Mid West breaks records as temperatures soar with zero rainfall, BOM says reprieve expected by end of May
With a hint of a chill rolling in on Anzac Day morning, residents of the Mid West were wondering if it was time to grab out their jumpers and coats from the back of the cupboard.
However, consistently high temperatures and little to no rain has left the region wondering what season it is really in, and if winter was actually coming.
From May 7 to May 9, Geraldton Airport recorded maximum temperatures over 34C for three consecutive days (34.2C, 35.9C and 36.6C respectively), a statistic that hasn't been seen in Geraldton since 1959, according to Bureau of Meteorology senior climatologist Yanhui Blockley.
'It's very rare the temperature will reach that of or above 34C so late in autumn,' she said.
'On Friday, May 9, the temperature reached 36.6C, the equal-highest May temperature on record, with the last maximum occurring on May 12, 2018.
'That persistent warm weather or hot weather is unusual. It's about 5C warmer than the average maximum May temperature.'
A persistent high pressure system off the coast of WA has brought easterly winds that push rain clouds away, leading to persistent dry, hot days with little to no rainfall.
So far in May, Geraldton has received zero rainfall, with the wider Mid West region only recording 0.4mm.
The average rainfall for Geraldton Airport for the month of May is 69.5mm.
Ms Blockley said to expect the clouds to open towards the end of the month.
'As the days draw closer to winter we expect some rainfall coming with a cold front,' she said.
'We may also see conditions similar to May 2019, where Geraldton only recorded 1.9mm for the entire month.
'However, we will continue to monitor this, but rain is predicted to fall at the end of May.'
This would bring a sigh of relief to many worried farmers who have begun seeding and are awaiting rainfall to ensure a decent harvest.
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