Event Chronicle

1 March 2024

UK February Temperature Records

March 1st 2024. UK Met Office. England and Wales had the warmest February in a record kept since 1884. Considering the whole UK, February was the second warmest, with four of the top ten occurring in the last five years. 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2019. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2024/february-2024-warm-and-wet-for-the-uk

18 February 2024

Carnarvon (WA) Temperature Record

February 18th, 2024. A maximum temperature of 49.9°C was recorded at Carnarvon Airport on 18th February. This broke the previous record of 47.7°C by 2.2 degrees, set on on both 20th January 2015 and 6th March 2007. The old February record was 46.9°C on 9th February 1984. Continuous temperature records commenced at Carnarvon Airport in September 1948.

2 February 2024

New Wind Speed Records In Norway and Sweden

February 2nd, 2024. Storm Ingunn. Provisional new records set for sustained winds in Norway and Sweden on February 1st. In Norway, 54m/s (121.6 mph) was recorded at Kvaløyfjellet in Sømna. Data sourced by Norsk Climate Centre. In Sweden, a sustained 10 minute wind speed of 51.8m/s was recorded in Stekenjokk. Data sourced from Finnish Meteorological Institute.

31 January 2024

Brisbane – 250mm in 90 Minutes

January 30th, 2024. 250mm in 90 minutes was recorded at multiple Bureau flood warning stations in the South Pine River catchment, immediately north of Brisbane, Queensland. A major riverine flash flood event resulted along Four Mile Creek causing significant damage. The day prior had seen a record precipitable water value of 70.8mm at Brisbane Airport according to the Aerological Diagram, sourced form the Bureau of Meteorology. Intense rainfall also impacted the Caboolture River catchment to the north.

30 November 2023

French Floods Re-write Response Plans

30th November 2023. Several catchments in northern France have seen flood peaks exceed the previous record multiple times in a single month. As an example, the Laine River, near Boulogne, exceeded the previous 2012 peak 4 times in November (Record back to 1970). The new maximum discharge of 68m3/s is 20% greater than the 2012 value. The catchment is about 250km2. The associated rain gauge at Wirwignes (62896001, record back to 1988) achieved new records for every duration examined from 1-14 days during November. According to Meteo France, such rain accumulations have only been seen once before in the Pas De Calais. The ongoing disaster meant response plans required revision given the lengthy impact on utilities and services, even for those not directly flooded. €50 Million has been allocated to assist by the French Government, and €11.6 million provided by the EU. The French Public reinsurer estimates the cost of the floods to be €640 Million.

29 September 2023 | New York Post

JFK Airport in New York has wettest day since records began

JFK Airport was walloped with 7.97 inches of rain on 29 September 2023 — a new daily record dating back to 1948.

28 September 2023 | BBC

Swiss glaciers get 10% smaller in two years

In just two years, Switzerland’s glaciers have lost 10% of their total volume – as much as they lost in the three decades between 1960 and 1990.

11 September 2023 | The Guardian

Seven days of 30°C heat in September is new UK record

Forecasters said there had never been a September heatwave on record as long-lived as this year’s episode.

11 August 2023 | Washington Post

Hurricane Dora

Hurricane Dora travels from off the African coast, across Central America and transitions to a typhoon.

3 August 2023

Beijing Flash Floods

August 3rd, 2023. Beijing Meteorological Observatory. 111.8mm of rain fell in the Fengtai district of Beijing between 10 and 11 am on the 31st July, part of the heaviest rainfall for 140 years in the city, with a total of 603.6mm recorded in the urban area, in Fengtai. 744.8mm was the event maximum within the city limits at Wangjiayuan Reservoir. The previous record rain event total was 609mm from 1891 although it’s unclear at which location this record occurred. The rainfall was caused by Ex-Typhoon Doksuri.

3 July 2023 | BBC

Hottest June in UK since records began

The UK had the hottest June on record, the Met Office has confirmed.

1 March 2022

Enoggera Dam – Unusual Loading

March 1st, 2022. Brisbane. The Enoggera Reservoir peak lake level of 81.39mAHD in February 2022, had a flood loading just shy of 1:10000 Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) (1:10000 AEP level listed as 81.4mAHD) according to the approved Emergency Action Plan. Rainfall frequency assessments for the catchment indicate the 2022 event was between a 1:200 and 1:500 AEP representing a discrepancy between the flood frequency and rainfall frequency.