Long term data shows February overnight temperatures are warmer than they were in the 1990s

Dr Christa Pudmenzky explains how Logan's February climate is changing. Plus, what do greenhouse gases have to do with warmer temperatures?

A typical February night in Logan is one degree warmer than it was in the 1990s. Logan, 11 February 2021, Source: Monash University.

Logan residents can expect a hot humid weekend with showers unlikely, hitting a top temperature of 30 degrees on Saturday and 29 degrees on Sunday.

With temperatures like these, cooler nights are a welcome relief from the heat.

Nowadays, summer nights are warming up.

A typical February night is around 21 degrees, more than one degree warmer than it was in the 1990s.

While the graph (above) shows some years are warmer than others, the overall trend is warming.

Voices from your community

The data matches the experience of Jodie Francis, who has lived in Marsden for 40 years.

"The days and nights are much hotter now than what they used to be, with a noticeable increase in the humidity as well," she said.

"The hotter weather seems to start earlier in the year now and last longer.

"It is drier than it used to be with much less rainfall that we have had in the past.

"Everywhere is dry and dusty and it always looks like we need rain because it's brown everywhere instead of green."

Community voices like Jodie's tell us how residents and business owners in Logan feel about their local climate. If you would like to contribute your voice to our column, you can fill out our 5-minute survey here.

Fast fact

Logan's warming patterns are consistent with global climate change trends.

The main cause of global warming is an increase in greenhouse gases in the air - particularly carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide is produced when we burn fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil, mostly for energy production and transportation.

Carbon dioxide has been increasing since the industrial revolution began in the 18th century.

Dr Christa Pudmenzky is a climate scientist at the University of Southern Queensland.

This column is part of a collaboration between the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub and News Corp to deliver hyperlocal weather and climate information.

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