Damaging Winds To Threaten Parts of Southeast AU Tuesday

A quick moving cold front will bring a period of strong to potentially damaging winds to parts of SA, VIC, TAS and NSW on Tuesday. The highest winds are expected along the coast and across the mountainous terrain.

Windy Weather Setup

A vigorous wintertime disturbance and cold front will move from the Bight across southeast AU on Tuesday. At the same time, high pressure will be positioned near Brisbane. The counter-clockwise flow around the high pressure combined with the approaching cold front from the Bight will generate an 8-14 hour period of high winds.

Winds will increase out of the north and northwest early Tuesday. Once the cold front passes, winds will shift to the west in many locations.

A band of gusty showers and isolated thunderstorms will accompany the cold frontal passage. Localised wind gusts higher than whats depicted on the map below are possible in the strongest showers or thunderstorms.

Damaging wind gusts of 80 kph or greater are possible from coastal SA into coastal southern VIC and across most of TAS. Additionally, the Alpine region will also see the potential for damaging winds, particularly at elevations above 1,000 meters.

Winds will remain gusty across portions of SA, VIC, and TAS on Wednesday as the unsettled weather pattern continues.

Hot Weather Pattern This Week For Southeast Asia

A hot high pressure system will set up near the Korean Peninsula this week bringing a prolonged period of heat to eastern China, Korea, and Japan.

Hot Weather Pattern

The hot temperatures have already moved into Japan this weekend. On Saturday, Tokyo reached a high of 35.4 C which is the hottest day so far in 2018. This value is expected to be topped, perhaps several times, through this Friday.

High pressure will meander near the Korean Peninsula through the upcoming week and supply the region with a favorable environment for hot temperatures. The most anomalous temperature departures are expected across southern Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and eastern China.

The hot temperatures combined with a rather stagnant flow will magnify air quality concerns across southeast Asia.

Beside Tokyo, other major cities expected to feel the heat include Seoul and Beijing. High temperatures will be several degrees above average, and in some areas temperatures will challenge monthly record highs.

Looking beyond the upcoming week, the hottest of the weather will likely shift westward and center itself from the Korean Peninsula to eastern China. Cities like Seoul and Beijing may see event hotter high temperatures materialize after the forecast period through 20-July.

2018 Precipitation Trends: Wet In The Mid-Atlantic, Drought Expands In Southwest

Earlier in July UBIMET meteorologists looked at temperature trends so far in 2018 for the US. This article will analyze precipitation trends across the US through the first 193 days of 2018. 

2018 US Precipitation Data

Climate records from the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC) show that 545 stations are having a wetter than average 2018, compared with 277 stations seeing a drier than average year. Stations in the SERCC database have a period of record of at least 30 years.

In general, the eastern half of the US and parts of the northern Rockies have experienced above average precipitation, while the Plains and Southwest have seen below average precipitation. As a result of the drier weather in the Southwest and Plains, drought conditions have worsened so far in 2018.

The ratio of wetter than average to drier than average locations is about 2:1.

Out of the 822 US climate stations, 282 have a period of record that is greater than or equal to 100 years. Within this data set a similar ratio of wetter than average to drier than average locations is observed.

Looking even further into the data, 32 stations are seeing a top 3 wettest year on record through 12-July, while 16 locations are having a top 3 driest year.

Richmond, Virginia and Wilmington, North Carolina, are off to their record wettest year for their period of record, which is 122 years and 144 years, respectively. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is having their 3rd wettest year on record with precipitation records dating back to 1875.

2018 Temperature Trends: Most US Cities Warmer Than Average

2018 is more than halfway over, and temperatures across most of the United States are warmer than the long-term average.

2018 US Temperature Data

Climate records from the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC) show that 731 stations are experiencing temperatures that are warmer than average, while 97 stations are colder than average. Stations in the SERCC database have a period of record of at least 30 years.

The city with the most anomalous warmth is Kotzebue, Alaska which is 2.4°C (4.3°F) above their 30-year average temperature, while Havre, Montana is the city with the most anomalous cold at 1.7°C (3.0°F) below their 30-year average.

Out of the 828 US climate stations, 285 have a period of record that is greater than or equal to 100 years. Within this data set a similar trend of warmer than average to colder than average temperatures are observed.

Looking even further into the data, 39 stations are seeing a top 3 warmest year on record through 11-July, while there are no stations currently experiencing a top 3 coldest year.

Just in July alone, record-breaking warmth gripped parts of the Great Lakes, Northeast, and southern California with several dozen record highs.

The US temperature data so far from 2018 is in line with predictions made in the latest version of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change from 2014.