Qld: Brisbane set for coolest Christmas since 1999

AAP General News (Australia)
12-24-2007
Qld: Brisbane set for coolest Christmas since 1999

BRISBANE, Dec 24 AAP - Weather forecasters have predicted Brisbane's coolest Christmas
Day since 1999.

A top of 27 degrees is expected tomorrow, with a few light showers.

The average Christmas Day temperature is 29 degrees.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Bryan Rolestone said a cool air mass and high
level cloud would keep the city's temperatures below average this week.

"There will be showers through to the end of the week, just showers, nothing big,"

Mr Rolestone told AAP.

Meanwhile, rain will continue to fall in parched centres west of Brisbane this week.

Mr Rolestone said the Longreach, Emerald, Charleville and Roma areas could expect storms
and showers.

"By Thursday, most of the interior will see thunderstorms and showers," he said.

Despite recent falls, Brisbane is on track for one of its driest years on record.

So far this year, Brisbane has received only 633mm of rain, compared to the normal
annual rainfall of 1,146mm.

It is the lowest annual figure since 2000, but nowhere near the lowest - 411mm in 1902
- during the infamous 26-year federation drought.

August was the only month with above average rainfall, and Mr Rolestone said while
showers were becoming more frequent, they were usually light.

He said it would take a tropical cyclone to cross the coast in a random event, or "exceptional"

falls for a month, before meteorologists could confidently declare the drought broken.

"We are not totally out of the drought yet," he said.

"This drought is very similar to the federation drought that went on for almost 26 years.

"This is only gone on for seven years, so we still could have suppressed rainfall for
a few years yet.

"Rainfall is creeping up, but only gradually."

AAP gd/ht

KEYWORD: COOL

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