OCTOBER HEAT. A Record Established 31 Oct 1919. 105 deg F = 40.5 Celsius. At a number of stations the temperature exceeded the century, with a maximum of 105 deg. at Port Augusta.
OCTOBER HEAT. (1919, October 31). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929), p. 7. Retrieved October 23, 2023, from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62394118?searchTerm=october%20heat&searchLimits=#
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The morning reading of the thermometer, according to the instruments at the West Terrace Observatory, was 101.5 deg. At o’ clock the mercury had climbed to 101.8, and about three quarters of an hour later it recorded 102.8.
Perspiring people may not have observed much difference between 101.8 and 102.8, but Mr. E. W. Bromley (the State Meteorologist) and his staff were duly impressed, and when the latter point was reached they trooped proudly back to their big recording books and entered up the announcement that Thursday, October 30, 1919, had climbed above the previous apex of 102.2 deg. of October,1914.
The October comparisons of the department extend back for 62 to 63 years.
To go further, the recollections of old colonists have to be relied upon, and one such, Mr. James Moorhouse, who recently returned from Fiji said that he had never felt such a hot day on the island as was Thursday in Adelaide.
—Official Summary.— –
The following weather bulletin for South Australia was issued at. 9 p.m.:— The burst of heat experienced yesterday on the west coast spread eastward to-day, and away from the coast the weather was hot to very hot.
At a number of stations the temperature exceeded the century, with a maximum of 105 deg. at Port Augusta.
At Adelaide Wednesday night was very warm, and the minimum this morning (75.9) was with one exception the highest on record for October. As the day advanced the heat increased, and at 2.45 P.m. the shade thermometer rose to 102.8 deg., absolutely the highest maximum on record for October, the previous hottest day having been 102.2 on October 24, 1914.
A cool change set in- about 4.30 p.m., and by 9 p,m. the temperature had fallen to 70.9.
Melbourne also experienced a hot day (maximum 94 deg.). During the 24 hours ended 9 a.m., except for light showers in the south west corner of Western Australia, the Commonwealth was practically rainless. This mornings weather chart shows the existence of a depression over this State with a monsoon in the interior.
Weak anti-cyclones are noted in the east, and another “high” of moderate intensity covers sub-tropical Western Australia.
This latter system is now spreading towards this State, and with it’s advance cool southerly winds should become general tomorrow, with probably some showers.