Which Was Walgett’s Hottest Month
By Paul Homewood
Australia, so we are told, has just had its warmest summer on record. January was much the hottest month of the season and New South Wales saw the biggest anomalies.
The hottest place in NSW was Walgett, which logged 48.5C, but we have already discovered that this figure pales into insignificance, when compared with the 49.2C recorded as long ago as 1903. But what about the monthly average for January? Surely this year must have been the hottest?
Well,err, no actually.
The average max temperature for January 2013 was 38.7C. (You’ll have to add them up like I did!). Now compare!
We do in fact find that January 1903 was slightly cooler. But, we also find that January 1882 was much hotter still, at 41.3C. January 1896 was almost as hot, at 41.2C.
Indeed, a quick check through the record shows that seven years that had hotter Januaries than 2013.
So the hottest month, in the hottest town, in the hottest state turns out to be 2.6C cooler than 131 years ago.
They call it global warming!
Here it is without having to add it up.
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/station.jsp?lt=site&lc=52088&list=ds&of=of_a&ot=ot_a&mm=01&yyyy=2013&sub=go
May need to save this file as may rollover at the end of this month.
But as you are aware, any temps before 1910 are not recognised by the BOM for purposes of record setting, etc.
Very convenient!
Of course, whenever they scream about heat waves, I like to remind them about Marble Bar’s record (which still hasn’t been met or exceeded): most consecutive days of maximum temperatures of 37.8 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) or more, during a period of 160 such days from 31 October 1923 to 7 April 1924.
Which was BEFORE the level of CO2 went above the upper safe limit of 350PPM.