Precipitation amount and temperature dependence on day of the week in Australian cities

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.