Any unusual weather patterns in your part of the world recently?
@RawBill1 (8531)
Gold Coast, Australia
March 31, 2010 10:57pm CST
Today is the first of April here in Australia. 
I live on the Gold Coast in Sub-Tropical Queensland on the East Coast. We have had 90 days so far this year. Out of those 90 days we have only had 14 dry days without any rain at all! That equates to 2 weeks out of 13 that have been dry. We have had eleven weeks of rainy days so far this year! It is incredible! 
There has been major flooding of local rivers, I have had my office and garage under water. (minor damage thankfully) There has also been major flooding in South Western Queensland to the west of me. These areas to the west are in the desert and have been praying for rain. (Perhaps they prayed too much)
The area that was under water was about the same size as the state of Victoria in Australia, or about half the size of Texas in the USA!
It is not unusual to get more rain than normal at this time of year as it is our wet season, but to have this much consistently over a period of time is very unusual.
What has the weather been like so far this year in your part of the world?
Has it been any different than normal? 
I live on the Gold Coast in Sub-Tropical Queensland on the East Coast. We have had 90 days so far this year. Out of those 90 days we have only had 14 dry days without any rain at all! That equates to 2 weeks out of 13 that have been dry. We have had eleven weeks of rainy days so far this year! It is incredible!
There has been major flooding of local rivers, I have had my office and garage under water. (minor damage thankfully) There has also been major flooding in South Western Queensland to the west of me. These areas to the west are in the desert and have been praying for rain. (Perhaps they prayed too much)
The area that was under water was about the same size as the state of Victoria in Australia, or about half the size of Texas in the USA!
It is not unusual to get more rain than normal at this time of year as it is our wet season, but to have this much consistently over a period of time is very unusual.
What has the weather been like so far this year in your part of the world?
Has it been any different than normal? 2 people like this
8 responses
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
1 Apr 10
I've woken up to a thin layer of snow this morning but, it was forecast and it has been pretty cold the last few days...I guess thats because I have a weeks holiday from work.
We had a lot less rain than usual in this area sort of November to February so I would imagine we'll get an early hosepipe ban this year (Though that has more to do with the water companies not fixing leaks!!)
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
1 Apr 10
I'm off for part of next week too and the forecast is for rain right the way through. Supposed to be sunny the day I have a hospital appointment.
I'm not even going to start on councils...I've just had my Council Tax bill for the years and I'll be paying about 20% of my pay each month to them 
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Apr 10
Yes, we could start a whole other long and irate discussion about everyone's dealings with their councils, I am sure! 
Hopefully they have erred with their predictions of rain and it rains only on the day that you will be at the hospital! 
Hopefully they have erred with their predictions of rain and it rains only on the day that you will be at the hospital! @RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Apr 10
So the weather always turns nasty when you have time off work too huh? I thought that this phenomenon only happened to me!
The strange thing here is that even though our water supply dam for the city is overflowing and gardens do not really need watering, we still have enforced water restrictions. This is a blanket one size fits all ban across the whole regional area which involves several different councils. Other areas are not getting as much rain as we have and their dams are no where near full, so the restrictions stay!
The strange thing here is that even though our water supply dam for the city is overflowing and gardens do not really need watering, we still have enforced water restrictions. This is a blanket one size fits all ban across the whole regional area which involves several different councils. Other areas are not getting as much rain as we have and their dams are no where near full, so the restrictions stay! 
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
1 Apr 10
The rain finally came after 4 months of drought and dry air. Going out is almost impossible without any kind of sunscreen protection as the hot weather outside is very damaging to the skin. Too much rain is also a problem as many places will be flooded but luckily this time the rain wasn't too heavy but good enough to give the plants and grasses back to their greenery.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Apr 10
It is always great to get green back into the surrounding landscape. It is green all year round here fortunately. We did have a lot of dry weather in 2003-04 and it dried right out in winter making the grass crunchy. This only usually happens in Summer in the southern parts of Australia that are further from the tropics.
We do not need too much more rain, but it keeps on coming which I should not complain about as long as it comes in small doses! 
1 person likes this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Apr 10
I do count my blessings. The weather here is warm with high rainfall most of the year in comparison to most of Australia, which is why I chose to move to this region. Things grow like mad here too. Plants love it!
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
8 Apr 10
I have experienced one white Christmas Alice and it was a very different and amazing experience!
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
3 Apr 10
Hi Jen.
Some people in the USA here are saying that they have had more snow than usual and others have said that they have had less than usual this year. It is strange to me to comprehend this, as the area that gets snow here in Australia is so small in comparison to the rest of the country, that the whole snow region gets either a good season or a bad season.
There is never any contradictions within this region.
Some people in the USA here are saying that they have had more snow than usual and others have said that they have had less than usual this year. It is strange to me to comprehend this, as the area that gets snow here in Australia is so small in comparison to the rest of the country, that the whole snow region gets either a good season or a bad season.
There is never any contradictions within this region.
@caecal07 (197)
• United States
1 Apr 10
I live in Maine and I have found the weather really unusual this year... We usually are finishing snowmobile season right about now... instead our driveway is mud and we have green grass. For those of you who don't know what snomobiling is there has to be a good ammount of snow... usually a foot before its packed to drive on is a necessary base and then any more than that makes for good riding... yes and the reccord was broken this year for the earliest Ice out (when the ice is gone) on 3 huges lakes in maine and new hampshire...
