The Global Warming Wrench Ratchets Forward

Eastern Australia got rains, but Western Australia got baked this summer:

By Monday morning (1 March 2010) Western Australia is almost certain to have sweltered through its hottest summer on record.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology the average of all the minimum and maximum temperatures recorded across the state this summer is likely to be 29.6°C; 0.2°C above the previous hottest summer, recorded in 1997-98, and 1.3°C above the long-term summer average of 28.3°C.

Confirmation of the state-wide summer record will follow a succession of hot months with WA recording its third hottest December and its second hottest January. This month is likely to be the third hottest February on record.

Preliminary data also suggests that by month's end WA will have recorded its hottest summer days (in terms of daytime maximum temperatures), and hottest summer nights (in terms of overnight minimum temperatures).

The state-wide records date back to 1950.

Perth, where temperature records date back to 1897, has also experienced an unusually hot and dry summer. With only three days to go, it is very likely that the summer of 2009-10 will be the city's second hottest, as well as its driest, summer on record.

So far this summer, Perth has recorded a mean maximum temperature of 31.8°C, which is 1.6°C above the long-term mean, but 0.2°C below that of the hottest summer recorded in 1977-78

In addition to the unusually warm conditions, summer in Perth has been unusually dry. Perth has recorded only 0.2 mm of rainfall during summer 2009-10 (up to 9am on 26 February), well below the average of 35.1 mm, and below the previous record dry summer in 1974-75 when only 0.8 mm was recorded. Provided no measurable rainfall is recorded in the remaining few days of summer, Perth is heading for its driest summer since rainfall records commenced in 1876.