ANNUAL

The Average Max Temp was .…….……. 24.29 °C

(which is 0.01 °C Below average)

The Highest Max Temp was …….……..... 42.8 °C

(recorded on the 15th of January at 1552)

The Lowest Max Temp was .…………..... 12.4 °C

(recorded on the 27th of August at 1112)

The Average Min Temp was ………........ 12.38 °C

(which is 0.30 °C Above average)

The Highest Min Temp was ...……............ 24.2 °C

(recorded on the 27th of January at 0701)

The Lowest Min Temp was ..………........... 1.7 °C

(recorded on the 25th of August at 0614)

The Avg Max Relative Humidity was ………. 89.85 %

(which is 2.05 % Below average)

The Avg Min Relative Humidity was ………. 39.85 %

(which is 2.18 % Below average)

The Avg Max Dew-Point Temp was ………. 14.16 °C

(which is 0.39 °C Below average)

The Avg Min Dew-Point Temp was ………... 7.15 °C

(which is 0.54 °C Below average)

The Avg Max Wind Gust was ………. 26.51 km/h

(which is 0.01 km/h Below average)

The Max Wind Gust was ……………... 61.2 km/h

(recorded from the SW on the 15th of January at 2152)

The Avg Min Wind Chill was ………...… 9.98 °C

(which is 0.07 °C Above average)

The Min Wind Chill was ……………...… -3.0 °C

(recorded on the 27th of August at 0632)

The Median Yearly Rainfall is ……. 1055.00 mm

The Total Yearly Rainfall was ……... 1156.7 mm

(which is 57.55 mm Above average)

The Highest Daily Rainfall was .…….. 111.2 mm

(A Record For Ray Tce)

(recorded on the 8th of May)

MISCELLANEOUS: (Number Of)

Rain Days ………... 108 Avg = 103.33

Thunderstorms ….... 33 Avg = 28.50

Distant Ts’s …….… 70 Avg = 49.00

Dew Days …….…. 257 Avg = 260.33

Fog Days ………..…106 Avg = 107.33

Frost Days ……......... 4 Avg = 6.33

THE YEAR 2001 IN SUMMARY (NOTABLE WEATHER EVENTS)

· The year began on a hot, dry & windy note with January seeing some extreme days. At one point between the 23rd & 25th, I recorded 3 days in a row over 40.0°C. I recorded my highest ever temperature on record with the 15th being a searing 42.8°C. This day also saw my highest ever wind gust with 61.2 km/h being recorded from the SW at 2152. This came from a strong southerly change (which had weakened some what by the time it reached us) which ripped up the NSW east coast in the evening causing damage to parts of Sydney and the Central Coast where it reached speeds of over 100 km/h..

· It wasn’t until early March that I recorded some worthwhile rainfall. It rained for just over one week between the 6th & 13th with a total of 148.4 mm & on the 9th, I recorded a daily fall of 53.0 mm.

· Early May saw some amazingly cold & wet weather for that time of year with 4 daily maximum temperatures in a row (between the 6th & 9th) being recorded at well below 18.0°C. The 6th was recorded at just 15.1°C. Rainfall totals on the other hand were very erratic with a recording of 254.0 mm being recorded between the 6th & 10th. This period saw the 7th record 107.4 mm, & the 8th record 111.2 mm, which is 218.6 mm in 2 days. This was the first time I had recorded any daily rainfall over 100 mm. The total monthly rainfall for may was 390.9 mm which was 252.05 mm above average & exceeded my previous monthly rainfall record from May 1998 with 328.0 mm.

· Early July saw some cold weather with 5 daily minimum temperatures in a row being recorded below 5.0°C. This was between the 5th & 9th, with the 8th & 9th being 2.9°C & 2.6°C respectively. Frost was also seen on 3 of these mornings. The same period saw daily maximum temperatures being recorded below 16.0°C, with the 8th only recording a maximum temperature of 14.0°C. I also saw many ocean storms which resulted in the high number of Distant Thunderstorms being recorded (3 days in a row just before the cold period mentioned above). Little rain was recorded through most of July.

· The 25th & 27th of August saw two one-off days where the 25th recorded a minimum temperature of 1.7°C, and the 27th a maximum temperature of 12.4°C. On this day I also recorded my lowest ever wind chill temperature with -3.0°C.

· November saw some dramatic weather develop particularly after the 18th where I observed a nice looking shelf cloud from a developing thunderstorm which destroyed parts of Nelson Bay, particularly around Salamander Bay & Corlette. From this day until the 21st (4 days), I recorded daily maximum wind gusts over 50.0 km/h. The highest being 57.2 km/h from the S on the 19th at 2041. This exact time also saw a minimum wind chill of just 3.0°C, never seen before so late in the year.

· The year ended with December recording several short hot spells with a maximum temperature of 39.2°C, recorded on the 30th. Bushfires became a problem later in the month in many areas of NSW due to hot & dry conditions brought on by occasionally strong & gusty NW winds & a shortage of rainfall.