Western Australia is no amateur when it comes to scorching temperatures. +40C days are nothing new to the region. Well, a short-lived cooler airmass has brought night and morning temperatures down a notch through parts of the state, most significantly in the Pilbara region. 

A high pressure ridge combined with southerly winds have pushed their way into WA's interior. Although this was no major cold weather system, it was a small yet welcome change to the area, but is expected to leave after today (Sunday 6th).  

Figure 1: 850hPa temperatures at 11:00 EDT Sunday 6th using ECMWF model 

Pilbara saw the most significant changes to temperature minimums in WA, as the lingering heat in the region was forced out, courtesy of this cooler air. There were a couple of towns in the Pilbara region which had their lowest 9am temperatures in over a month: 

• Marble Bar: 22.2C – lowest in 16 weeks 
• Port Hedland 23.8C – lowest in 15 weeks 
• Paraburdoo: 23.3C lowest in 2 weeks 
• Pannawonica: 25.5C lowest in 2 weeks 

We are also seeing minimum temperatures across WA running lower than their monthly averages:

• Telfer: 20.4C – 3.9C below average 
• Marble Bar: 21.9C – 3.2C below average 
• Geraldton Airport: 15.7 – 2.8C below average 
• Carnarvon: 19.4C – 2.8C below average 
• Newman Airport: 19.7C – 2.4C below average 

Unfortunately, those relatively cooler mornings will not last, as a trough draws heat back into the Pilbara region tomorrow.