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Gusty westerly winds with a front to the south bring rain to TAS & a few showers to VIC & southeast SA. Rain & storms in north & central WA and the NT's west due to humid, unstable air. Onshore winds and showers in southwest WA. A high maintains mostly dry conditions elsewhere.
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Today, 5:15AM UTC
Desert drenching in the Pilbara
The heaviest September rain in half a century has fallen over the Pilbara region of Western Australia overnight, with heavy rain still to come for a majority of Australia’s desert areas. Widespread falls of 20-50mm fell over the Pilbara and Kimberley on Saturday night and is continuing on Sunday. Some of the standouts in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday have been: 38mm at Newman, its wettest September day in 59 years of records 24mm at Wyndham, its wettest September day in 55 years 18mm at Fitzroy Crossing, its wettest September day in 50 years 23mm at Argyle, its wettest September day in 39 years of records Video: Estimated radar from Weatherzone Business Oracle, with satellite and rainfall observations of the rain falling on Saturday night and Sunday morning. The mining camps of Fortescue Dave Forest (61mm), Coondewanna (57mm), and Christmas Creek (53mm) made up the wettest locations in the Pilbara. The remote Kimberley community of Yulmbu recorded the heaviest falls across the state of 65mm in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday. Image: Observed 24hr rainfall to 9am WST on Sunday September 22 Falls this heavy are extremely uncommon over the region at this time of year. Newman’s September average is a piddly 4.8mm, with well over half of Septembers recording no rainfall at all. A feed of tropical moisture is congregating over the Pilbara region, stemming from the tropical disturbance that brought Darwin its wettest September day in 43 years last week. This moisture has now linked up with a trough and has formed into a northwest cloudband. Image: Visible satellite on Sunday morning showing the northwest cloudband over northern WA Over the next 72 to 96 hours, this northwest cloudband will continue to deliver heavy, unseasonable falls to large parts of inland WA, the southern NT, and northern parts of SA. The WA-NT border area is expected to see the highest falls, with the potential to see 100-160mm fall over a three-day period. Image: ECMWF forecast rainfall to Tuesday evening over northern Australia. A flood watch has been issued for the Sturt Creek District, Sandy, Tanami and Western Desert catchments, with both flash-flooding and riverine flooding in the region over the coming days. You can keep up to date with the latest warnings at Weatherzone.com.au.
Today, 2:37AM UTC
Understanding Hot Air Balloon Navigation
Hot air balloons are designed to be lighter than air, allowing them to ascend and float with the wind. Unlike traditional aircraft, commercial balloons lack flight control features such as ailerons, stabilizers, or rudders. Instead, balloon pilots navigate through changes in elevation, utilising varying wind directions and speeds at different altitudes. Credit: EnricoDias In Australia, hot air balloons typically fly in the cooler periods around sunrise. Since hot air balloons only move with the wind, flights are scheduled to operate during the early morning when winds are calmer, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for passengers. With all that surface area exposed to the wind, a balloon can become difficult to handle if the surface wind exceeds 15-20 km/h. If the winds are too strong, a pilot will consider delaying or cancelling the flight. For observers on the ground, the wind felt on one's face may not be the same as the wind blowing at 500 or 1,000 meters above. By knowing the wind direction and speed at higher levels, balloon pilots can pre-plan the flight path and establish target locations for landing. Directional shear: Wind direction changing with increasing height. (Source: US National Weather Service) A change in wind direction or speed with height is known as wind shear. The image above illustrates wind blowing to the northwest at the surface, with the direction shifting clockwise with altitude and becoming northeast at the balloon's altitude. By adjusting the balloon's altitude, the pilot can take advantage of these varying wind directions to change the flight direction effectively. The Importance of Pre-Flight Planning in Hot Air Ballooning Pre-flight planning is crucial for a successful hot air balloon flight. Before a commercial flight, a pilot seeks to obtain wind observations from a nearby airport, capturing wind speed and direction within altitudes defined by aviation regulations. Additional information can also be accessed through wind forecasts provided by weather agencies that utilise numerical weather prediction models. Below is the flight path of a weather balloon departing from Melbourne International Airport and heading toward Licola, approximately 150 kilometres to the east. As the balloon ascends, its flight path changes due to varying wind fields encountered at different altitudes. Flight path of a weather balloon launched from Melbourne International Airport by the Bureau of Meteorology (Source: SondeHub Tracker) Numerical weather models generate forecasts not only for surface conditions but also for altitudes reaching up to 60 to 70 kilometres. Weather information, including wind forecasts above the surface, comes in various formats and can be tailored to meet pilots' needs. This detailed forecasting is essential for ensuring safe and successful hot air balloon flights. Radiosonde sounding (left image) and vertical wind profile forecast (right image) provide information on wind and temperature above the surface level. The next time you embark on a scenic balloon flight, you can feel assured that your pilot knows where you're headed and where you will safely land. So relax and enjoy the breathtaking views—your journey is in good hands!
