Southern Hemisphere growing season 23/24

[PalmCode]

24C today and its been raining all day... Hedyscepes are liking the rain at least.

[cbmnz]

On 1/16/2024 at 3:58 AM, tim_brissy_13 said:

Just woken up here at around 1:30am by the loudest rain and hail storm I’ve ever heard. The weird part is that we are in between 2 sunny, warm days with maximums reaching around 30C/86F and nothing of note was predicted. The even weirder part is that this strange storm is hovering over me while the rest of Melbourne is mostly untouched. We’ve had 40mm of rain in the last 35 minutes with wind gusts up to 80km/h. Just 20km from here, Melbourne city has had 0.0mm rain, absolutely nothing. My closest weather station is Moorabbin Airport about 1km from here, the data recorded is unbelievable. Hopefully not too much damage to see in the morning. 

Hopefully there was no serious damage else I suspect you would have posted photos by now.

[tim_brissy_13]

1 minute ago, cbmnz said:

Hopefully there was no serious damage else I suspect you would have posted photos by now.

No terminal damage, but most exposed palm fronds have been torn up a bit. Pritchardia fronds have holes in them. Bromeliads and Agaves hit the worst. Here’s my Chambeyronia macrocarpa var flavopicta which shows damage fairly representative of the rest of the garden. A falling Phoenix canariensis frond from my neighbours yard also landed on a Chamaedorea plumosa seedling which got a bit bent but I’m hoping it pulls through. 

[cbmnz]

A rare 20 C overnight low forecast here, currently 22C at 10pm with a dewpoint of almost 22C also, not pleasant.

I didn't think a 20C overnight low was possible here until Feb 2022 when suddenly had a spell of several 22-23C overnight lows in a row, smashed that idea.

This summer so far have not yet hit 30C even on my own sensor in the garden, but have had day after day of 27-28 maximums with high teens overnight, so it has been warm.

I think as new neighbors have not trimmed a large flowering climber that the old neighbors used to trim back hard, I now don't have heat radiating off the neighbour's roof onto my screened, 3m elevated sensor, it is making a small difference. It might be bringing my readings closer to a WMO/Stephenson screen true reading.

 

[cbmnz]

Reached 31.3C today, easily the warmest day since early 2022. Still 25.3C at dusk. Most houses have no AC here as it rarely goes above 30C

[cbmnz]

25mm of soaking  rain yesterday just when it was getting dry. The bananas this time do look larger and more yellow right out of the flower head. The A  Alexandrae has shaken off winter damage and will look good for 5 months before the cycle starts again. 

[PalmCode]

29C here at the moment, it would have gotten to 30C or more a bit earlier today. A hot day for here.

Got a few fruit on this Tamarillo. Keen to try what they're like when ripened.

[cbmnz]

The same weather pattern lead to 31.9 here after a coolish 14.6C start. My sensor is well elevated and screened, possibly little/ the most sheltered in this wind direction a straight S.  Odd that a Southerly produced what may be the warmest day of the year but this is a fake Southerly where  tropical air does a tight circle, combined with it being a land breeze and a weak foen effect.

[Tyrone]

Got some hot weather coming. 33C today, 37C tomorrow, and 30C on Friday, then back to low to mid twenties then mid 30s middle of next week. 

[Tyrone]

It got to 32.6C with dewpoints as high as 21.5C today. It’s 10pm and a balmy 20C with 91% humidity. The Hedychium gingers are so fragrant on nights like tonight. Hotter tomorrow. 

[tropicbreeze]

For an El Nino year January has been quite remarkable. Instead of the high temperatures, drought and no rainfall we had in December, we got 171.2% of average rainfall for the month. Had its down side though. For a couple of weeks the supermarket shelves got quite bare when flooding cut the road and the rail and food supplies couldn't get through. A lot of potholes in roads which can't be fixed until it dries out a bit.

But all my rainwater tanks are full, the dam is overflowing, and I haven't had to use the bore for watering the garden. To date, the wet season is running at 104.3% of average. February is usually a very wet month so it can make or break the average.

Average maximum temperature was 32.5, with 6 days not quite making it to 30. The minimums averaged 25.2. February looks to be getting off to a drier start, but time will tell.

 

Monsoonal cloud rolling in.

 

[Tyrone]

Well it was a tropical day today. After a min in the high teens and humidity around 92% today got to 34.5C and a peak dewpoint of 23.1C with most of the day sitting above the 20C dewpoint zone. I can see growth on some things but sadly my recently planted Leppidorrachis mooreana may have died.  WA may have nowhere where Leppidorrachis can grow if I can’t grow them. 
 

This has been heatwave conditions for WA. Yesterday Perth hit 44C and Geraldton a blood evaporating 46C. 
 

