Why does coastal Australia get short scorching heatwaves and then it goes back mild? (hot, temperatures)

[lightningfire]

If you look at weather data, you’ll notice that you could have a random scorching 40c/104f day and then the next it could be a cool 22c/72f.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

It's all about winds. Same thing can happen in California here in the US, coastal LA can hit 90°F one day with Santa Ana's, and then if the winds reverse the next day, they'll only hit 65°F

[FVWinters]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

It's all about winds. Same thing can happen in California here in the US, coastal LA can hit 90°F one day with Santa Ana's, and then if the winds reverse the next day, they'll only hit 65°F

It'll do that in Oregon, too. Brookings, on the south coast about a half dozen miles from the California border, can have 98 degree temperatures under a northeast wind. Nearby Gold Beach can have a westerly breeze right off the water and shiver at 60.

[gordo]

In the northern Patagonia portion of inland Chile and extreme western Argentina, there's also large summer temperature shifts. In Peulla a village in Chile just to the west of Bariloche Argentina there's temperatures in the current weather forecast ranging form 34°C (93°F) to 12°C(54°F)

I think that it's due to the collision of cool Pacific air from the southwest, against the hot dry air in Argentina.

[psyche_da_mike24]

Has something to do with high-pressure across the Southern Ocean and heat lows moving across the continent.

[jbgusa]

Many areas near oceans have that situation. In New York City it can be in the 90's F, upper 30's C for three or four days, then spend a few days in the upper 60's - low 70's. During the springtime it can be around 90 as far noth as Albany or even Montreal, whereas NYC is shivering in the 50's.

[Ethereal]

The heat here in southeastern Australia comes from the hot, arid continental interior of the country. At the same time, coastal cities in the southeast face a large cool ocean that is 'attached' to Antarctica. There are no landmasses (with highlands) that can block the cold damp air coming from Antarctica. Hence the reason why we experience 'cool changes' on hot days. This is just a layman's explanation (I'm no expert here).

This cool change is called the "Southerly Buster": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southerly_Buster

[bbtm100912]

Originally Posted by Ethereal

The heat here in southeastern Australia comes from the hot, arid continental interior of the country. At the same time, coastal cities in the southeast face a large cool ocean that is 'attached' to Antarctica. There are no landmasses (with highlands) that can block the cold damp air coming from Antarctica. Hence the reason why we experience 'cool changes' on hot days. This is just a layman's explanation (I'm no expert here).

This cool change is called the "Southerly Buster": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southerly_Buster

Ah, I was racking my brain for how that sounded familiar and then I thought of it.

Time for a cool change
I know that it's time for a cool change
Now that my life is so prearranged
I know that it's time for a cool change


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKwRW0l-Qk

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by bbtm100912

Ah, I was racking my brain for how that sounded familiar and then I thought of it.

Time for a cool change
I know that it's time for a cool change
Now that my life is so prearranged
I know that it's time for a cool change


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKwRW0l-Qk

That's especially appropriate since Little River Band is an Australian group.