Dust storms, thunderstorms and snow storms in Australia by Laura Gilchrist
Australia’s weather is throwing all sorts at its residents this week, everything from dust storms to unseasonably low temperatures.
Dust storms whipped up by 55 mph (90 km/h) winds struck Alice Springs at the weekend and parts of southwest Queensland on Monday. It is not unusual for southwesterly winds to raise dust after periods of hot and dry weather, and more storms are forecast for parts of Queensland on Tuesday, though these are not expected to be as severe as those earlier this week.
Severe thunderstorms were welcomed by drought-weary farmers in the Canberra region on Monday, though the rainfall that fell was not enough to make any impact on the low levels in the region’s water storage facilities. The storms weren’t so welcome in the Tamworth region of New South Wales, where a severe squall brought down trees, power lines and street lights late on Monday. A large number of homes in eastern and western areas of the city were left without power, and the high winds almost blew the roof off a school.
And as if dust and thunderstorms weren’t enough, forecasters are warning of a cold snap this week, just a couple of weeks before the official start of summer in Australia. In Hobart, Tasmania, residents woke on Monday to see Mount Wellington capped in snow, and it is forecast for all areas above 600 metres (1970 feet) in the state of Victoria on Wednesday.
Snow this late in the season is not unheard of, but it is still fairly unusual. It is expected to be cold in Melbourne on Wednesday and forecasters are also suggesting that Canberra could see record-breaking week of low temperatures, with snow for the surrounding high ground. This comes as England’s cricketers are in Australia playing warm-up matches ahead of the Ashes, a distinctly summery competition.
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