P1.9
Precipitation amount and temperature dependence on day of the week in Australian cities
Kevin Keay, Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia; and I. Simmonds
The extent to which the basic meteorological parameters of precipitation and temperature exhibit a dependence on day of the week in Australian cities will be statistically assessed. Most human activities are organised on a seven-day cycle, so any such differences displayed by atmospheric parameters must be associated with such activity. Hence quantification of this as a function of city size and climate regime provides indirect appraisal of the relative importance of pollution loading and anthropogenic heat release in inducing these differences.
We have explored the day-of-the-week dependence of precipitation and temperature in nine Australian cities (Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney). These cities have a wide range of populations, and are spread from the tropics to the midlatitudes. The results to be shown suggest that the only robust day-of-the-week dependence holds for Melbourne, and only in winter. From these results it is suggested that the pattern of winter consumption of energy is a key factor explaining the dependence. Sydney is a larger city than Melbourne, but has milder winters and hence more modest space heating demands. By contrast, winters in Hobart are colder, but the population is much smaller.
Poster Session 1, Oceanography: Satellite Data, Applied Meteorology, Atmospheric Chemistry, Urban Climate
Saturday, 3 April 1999, 1:15 PM-3:00 PM
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