Breaking Weather News - Good Food, Good Wine, Good Weather

Tim Shu, 13 March 2010

With the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in full swing, the fine weather coming up could only make an evening more pleasant.

In contrast with the extreme weather over Melbourne last week, the period between the 12th-23rd of March looks particularly fine, with temperatures hovering between a comfortable 14-30 degrees every day.

Rain doesn't look too likely either, with only the evening of Friday the 19th looking like a chance of rain peeping up, with the showers moving further north and east deeper into Victoria during the evening.

The good conditions will be mirrored throughout the state during the period until the 19th where intermittent showers and storms will start elsewhere throughout Victoria, with falls over the ranges and a shower on the 23rd over the Mallee and Wimera regions.

Maybe its karma, but for those of you in Melbourne, enjoy your week of nice weather.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2010

Breaking Weather News - An ap-PAUL-ling lack of cyclones

Sam Terry, 12 March 2010

Tropical cyclones seem to have been giving Australia a wide berth of late, with none appearing since late January. But before the season ends, Australia could see just one more sneak in.

On average 13 cyclones develop in Australian waters each year. Over the 2008-09 season seven cyclones formed. In contrast this season we've only had four: Laurence, Magda, Neville and Olga.

Over the last week or so the monsoon system that usually sits over northern Australia at this time of year (often helping to generate cyclones) has faded out.

However, a monsoon trough has been sitting to the northeast over Vanuata and the Solomon Islands, funnelling in tropical moisture over far northern QLD, leading to showers and thunderstorms.

Just lately, computer model forecasts have been indicating that a low will intensify in this region and perhaps head into the Coral Sea by Tuesday the 16th of March. This cyclone, if it ever happens, will be called Tropical Cyclone Paul.

Keep an eye on the synoptic charts on weatherzone.com.au to see how this develops.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2010

Breaking Weather News - Perth parched and begging for rain

Rosebud Lambert, 11 March 2010

Perth is languishing in a long dry spell, with only 0.2mm of rain recorded since the 19th of November last year. Relief is on the way however with significant rainfall forecast for the Perth region.

A cold front will approach over the coming days with a cool change predicted to deliver much wanted rain for the Perth region late on Saturday. Perth's agony has been compounded by several periods of high temperatures this year, including some 40-degree days.

Temperatures are again soaring above average ahead of the cool change with the maximum on Thursday reaching 35 degrees, 5 above average. Friday is expected to reach a maximum of 39 as hot northeasterly winds push into the region.

The cold front arriving on Saturday will break the warm spell with cool southwesterly winds and a return to more average temperatures.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2010