Record weather event brings bitter cold to millions
Updated . First published at
The bitterly cold start to the week in Australia’s south-east was triggered by a record weather event in Tasmania.
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded a mean sea level pressure of 1044.5hPa at a weather station at Ouse, Tasmania, just before 10am yesterday, weather data firm Weatherzone reports.
A record high pressure reading has been noted in Tasmania. Weatherzone
It would be the highest MSLP reading on record in Australia, beating the previous high of 1044.3hPa - also recorded in Tasmania in 1967.
“The term mean sea level pressure (MSLP) refers to the atmospheric pressure adjusted to Earth’s mean sea level at a given location,” Weatherzone said.
“It is calculated by taking observed air pressure at the Earth’s surface and then adjusting it to what the pressure would be at Earth’s mean sea level.”
The measurement is used to calculate high pressure systems - which bring calm, dry weather - and low pressure systems, associated with storms and rain.
“Monday morning’s provisional mean sea level record occurred as the centre of a strong high pressure system sat directly over (Tasmania),” Weatherzone said.
“This high pressure system has been intensified by a deep low pressure system sitting over the Tasman Sea, due to a process called anticyclonic intensification.”
Weatherzone attributed the chilly start to the week in the country’s south-east to this system.
Melbourne recorded a low of 3.2 degrees on Monday morning, and will stay as cold as 4 to 5 degrees for the rest of the week, with daily top temperatures not exceeding 16 degrees into next week.
Hobart is tipped for 3 degree lows today, with similarly low temperatures through the week.
Canberra is looking at multiple morning frosts and freezing lows in the coming days.
Weatherzone reported even deeper dives on Monday, with -2.7 degrees at Coldstream in Victoria, and -8.1 degrees at Liawenee in Tasmania on Monday morning.
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