A case study of a heat low over central Australia

Abstract

A case study of a mobile heat low over central Australia is presented. The event occurred on 8 October during the 1998 Central Australian Fronts Experiment. That evening a sharp change was observed at Alice Springs, which was the focal point of the experiment. The change was marked by a fall in temperature and a rise in the pseudo-equivalent potential temperature. A second stronger change, characterised by a fall in both temperature and pseudo-equivalent potential temperature, followed in the early hours of the morning. Neither change was forecast and neither was connected with a front of Southern Ocean origin. The study is based mainly on analyses from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts, augmented by additional surface data collected at Alice Springs.