REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday, Janaury 8, 2004

FAR north Queensland’s reputation as the stickiest part of the state was in the melting pot as the Gold Coast sizzled and weather records were sent swelter-skelter.

Hot, humid conditions, usually only found in Cairns and Townsville and other far north areas, moved south to the Coast

and there was more sultry weather on the way.

“It is a different kind of heat on the Gold Coast at present. It is more humid than it has been for a long time,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster John Gardner said.

“This time last year on the Gold Coast, the temperatures were high but the humidity was lower. It is a significant change.”

The maximum temperature on the Coast was 33 degrees, average for this time of year, but

the humidity was a stifling 86 per cent during peak periods.

Coasters were obviously feeling the unfamiliar heatwave, with electricity consumption reaching record levels for the second time in as many days. Gold Coast consumption alone was up 13.5 per cent.

By 11.30am, before the hottest part of the day, energy output skyrocketed to a record 7534 megawatts before a record was set just two hours later breaking the 7689 megawatt mark.