Research by Ms Tess Parker from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science identified that the extreme weather preceding the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009 was given a catastrophic boost by Tropical Cyclone Dominic just off the north-west coast of Western Australia.
“Previous studies have shown that the intensity of the tropical cyclone has very little bearing on the strength of heat waves. The relative location of the cyclone is far more important,” Parker said.
“TC Dominic only reached Category 2 status at its peak, but it had powerful amplifying effects for the record-breaking heat wave in Victoria that led to the fatal Black Saturday bushfires,” Parker said. “The cyclone was right in the heart of a 1.5 million km2 area that we have identified as a key area for magnifying the impact of high pressure systems that generate Victoria’s intense heat waves.
“All heat waves in Victoria are associated with upper level anticyclones but, while the essential cause of the heat wave is the same, the impact of cyclones on their formation means not all heat waves are created equal,” said Parker.
Two mechanisms help cyclones off the north-west coast of Western Australia amplify heat waves in south-eastern Australian.
The first occurs when the outflow from the cyclone nudges the jet stream in the upper levels of the atmosphere,...
