Regional Weather at ESL

Question 1

What are some significant geographic factors that affect East Sale’s weather?

Answer 1

1. Highest mountains in Australia, orientated east west with Mount Baw Baw having an elevation of 5141 ft.
2. Latrobe Valley to the West - which has lots of coal-fired power stations that provide a high level of particulate matter to the atmosphere.
3. Strzelecki Ranges south of Latrobe Valley
4. Bass Straight to the South of Wilson’s Promontory
5. Gippsland Lakes - the largest inland freshwater lake system in Australia.

Question 2

What is direction are the predominant winds that account for most of the weather seen in the ESL area?

Answer 2

Westerly Winds

Question 3

Which direction does the principal rainfall in ESL come from?

Answer 3

The east to south-east.

Question 4

What weather conditions occur in late winter through spring at ESL?

Answer 4

• Strong winds from West/South west
• Southerly flow brings cold polar air frontal activity from Southern Ocean
• Early Spring wind veers often straight down Latrobe Valley
• Haze and smoke from power stations
• Dramatic weather changes
• Statistically, Nov has highest number of thunderstorm days in the year.

Question 5

What weather conditions occur in summer at ESL?

Answer 5

• Hot dry northerly winds blowing from central Australia
• Uncomfortable conditions created in ESL
• Plenty of thermal turbulence
• Lots of crosswind on runways
• Uncomfortable temperatures in cockpits

Question 6

What weather conditions occur in Autumn/Early Winter?

Answer 6

• HP systems move north again for winter
• High temps of summer disappear
• Reasonable weather, best time for flying.
• Late season fires may reduce visibility in haze and smoke.

Question 7

What is impact on flying operations in Summer?

Answer 7

• High pressures, temperatures and turbulence associated with strong northerly crosswinds
• A/C can become hot and temperatures may approach and winds may exceed aircraft operating limits.

Question 8

What is impact on flying operations in Autumn?

Answer 8

Most number of flying days as most settled weather.

Question 9

What is impact on flying operations in Winter?

Answer 9

• Cold polar air, low pressure, frontal weather systems.

- Low icing levels

Question 10

What is impact on flying operations in Spring

Answer 10

• Dramatically changeable temperatures with the W S/W winds remaining quite strong, although nowhere near as cold as through winter.