Luckily we haven’t had a dry heat down here. Right now at sun down it’s still 28C under my back verandah and steamy. The plants will love the irrigation tonight. 

[Tyrone]

Well it was a tropical day today. After a min in the high teens and humidity around 92% today got to 34.5C and a peak dewpoint of 23.1C with most of the day sitting above the 20C dewpoint zone. I can see growth on some things but sadly my recently planted Leppidorrachis mooreana may have died.  WA may have nowhere where Leppidorrachis can grow if I can’t grow them. 
 

This has been heatwave conditions for WA. Yesterday Perth hit 44C and Geraldton a blood evaporating 46C. 
 

Luckily we haven’t had a dry heat down here. Right now at sun down it’s still 28C under my back verandah and steamy. The plants will love the irrigation tonight. 

[PalmCode]

19 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

Well it was a tropical day today. After a min in the high teens and humidity around 92% today got to 34.5C and a peak dewpoint of 23.1C with most of the day sitting above the 20C dewpoint zone. I can see growth on some things but sadly my recently planted Leppidorrachis mooreana may have died.  WA may have nowhere where Leppidorrachis can grow if I can’t grow them. 
 

This has been heatwave conditions for WA. Yesterday Perth hit 44C and Geraldton a blood evaporating 46C. 
 

Luckily we haven’t had a dry heat down here. Right now at sun down it’s still 28C under my back verandah and steamy. The plants will love the irrigation tonight. 

Unreal temps in WA... I really hope your Leppidorrachis mooreana survies.

[Tyrone]

Geraldton today was the hottest place on Earth. A horrendous 46.8C. The incredible thing about that sort of temp being recorded in Geraldton is Geraldton is not 400km inland, not 300, not 200, or even 100km inland. It is right on the coast on the Indian Ocean. The sea breeze must have totally failed today. Normally Geraldton sea breezes in summer would flatten your tent to the ground, they are that strong. 
 

Down here  800km south we had a humid 30C with dewpoints peaking at 21C. We are looking at low twenties and a few mm of rain tomorrow. A nice reprieve. 

[Tyrone]

We are looking down the barrel of a 40C day on Saturday. Too hot. 

[PalmCode]

A nice cloudy 24C day here after a few hot sunny days pushing into the late 20s.

My archontophoenix purpurea is growing strong... I should have bought a couple more of them at the time but im happy  at least got this one for $38nzd.
My 2-3 year old archontophoenix alexandrae growing in a pot is now dead...Something happened, guessing that leaving even those in the summer sun is not a good idea.

All in all its been a good growing season.

[tropicbreeze]

February got off to a bad start, 7 days of no rain and virtually cloudless skies. Not good now, tomorrow the sun peaks. But there's a tropical low developing over us and it has brought some rain, hopefully more to come. The low isn't likely to develop into a tropical cyclone before later in the week, if at all. Two of the weather models have picked it up, the third doesn't show anything. By the end of the week the weather bureau has it anywhere across the top of the country. The models are saying in the Gulf of Carpentaria and then south into the interior. Most likely a weak system, or just staying a tropical low.

The early February dry spell kicked the wet season running total of rainfall in the guts, following that it was running at 96% of average. There was very little cloud so with the sun and the moisture in the ground the weeds really rocketed off. My dam dropped around 30 - 40 cms and stopped overflowing but some fish had got in. Unfortunate for the tadpoles that haven't morphed.

[Tyrone]

Ready for the 40C onslaught today

[Tyrone]

Just got some liners in two ponds in. Another to go. In the heat you just want shade and water. 

[Tyrone]

On 2/9/2024 at 8:41 AM, PalmCode said:

A nice cloudy 24C day here after a few hot sunny days pushing into the late 20s.

My archontophoenix purpurea is growing strong... I should have bought a couple more of them at the time but im happy  at least got this one for $38nzd.
My 2-3 year old archontophoenix alexandrae growing in a pot is now dead...Something happened, guessing that leaving even those in the summer sun is not a good idea.

All in all its been a good growing season.

Did your alexandrae get sunburnt. I’d try another one. 

[Tyrone]

On 2/9/2024 at 9:17 AM, tropicbreeze said:

February got off to a bad start, 7 days of no rain and virtually cloudless skies. Not good now, tomorrow the sun peaks. But there's a tropical low developing over us and it has brought some rain, hopefully more to come. The low isn't likely to develop into a tropical cyclone before later in the week, if at all. Two of the weather models have picked it up, the third doesn't show anything. By the end of the week the weather bureau has it anywhere across the top of the country. The models are saying in the Gulf of Carpentaria and then south into the interior. Most likely a weak system, or just staying a tropical low.

