July 25, 2016
If you think the South Burnett has been enjoying a warmer winter than usual, you’re right – so far, anyway.
While June delivered several days of freezing sub-zero weather to the region, the Weather Bureau reports that minimum temperatures were still 2.5 degrees above average for the month.
And so far in July, average minimum temperatures have been 2.8 degrees higher than usual.
Maximum daytime temperatures are also higher than the long term averages.
They were an average 0.1 degree higher in June, and have been 1.7 degrees higher this month.
July is normally the South Burnett’s coldest month of the year.
The Weather Bureau’s data for the 54 years between 1947 and 2001 suggests that in July we can look forward to average temperatures ranging between 4 and 18.5 degrees.
But the average so far this month has been 6.8 to 20.2 degrees.
And on Saturday, a daytime high of 27.2 degrees was just 0.2 degrees off a July record set in 1974.
The warmer-than-usual weather has also begun to confuse local plants.
Tingoora resident Keith Kratzmann reported that wattle trees at the rear of his property burst into bloom at the weekend, several weeks ahead of schedule.
“The old wattle trees relished the steady rain last week and came out in full bloom with the blue skies and extra heat on Saturday,” Keith said.
“My wife Gayle said that in her fours years at Tingoora she’s never seen such great blooms.”
southburnett.com.au has also received reports that some domestic paw-paw trees have begun to form fruit in the Kingaroy area.
However, Nanango’s pear trees are still in their leafless winter mode, and perhaps wisely so.
With Spring not due to arrive until September 1, we still have more than five weeks of winter to go.
