says he has an extensive website (http://weather.org.au) where he could list recordings from locals.
“There is such a lack of accurate data officially provided in our area,” he said.
“Many unofficial recordings are not accurate and that gives people the wrong impression of what is really happening. Instruments need to be checked for accuracy and they should be positioned well clear from buildings and trees.
“The temperatures the BoM provides to the media are taken from thermometers enclosed in a louvered box called a Stevenson Screen.”
He said he was prepared to loan people weather instruments and screens so they could get accurate data that compared well to the BoM readings.
“There is a large difference between screen, grass and air temperatures so it is important to state what type of reading it was,” he said.
“Grass temperatures are very useful as well and the BoM does record them. So, if people have a thermometer that records the minimum temperature, it would be good if they could put it on the grass on a frosty night in an open area away from trees or buildings.
“They could put the digital display monitor in a plastic bag to protect it from the moisture.”
He said was trying to source accurate and affordable weather stations that automatically logged data on to a computer and uploaded it on to the internet.
This could enable people to see graphs of the measurements up until the current time.
Richard also invented a simply installed hanging weather instrument shelter that can even hang on a clothesline or fence.
“The readings in it compare well to a Stevenson Screen,” he said.
“I’ve also invented an accurate rain gauge that can be read several metres away. Rainfall is more easily measured than from other accurate gauges and it does not need to be emptied often.”
He is also seeking any records especially of extreme weather in the past along with people to help set up equipment.
Anyone interested in getting involved with a weather group or taking weather readings can contact Richard on 4095 4354 or email richardhole1970@gmail.com