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
8 Apr 10
It does! Perhaps this year will be the year that I travel to the snow! (I say that every year!)
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
2 Apr 10
And some people are doubting that global warming is real!
I would love to do some more snowmobiling. I did a little in 1997/98 when I worked at a ski resort in Lake Tahoe on the West Coast of the USA. I used to be into jet skiing, so this was a natural sport for me to get into, but we do not get snow anywhere near here.
I have a snowboard in my cupboard that has not been wet since the year 2000. 
I would love to do some more snowmobiling. I did a little in 1997/98 when I worked at a ski resort in Lake Tahoe on the West Coast of the USA. I used to be into jet skiing, so this was a natural sport for me to get into, but we do not get snow anywhere near here.
I have a snowboard in my cupboard that has not been wet since the year 2000. 
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Apr 10
I have been hearing this about your country and these El Nino patterns are probably responsible for all of the rain here too. What we need from the weather is more balance, but I fear with global warming that these weather patterns are only going to become more extreme! 
@klstover (2)
• United States
1 Apr 10
I live in northern Maine, in the United States. Two years ago, we received 220 inches of snow in on winter. My windows in the back of my house were completely covered over with snow. We had major flooding that spring, and a terrible summer of rain.
Here we are two years later, and as of April 1st, we have no snow on the ground, and have received very little snow all year. We have a large portion of people who come up here in the winter to snowmobile, and ski. Needless to say, we had a lot of disappointed people this year.
It was a very strange year, and I hope the summer is going to be a mild one also.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
2 Apr 10
It could very well be a mild summer for you. Some years we have extremely hot summers followed by very cold winters. (well cold for here anyway, it never gets to the point of freezing)
We have had a mild Summer due to the amount of cloud coverage on all of the rainy days, so hopefully we can have a warm Autumn and Winter to make up for it. I would still like to be able to go to the beach for a few more months.
It must really be hurting the snow and tourist industry up there if there has not been much snow this year. I thought the USA had been getting lots of snow all over this year? It must have been other areas that I was hearing about.
It must really be hurting the snow and tourist industry up there if there has not been much snow this year. I thought the USA had been getting lots of snow all over this year? It must have been other areas that I was hearing about. 
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
1 Apr 10
Good morning from Tennessee. I don't keep as good a record of the weather as u seem to. I do know feb was a rough month for us w/more snow than we have had in years, march has been pretty wet & rainy but the last few days have been beautiful. Spring is my favorite time of the year. I hope april is a good month w/out too much rain. I shouldn't complain at all about our weather at all because it sure has been really bad alot of places so far this year. Hope u have a nice easter.
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Apr 10
I only know of this fact because it has been in the media and everyone is talking about it here. I certainly do not keep my own records! April started off the same way yesterday with more rain and it is grey here again today.
I did hear about lots of snow over there a while back. When I was in the USA in 97/98 there were massive amounts of snow storms everywhere, which was great for me as I was working in a ski resort at the time! 
Hopefully you have some nice sunny weather from now on so you can enjoy the Spring and Easter.
April started off the same way yesterday with more rain and it is grey here again today.
I did hear about lots of snow over there a while back. When I was in the USA in 97/98 there were massive amounts of snow storms everywhere, which was great for me as I was working in a ski resort at the time!
Hopefully you have some nice sunny weather from now on so you can enjoy the Spring and Easter. 
@tigeraunt (6326)
• Philippines
1 Apr 10
dear bill,
usually starting december until around march or april every year, it is rainy and cold. but this year, january-march was marked drought due to the el nino phenomenon or global warming. we experienced drought this early in the country with crops getting damaged because the earth has dried up. hydro electric plants had to ration the electric power because they could not generate enough also because water has dried up in the dams and lakes and other places where they produce it.
last year, in the last quarter, there was too much rain too that the northern part of the country suffered from flood and devastation. 
it has started raining now during the nights. i hope the farms and places where rain is needed badly start there too so farmers could plant again.
ann
last year, in the last quarter, there was too much rain too that the northern part of the country suffered from flood and devastation.
it has started raining now during the nights. i hope the farms and places where rain is needed badly start there too so farmers could plant again.
ann@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
1 Apr 10
Most people living in large cities have no idea how the weather can affect the lives of so many people. In cities we live in a controlled environment where the food is always at the supermarket and there is always water to drink.
Living on the land and growing your own food or being a farmer, you are much more vulnerable to these fluctuations in weather. Farmers here have been battling drought and now they have had to deal with flood, just the opposite of the farmers in your country. Now at least these farmers in the west of my state will have some plant life growing to feed their animals and have water in their dams to be able to grow crops. After the damage has been cleaned up, they will benefit in the long term.
Living on the land and growing your own food or being a farmer, you are much more vulnerable to these fluctuations in weather. Farmers here have been battling drought and now they have had to deal with flood, just the opposite of the farmers in your country. Now at least these farmers in the west of my state will have some plant life growing to feed their animals and have water in their dams to be able to grow crops. After the damage has been cleaned up, they will benefit in the long term. 