The early February dry spell kicked the wet season running total of rainfall in the guts, following that it was running at 96% of average. There was very little cloud so with the sun and the moisture in the ground the weeds really rocketed off. My dam dropped around 30 - 40 cms and stopped overflowing but some fish had got in. Unfortunate for the tadpoles that haven't morphed.

Hopefully you get some rain. It’s too early to say that’s it with no more rain. The monsoon season is likely in one of those lulls. I wouldnt mind some tropical activity with moisture a bit further over the west part of the country. The east has had heaps. 

[PalmCode]

1 hour ago, Tyrone said:

Did your alexandrae get sunburnt. I’d try another one. 

I'm guessing it was sunburn, I usually kept it watered ...unless it could have been some type of fungal damage. leaves just started turning brown. I'll have to try another. I'd love to try maxima, tuckeri, and especially myolensis but they seem impossible to find here unless you import seeds.

[Tyrone]

My area hit 41C today. When it went through the 30s we had dewpoints higher than 22C so not a dry heat at all. I was spraying down my tree ferns and Chatham Islands in my front garden every 20minutes between noon and 3pm. I will never be able to grow Juania australis or Leppidorachis here. Hedyscepe is my limit I think. My big Chatham still got  sunburn despite the spraying. Got the irrigation going now around 8pm and it’s still 26C here. 

[Tyrone]

8 hours ago, PalmCode said:

I'm guessing it was sunburn, I usually kept it watered ...unless it could have been some type of fungal damage. leaves just started turning brown. I'll have to try another. I'd love to try maxima, tuckeri, and especially myolensis but they seem impossible to find here unless you import seeds.

Those species you need to grow from seed here if you want them. All my A myolensis were seed grown and came via Munich. 

[Tyrone]

This morning we woke to very light drissle. I think the humidity is so high we are actually inside a cloud. Going for a milder top of 28C today, probably once the mist lifts and the sun comes out. 

[Tyrone]

Had another humid 28C day today with dewpoints over 20C.

The West Coast of Oz is having scorching record temps this summer. 
 

This is Perths forecast.

Sat 16-39C

Sun 22-45C

Mon 27-44C

Tue 27-43C

wed 19-31C

Thu 15-33C

Fri 15-38C

Ive never seen a 45C ever forecast for Perth before. 20 years ago, you would maybe see a 43C day every 10 years or so. Now it’s almost every summer. Yesterday was 42.8C and it was barely news worthy. 
 

Down here we are forecast to have a cool by comparison 39C on Tuesday. That’s too hot in my opinion. 

[cbmnz]

On 2/10/2024 at 2:46 PM, Tyrone said:

Ready for the 40C onslaught today

That's not completely dissimilar to my preparation for a frost. Never have to do anything special for heat here. Fortunate are those who never need to do anything for either.

[cbmnz]

9 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Had another humid 28C day today with dewpoints over 20C.

The West Coast of Oz is having scorching record temps this summer. 
 

This is Perths forecast.

Sat 16-39C

Sun 22-45C

Mon 27-44C

Tue 27-43C

wed 19-31C

Thu 15-33C

Fri 15-38C

Ive never seen a 45C ever forecast for Perth before. 20 years ago, you would maybe see a 43C day every 10 years or so. Now it’s almost every summer. Yesterday was 42.8C and it was barely news worthy. 
 

Down here we are forecast to have a cool by comparison 39C on Tuesday. That’s too hot in my opinion. 

A former colleague who lived there in the 2000's, who has been back there ~2 years said that some of the hot days are coming with high dewpoints which was never the case before. Not sure if that's an incidental observation or if data bears that out.

[cbmnz]

Sister plants planted same day, were identical size. Same soil, 20m apart. Despite shadecloth, water and fertiliser, one is in a spot that gets too warm in summer for its liking, it seems 

[Foxpalms]

13 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Had another humid 28C day today with dewpoints over 20C.

The West Coast of Oz is having scorching record temps this summer. 
 

This is Perths forecast.

Sat 16-39C

Sun 22-45C

Mon 27-44C

Tue 27-43C

wed 19-31C

Thu 15-33C

Fri 15-38C

Ive never seen a 45C ever forecast for Perth before. 20 years ago, you would maybe see a 43C day every 10 years or so. Now it’s almost every summer. Yesterday was 42.8C and it was barely news worthy. 
 

Down here we are forecast to have a cool by comparison 39C on Tuesday. That’s too hot in my opinion. 

I was looking at the forecast for Perth and it has been very hot lately. It seems everywhere has been having hotter than usual spells. Christchurch NZ seems to be having a warmer than average summer too, though the lows there are cool. Here in the UK I had 19c on Thursday in February, higher than Los Angles! So far the Jan record high was beaten at 20c for the UK and Feb is on track to be the warmest on record for London. I was in Morocco last week and despite being Feb it was reaching 26-27c at 1000ft above sea level, when it should be around 21c and they also beat their record high for Feb this week with 36.6c at the same latitude as Perth Australia.

