September 2009 – Disappointing end to summer

Flowers flourish in Moncton despite light frost

September is often one of the most glorious months of the year in New Brunswick – with warm days and cool nights – and is usually one of the driest months of the year.

However, this year in Greater Moncton, the nights were a little too cool with low single digits almost nightly and a light frost on the 17th when the temperature dipped slightly below zero.

Daytime highs were comfortable for the most part but no real heat especially when compared to Western Canada where temperatures soared into the 30’s C throughout the month.

Precipitation was light and would have been well below normal had it not been for heavy rain on the 25th, 28th and 29th.

September 2009 ALMANAC

Average HIGH  19.2 C

Average LOW  6.6 C

Average  12.9 C (0.1 degree below normal)

Extreme HIGH  26.3 C (on the 4th)

Extreme LOW  -0.9 (on the 17th, within one degree of record)

Rainfall  89.4 mm (near normal)

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Typhoon Ketsana slams SE Asia

Flooding from typhoon in Danang, Vietnam

After leaving more than 200 people dead in the Phillipines as a tropical storm, Ketsana strengthened into a typhoon over the South China Sea and slammed into Vietnam today with winds of 144 km/h and driving rains.

Officials say rivers are rising, many homes are flooded and several mountainous districts have been isolated by mudslides.

At least 30 storm-related deaths have been reported in Vietnam.

Prairies set heat records

Much of the Prairies has been enjoying one of the warmest Septembers on record and for some areas it is proving to be the warmest period of the summer.

During the first full day of fall yesterday, new heat records were set in dozens of communities.

Calgary hit 33.2 C (old record 29.7 C set in 1990)

Edmonton hit 34.0 C (old record 29.1 C set in 1997)                        

Saskatoon hit 32.0 C and Regina hit 30.3 C

Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips says temperatures have never been so warm so late in the year.

Dust plagues Australia

Dust shrouds Sydney Harbour, Sept.23.09

One of the worst dust storms in decades plagued much of eastern Australia yesterday cancelling flights and forcing people with breathing problems indoors.

The red haze was churned by powerful winds that lifted thousands of tons of topsoil from the arid and drought-stricken Outback.

The dust blanketed everything in its path but the New South Wales and Queensland governments promised to lift water restrictions, imposed because of the drought, so residents could clean their homes and vehicles.

Severe flooding in US Southeast

Flooding in suburban Atlanta, GA, Sept.22.09

Floodwaters have begun to recede in Georgia but at least nine people have been killed in the heaviest rains to hit the Atlanta area in at least 100 years.

As much as 20 inches of rain (500 mm) pounded the Atlanta region over a span of 72 hours, turning creeks and rivers into raging torrents.

Thousands of homes have been destroyed along with bridges and roadways and even Interstate 20 through Central Atlanta had to be closed until floodwaters subsided.

Autumn arrives

Moncton City Hall, Sept 20.09

Autumn officially arrives at 6:18 PM ADT in the Northern Hemisphere.

The autumnal equinox is when the center of the sun’s disk crosses what’s known as the celestial equator, an imaginary line that projects outward from Earth’s Equator.

At this point, day and night are roughly equal in length.

In Greater Moncton, the leaves on deciduous trees are just starting to change colour and flowers are still blooming despite a light frost last week.

End of summer heat wave

Summer is definitely not over yet on the Prairies where heat records have fallen this week.

Rosetown, SK reached a scorching high of 37 C yesterday and Medicine Hat, AB hit 34.5 C.

Records also fell in Alberta on Wednesday when the thermometer climbed to 31 C in both Calgary and Edmonton.

FROST!

Scattered frost was reported in Greater Moncton this morning when the temperature dropped to a chilly low of -0.9 C, close to the record low of -1.7 C set in 1948.

It was a light frost so most vegetation survived with some damage to tender plants.

It is a bit early for frost but not unusual with the average date for the first fall frost in Moncton being Sept. 27th.

Close to frost

Clear skies and light winds led to near ideal conditions for frost overnight in Southeastern New Brunswick.

Greater Moncton Airport dropped to 1.6 C early this morning (close to the record of 1.1 C) but no frost was recorded in the city.

Edmundston was the coldest spot in the province overnight at -2.0 C.

Another frost warning has been posted tonight for much of New Brunswick.

The average date for the first fall frost in Moncton is Sept. 27th.

Flash floods overwhelm Turkey

Floodwaters strand motorists in Istanbul

The heaviest rainfall in at 80 years has sent flash floods barreling across a major highway and into busy business areas of Istanbul, Turkey.

Floodwaters trapped factory workers and truck drivers in their vehicles and more than 30 people drowned.

The weather office said more than 130 mm of rain fell in a matter of hours.