Real Climate Records

With a maximum temperature of 109 deg. yesterday, Marble Bar equalled its previous heat wave record of 106 consecutive centuries established in the summer of 1921-22, and still further strengthened its claim to the title of the hottest town in Australia.

As this extraordinary spell of heat has been registered nearly a month earlier than in 1921-22, there is every possibility of the record being raised to an unheard of level.

People living in the southern half of the State find it difficult to conceive the intense heat which is a normal feature of Marble Bar’s climate. For seven months of the year, from the beginning of

October to the end of April, a day with a maximum reading of less than 90deg. is rare.

The average number of days of 90deg. and over is approximately 30 in October, 30 in November, 31 in December, 30 in January, 27 in February, 30 in March and 27 in April. In a normal year 250 days are experienced with a maximum temperature of 90deg. or more. The average number of centuries in a year is about 162, 17 of them occurring in October, 27 in November, 29 in December, 27 in January, 24 in February, 24 in March and 11 in April. The highest temperature ever recorded in Marble Bar is 120.5deg. which was recorded in January, 1905, and again in January, 1922.

Marble Bar’s previous record of 106 consecutive centuries was established between November 9, 1921, and February 22, 1922, and included 81 consecutive days of 105deg. and over. The present run of centuries began on October 15, and, in one period, from November 30 to Decem-

ber 5, the mercury reached or exceeded 110deg. every day. Between January 7 and 23 there were only two days with a maximum reading less than 110deg., and the hottest day of the summer was January 12, when 115deg. was recorded.

The Divisional Meteorologist (Mr. A. G. Akeroyd) said yesterday that the topography of the country at Marble Bar was largely responsible for the excessive heat.

Situated in a pocket in the hills, the town was only 595ft. above sea level and was open to an inflow of heat from the dry desert regions to the south-east. The iron stone formation of the country was also conducive to extreme heat.