Edited February 16, 2024 by Foxpalms

[Tyrone]

3 hours ago, cbmnz said:

A former colleague who lived there in the 2000's, who has been back there ~2 years said that some of the hot days are coming with high dewpoints which was never the case before. Not sure if that's an incidental observation or if data bears that out.

In Perth, generally a hot day (40C plus) is a low dewpoint day. A heat trough will form down the west coast but off shore and drag in hot dry air from the northern interior. Once that heat trough moves inland and eastward, the temp drops and humidity leaps right up, generally with a cool sea breeze. It may feel very sticky then.

Down here on the south coast it gets a little weird. Last Saturday we hit 41C, and Perth was around 43C. As we were moving through the 30s the dewpoint maxed at 23C. When we were at 41C the dewpoint was around 13C. The moment the sea breeze hit, the dewpoint jumped back up into the 20s again. Perth on the other hand started at low dewpoints and just got lower, with dewpoints from minus 1C to 3C when they hit 43C. So technically it would have felt hotter in my area than Perth last Saturday, due to the humidity. You could see the humidity haze in the air in the afternoon.

 

From my experience in Perth it has oscillating humidity determined by the presence and location of heat troughs. It’s definitely getting hotter up there, so heat troughs will become more common, and bring about more humid changes, especially if sea surface temps keep rising.

[Tyrone]

3 hours ago, cbmnz said:

Sister plants planted same day, were identical size. Same soil, 20m apart. Despite shadecloth, water and fertiliser, one is in a spot that gets too warm in summer for its liking, it seems 

One looks to be in more shade than the other. The damaged one just needs to acclimatise I reckon. Keep the water and fert up too it and it will adapt I think.

[Tyrone]

A picture taken just now around 8.15am. 21C and 80%RH with a bit of drizzle falling. Going for a top of 27C.

[cbmnz]

2 hours ago, Tyrone said:

One looks to be in more shade than the other. The damaged one just needs to acclimatise I reckon. Keep the water and fert up too it and it will adapt I think.

I thought so too, but over 5.5 years now since both were planted. It seems it has adapted by always only keeping the newest frond in service. Yes the good one under heavy canopy in a spot that never shows visible frost or gets any warmer than ambient temperature.

[cbmnz]

2 hours ago, Tyrone said:

As we were moving through the 30s the dewpoint maxed at 23C.

Ouch. Possibly the worst part of the day for humans,  but maybe not palms. They probably like dry 40s temp less.

[Tyrone]

12 hours ago, cbmnz said:

I thought so too, but over 5.5 years now since both were planted. It seems it has adapted by always only keeping the newest frond in service. Yes the good one under heavy canopy in a spot that never shows visible frost or gets any warmer than ambient temperature.

That’s interesting. You think it would have adapted to its spot over 5 years. What uv levels do you get there? You would think NZ sun being further from the equator and generally cooler than Australia would not bother an A alexandrae. I’ve got alexandrae and even purpurea here in full baking sun and they don’t burn up like yours. Maybe it’s missing a minor trace element in the soil that it needs to take the sun. 

[cbmnz]

3 hours ago, Tyrone said:

That’s interesting. You think it would have adapted to its spot over 5 years. What uv levels do you get there? You would think NZ sun being further from the equator and generally cooler than Australia would not bother an A alexandrae. I’ve got alexandrae and even purpurea here in full baking sun and they don’t burn up like yours. Maybe it’s missing a minor trace element in the soil that it needs to take the sun. 

Those pictured are both R Sapida Ocenania. Do have an A Alexandre right next to the struggling Sapida and it never sunburns, just gets frost damage in Winter which the Sapida never has.

[Tyrone]

4 hours ago, cbmnz said:

Those pictured are both R Sapida Ocenania. Do have an A Alexandre right next to the struggling Sapida and it never sunburns, just gets frost damage in Winter which the Sapida never has.

Lol. Now you point it out I see it. I should have looked closer. Yes, that R sapida is getting too much sun for its liking. Can you plant a tree near it to give it a bit of shade. 

[Tyrone]

Perths surrounds hit 45C today. Carnarvon hit a bitumen burning 50C. Lots of high 40s recorded north of Perth.
 

Tuesday forecast for my area has been increased to 41C. I’ve never seen a forecast so high for my area. I’ve invested in a misting system for my tree fern area where I’ve got two Chatham island nikaus and a Rhopalostylis baueri. Tomorrow night I will drape some shade cloth over them. 
 

I’m preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.