21 Sep 2024, 4:18AM UTC
Unseasonal Heavy Rainfall Hits Northern Australia
A broad trough of low pressure has deepened over the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, extending through to the Northern Territory, bring showers, thunderstorms, and unseasonal heavy rainfall. Image: Satellite image. In Noonamah, located 45 km southeast of Darwin CBD, an impressive 54mm of rain was recorded in the last 24 hours, being that most of which failing in an hour. This is three times the average monthly rainfall for September and marks the highest 24-hour rainfall in September in the past 15 years. The town has not experienced such heavy September rainfall since 2013, with the accumulated rainfall now at 92.8 mm, more than five times the monthly average. As meteorologist Ben Domensino told in this story, rain and thunderstorms are expected to increase over northern Western Australia and western Northern Territory this weekend as tropical moisture feeds into the deepening low-pressure area. Image: 3-day total precipitation until Monday, 23 September 2024. Source: ECMWF From Sunday evening, unseasonal moderate to heavy falls are anticipated in northern WA and northwest NT. Forecasts predict widespread rainfall totals of 30-60 mm on Sunday, 30-100 mm on Monday, and 10-40 mm on Tuesday, with isolated daily falls exceeding 100 mm possible on Sunday and Monday. These conditions may lead to significant stream level rises, localised flooding, and overland inundation, potentially affecting road access and isolating some communities. Stay updated here with the latest warnings and advisories to ensure safety.
Weather in Business
28 Aug 2024, 3:51AM UTC
Gales and crosswinds cause disruptions at Sydney Airport
Gale force west to northwesterly winds are creating havoc at Sydney airport on Wednesday afternoon, with all six landing and takeoff options impacted by very strong cross winds. Sydney airport saw gale force west to northwesterly mean wind speeds of 65km/h at 12:30pm, while the site has been gusting up to 82km/h. These winds are too strong for all three runways (six landing and takeoff options) to be used safely, airport traffic typically peaks during light winds. The image below shows that two of Sydney Airport’s parallel runways are orientated from north to south, and one single runway runs from west to east. Image: Sydney Airport runway orientation showing two parallel runways running north/south and one west/east, Source: Sydney Airport The west-east runway is the longest and can accept the largest aircraft, the A380. The gale force west to northwesterly winds on Wednesday are causing around 25 knots of crosswind on each of the six runway options. Image: Weatherzone’s cross wind calculator in our Aviation Dashboard showing cross wind or X wind of 24 to 25 knots. The term ‘crosswinds’ refers to winds that blow perpendicular to the runway, which can generate a significant lateral force on the aircraft, making it difficult for pilots to maintain a stable trajectory. The strong crosswinds can cause the plane to drift off course, posing a serious risk to both the aircraft and its passengers. Sydney Airport typically changes runways when there’s sustained crosswind gusts above 20 knots (37km/h). However, on Wednesday crosswinds are affecting all runways, meaning that aircraft are often opting to use the two north-south runways to increase traffic. This has meant that some flights have tried twice to land in these difficult conditions. It is very rare for crosswinds to impact all runways and therefore this event is causing significant disruptions at the airport on Wednesday. This event is not isolated to the Sydney area, numerous severe weather warnings for gales and damaging and/or destructive winds are in place across four states and the ACT, as a strong cold front lashes Tasmania and southeastern parts of the continent. So when will these winds die down? Conditions will ease somewhat by Wednesday evening, but not before the Sydney airport peak hour between 5 and 7pm. Winds will intensify again on Friday and into the weekend as further fronts whip through southern parts of the country.
23 Aug 2024, 5:01AM UTC
A great week for Tassie Hydro
Hundreds of millimetres of rainfall are forecast for western Tasmania in the next week, which will help replenish hydroelectric lakes in the region after some of the lowest rainfall on record. Hydropower is Tasmania’s main source of electricity, with frequent rain filling Tassie Hydro’s 54 major dams and feeding into 30 hydropower stations. In fact, during winter, the state usually exports electricity to Victoria, via the underwater Basslink. In summer, when it is usually drier, the state relies on the National Electricity Market (NEM) for a top up of power. Image: Hydroelectricity dam at Strathgordon in Tasmania According to Hydro Tasmania, they produce around 9000 gigawatts of clean renewable electricity from hydropower, enough to power 900,000 homes or businesses. The map below shows the catchments and power stations scattered across Tasmania; the largest lakes used for hydro are the Great Lake and Gordon-Pedder. The rain that falls in these catchments or dams is collected and used to generate electricity. Image: Hydro catchment areas. Source: Hydro Tasmania Usually, the west coast of Tasmania is the wettest due to prevailing westerly winds from cold fronts passing over the state, which tend to be blocked by vast mountains through central areas. During the past three months, unfortunately, this has not been the case for the west coast. Overall, the area has seen below average rain, reaching record lows in the far northwest, while the east coast saw average to above average rain. Image: Tasmania rain deciles between May 1 and July 31, 2024. Source: Bureau of Meteorology During July 2024, rain in western and central Tasmania was in the lowest 10% of Julys since 1900. The below average rain has affected water storage across western Tasmania, with some areas seeing record low or very much below average streamflow. The Great Lake was only 25.1% full by the end of July, which is a 10.4% decrease from the same time last year. Image: Streamflow decile categories for July 2024. Source: BOM The good news is that rain is on its way, with a complex low pressure system set to direct several cold fronts across the state in the coming week. Western Tasmania is forecast to see around 100 to 200mm of rain in the next 7 days, which could help fill up the western lakes, including the Gordon-Pedder. Eastern Tasmania, however, will see slightly less rain, with widespread falls of 30 to 50mm and isolated falls of 60 to 80mm. Image: Accumulated rain forecast for the next 7 days leading up to 10pm AEST on Thursday, August 29. Some of these totals will fall as snow as a cold airmass moves over the state from mid to late next week. Looking ahead, the rain should continue next Friday, August 30, and into the weekend as the low continues to linger over the region.
