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Mackay is an oddball climate which I've never really been able to fully explain. Rockhampton, Gladstone, and Seventeen Seventy are all warmer in winter despite being further south; Gladstone is 18.7°C in July and is almost 2°C warmer in July. Even Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island (right next to Brisbane) is warmer (17.4°C in July).
Ok, that makes some tropicals. Brisbane is almost tropical climate I don’t think at all it’s quintessential subtropical, but it is middle of what cultural subtropical Australia is.
Ok, that makes some tropicals. Brisbane is almost tropical climate I don’t think at all it’s quintessential subtropical, but it is middle of what cultural subtropical Australia is.
"Almost tropical" is the Australian definition of subtropical.
I dare say, it's probably the definition used by many (most?) people elsewhere too.
"Almost tropical" is the Australian definition of subtropical.
I dare say, it's probably the definition used by many (most?) people elsewhere too.
I agree.
To a lot of people (who aren't weather nerds) "subtropical" means to them "almost tropical"...
inteview the average person on the street in NYC or even DC and they will say places like
Orlando, Florida ....or maybe Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as being subtropical and not their own city.
To a lot of people (who aren't weather nerds) "subtropical" means to them "almost tropical"...
inteview the average person on the street in NYC or even DC and they will say places like
Orlando, Florida ....or maybe Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as being subtropical and not their own city.
That’s silly, because that leaves subtropical vegetation like mountain laurel or palmettos or canebrake existing in places that aren’t subtropical or tropical? That essentially makes the continental designation useless.
Although most local residents say subtropical starts south of Sydney, I’d tend to agree.
Perth, despite being Mediterranean, has yearly means similar to Brisbane too.
On the OP, most of the North Island of NZ is a fairly tepid climate, certainly not classic subtropical.
North Carolina gets my vote, despite its more continental variations.
Just curious, did you cast your vote based on your own viewpoint solely, or was it informed by what you’d read in the thread?
That’s silly, because that leaves subtropical vegetation like mountain laurel or palmettos or canebrake existing in places that aren’t subtropical or tropical? That essentially makes the continental designation useless.
What is subtropical vegetation though? Is it vegetation that grows within zones determined by a 19th century climatologist/botanist? Is it vegetation evolved to grow year round? Is it vegetation that needs a warm summer?
Mackay is an oddball climate which I've never really been able to fully explain. Rockhampton, Gladstone, and Seventeen Seventy are all warmer in winter despite being further south; Gladstone is 18.7°C in July and is almost 2°C warmer in July. Even Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island (right next to Brisbane) is warmer (17.4°C in July).
Some climates can be a bit gimmicky down here, to look more oceanic.
If you lived in Mackay there’s no way you’d find it subtropical and cooler than these further south locations.
The yearly means also look pretty tropical to me.
Just curious, did you cast your vote based on your own viewpoint solely, or was it informed by what you’d read in the thread?
These are my own opinions, and probably biased as to what most would locally consider subtropical down here.
To me, subtropical starts about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, where the vegetation changes too.
Bear in mind we simply don’t have or experience continental climates in the Southern Hemisphere.
In Mackay, only July is below the 18C mean ( tropical threshold )
Checking the last 15 years of July's at the Mackay Regional Office, the monthly mean is 18.1c. and 17.7c at the Mackay Airport.
Mackay, in the AU psyche is definitely tropical ( or to those of us from further north 'tropical lite' ).
No one I know thinks Brisbane is 'tropical' ( have worked in Brisbane in winter and sure as hell it wasn't tropical...lol ). very much subtropical in the AU view of these things.
And even the AU BOM describes the climate of Sydney as 'warm temperate oceanic', refraining from using the term 'subtropical'.
This is a pic of the town of Bellingen inland of Coffs Harbour....quintessential AU version of a subtropical climate.
Bellingen, located a 30*S in North Eastern NSW and some 25klm inland from the coast at the foot of the Great Dividing Range. the higher peaks of the Ranges rise over 1500m ( 5.000') and see some winter snowfalls. The lee side of the Ranges are the wettest sites in NSW, with some regions recording 2000mm ( 80")per annum.
The town itself is a former logging village that has transformed itself into a hidden getaway from the heavily populated central coasts ( Newcastle-Sydney-Wollongong ).
The Waterfall Way between Armidale and Coffs Harbour is right up there amongst the prettiest drives in Australia.
Last edited by greysrigging; 04-10-2024 at 05:27 PM..
Reason: spelling
What is subtropical vegetation though? Is it vegetation that grows within zones determined by a 19th century climatologist/botanist? Is it vegetation evolved to grow year round? Is it vegetation that needs a warm summer?
It's vegetation common to mainly lowland areas 23 degrees to 35 degrees N/S latitude, the geographic subtropics. Some of these places share flora in common with lower latitude tropics and some with cooler mid latitude areas but overall there would be unique ecoregions, like the southeastern yellow pine region or southern Californian chaparral.
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