February. A complex synoptic weather pattern with a monsoonal trough line drifting south were the main features of the month when some useful falls of rain were brought into our region.

March. Hot and humid. TC Hamish was off Fraser Island where it became a tropical low. Evacuation of all low lying areas. Cargo ship “Pacific Adventurer” off Moreton Island loses upper deck containers overboard and holes ship’s side in process. Oil seepage pollutes coastline. Big mopping- up operation by councils.

April. A wet month with 429 mm of rainfall, a twenty year record.

May. Another wet month with 12 days of rainfall giving 255 mm of rain. Providence decided to favour the Maleny Show with dry conditions and sunshine. Not so last year when torrential rain put paid to all outdoor events.

June. The third month in succession to exceed the 117 year average. The Hinterland watershed played a useful part in helping to fill Brisbane dams.

July. Strong wins bring cold Antarctic winds to the Ranges with long hours of blue skies and bright sunshine. The only exception being on the 2^nd when a dust storm polluted the atmosphere.

August. The weather topic was our winter mini-heatwave that sent the mercury soaring to some of the highest temperatures ever to be recorded for the month. Rainfall was down to single digits.

September. The major phenomena were the widespread dust storms that twice covered the east coast from Sydney northwards, arriving to the Blackall Ranges on 12th and 27^th. Visibility dropped to 300m.

October. Strong winds brought some more dust storms to pollute the atmosphere.

November. Hottest November since 1997 with temperatures in the upper thirties and a heat stress factor recording as high as 42°C. Sm

Annual. Total rainfall was 1825mm, representing 155 mm below the 117 year average, oke from Noosa bush fires was trapped by a temperature inversion.

December. Maleny town water reserve down to a six-week supply level. Water rationing in force. Our saviour came by way of an upper level lows, enhanced by remnants of ex-TC Laurence carried across the continent by a jet stream.