PE simmers under hottest June yet

Port Elizabeth has just experienced its warmest June to date.  

SA Weather Service spokesperson Garth Sampson said on Thursday the popular view seemed to be that it had been an unusually cold June, but in fact it was quite the opposite.

“The average maximum temperature of 22.5°C [in June] was an all-time high since recording of temperatures started in 1950.

“It surpassed the record of 22.1°C recorded in 1996, and was almost two degrees higher than the average 20.7°C.”

East London logged a maximum 24.1°C, which was also the highest since 1950, and the general pattern was the same for a number of inland sites, he said.

 In Fort Beaufort in June the average high was 24.3°C, the highest since 2000; in Bhisho it was 22.9°C, highest since 2000; Patensie 23.6°C, second highest since 2000; Middelton 23.5°C, highest since 2000; Addo 25.5°C, highest since 2005; Makhanda 20.8°C, second highest since 2000.

In Port Elizabeth, there had been a couple of reasonably cold mornings, he said.

“But there have been very few full days where it has been really cold.

“And the main reason for that is the relatively cloudless conditions and the reduced number and intensity of frontal systems that passed over the region during the month.

“Looking at the period 1990-2020, East London recorded its highest average sunshine hours for June at 8.6 hours, and Port Elizabeth recorded its second highest average sunshine hours count at 8.2 hours.”

Meanwhile, looking at rainfall for the first six months of the year, the eastern half of the province had experienced a good summer rainfall season, while the western half had not been so lucky, he said.

“The eastern half had on average 37% above the norm over this  period.

“The northern areas of the western half received roughly 20% above normal figures, while the southern regions received around 20% below normal.

“In fact for June, Port Elizabeth recorded less than half its average rainfall of 53mm, with only 23mm being measured through the month.”

This dropped the total rainfall in the Friendly City for the first six months of the year to 219mm, he said.

“Though disappointing, as it is well below the average of 280mm, it does show some promise, as it is the best figure recorded since 2015, when 301mm was measured for the same period.

“This ties in with the seasonal forecast that is maintaining its prediction of normal to above normal rainfall in the areas west of Port Elizabeth, for the next few months.

“To the east it persists with a dry winter, which is normal for those areas during winter.”

The seasonal forecast for Port Elizabeth also dovetailed with the typical seven-year weather cycle of peaks and troughs, he said.

“In terms of rainfall we’re at the bottom of the trough now so we can reasonably hope for an improvement in that situation — although to help our dams we need at least 50mm in a 24-hour period over the  catchments.”