Heat records smashed in 2016 in many Western Australian towns
Hydrate before reading: WA’s record-smashing hottest towns for 2016http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/hydrate-before-reading-was-recordsmashing-hottest-towns-for-2016-20170106-gtmxnw.html
If you complained about the heat in Perth earlier this week, spare a thought for our friends in the north of the state, who sweltered through their hottest year ever.
The Bureau of Meteorology has just released its annual climate updates and while cooler than normal temperatures in the south stopped WA’s overall annual numbers blowing out, towns up north broke records that make you uncomfortable just reading about them.
Wyndham Aerodrome set a new Australian record for annual average maximum: 37.5 degrees.
Kununurra broke its 1992 record of 36.4 to set a new one: 36.7.
Derby broke its 2015 record of 35.7 with 36.3.
Bureau of Meteorology liaison Glenn Cook said Broome equalled its record average of 33.3 for the first time since 1988.
Other Kimberley towns to break their own daytime records were Warmun Aboriginal community, Troughton Island, Cygnet Bay, Doongan Station and Argyle Aerodrome.
And residents got no relief at night, Mr Cook said, with sites across the Pilbara and Kimberley also breaking their records for highest annual mean minimums.
Troughton Island set a new Australian record of 27 degrees.
Broome, Port Hedland, Karratha and Derby all broke 2010 overnight temperature records with new highs of 23.5, 21.5, 22.0 and 23.5.
Overall for 2016, the region had its hottest average overnight temperatures ever, and its second-hottest average daytime temperatures.
They couldn’t even have the relief of saying “but it’s a dry heat”, as WA also had its wettest year since 2011……Troughton Island set a new Australian record of 27 degrees.
Broome, Port Hedland, Karratha and Derby all broke 2010 overnight temperature records with new highs of 23.5, 21.5, 22.0 and 23.5.
Overall for 2016, the region had its hottest average overnight temperatures ever, and its second-hottest average daytime temperatures.
They couldn’t even have the relief of saying “but it’s a dry heat”, as WA also had its wettest year since 2011.
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of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
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The “terra nullius” trap is so easy.
I suggest using phrases like “the hottest year in written records”. The aim is not to imply that “oral” records don’t count and not to ignore the 99.5% of human history in Australia. I have no doubt that any terra nullius implication was unintended.
Geologists and anthropologists can probably give a reasonable climate account for the last 40,000 years.
Best wishes for 2017
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