Ailie Gallant
@ailiegallant.bsky.social
Climate scientist at Monash U in Australia, Wurundjeri & Bunurong Country. Interested in climate hazards, rainfall, weather resources & climate comms. Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather @21stcenturyweather.bsky.social | NESP Climate Systems Hub
Today's rain in western VIC from a typical "autumn break" system (decently strong mid-lat cyclone). But instead of dropping 20-40 mm (typical in a 'normal' year) most areas got 5-15 mm. This is very typical for dry periods - see our work on this from last year. journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
May 27, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Today's rain in western VIC from a typical "autumn break" system (decently strong mid-lat cyclone). But instead of dropping 20-40 mm (typical in a 'normal' year) most areas got 5-15 mm. This is very typical for dry periods - see our work on this from last year. journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
Officially my favourite headline of this Federal election, as seen on the ABC News website this morning 🤣 Australian politics at its finest.
April 27, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Officially my favourite headline of this Federal election, as seen on the ABC News website this morning 🤣 Australian politics at its finest.
Our final stop is always a kicker. I would like to say we're just there for the view, but it's so much more than that. As we look out over the area we've been and take stock of the valley as it would have been before colonisation, how it is now, and how it will likely change again into the future.
March 22, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Our final stop is always a kicker. I would like to say we're just there for the view, but it's so much more than that. As we look out over the area we've been and take stock of the valley as it would have been before colonisation, how it is now, and how it will likely change again into the future.
Out today with our third year "Water and the Land" class. We've measured river cross sections & discharge, identified flow on topographic maps, worked out how precip converts to runoff, chatted water resources at Maroondah Dam and talked rivers & flooding in Yarra Glen! Always a fun day out!
March 22, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Out today with our third year "Water and the Land" class. We've measured river cross sections & discharge, identified flow on topographic maps, worked out how precip converts to runoff, chatted water resources at Maroondah Dam and talked rivers & flooding in Yarra Glen! Always a fun day out!
Cyclone Alfred, T-24-30 hours before it hits the Queensland and NSW coast. Keep an eye on warnings and please, please, please follow the advice of emergency services, especially if you're in low lying areas.
March 5, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Cyclone Alfred, T-24-30 hours before it hits the Queensland and NSW coast. Keep an eye on warnings and please, please, please follow the advice of emergency services, especially if you're in low lying areas.
My favourite thing about our building at Monash. Asked by the dept to find an interesting weather image. Ended up that extra bit special for me - it's the day my daughter was born (of course the daughter of two atmos/ocean scientists would be born on such spectacular and interesting weather day 😁)
February 26, 2025 at 10:24 PM
My favourite thing about our building at Monash. Asked by the dept to find an interesting weather image. Ended up that extra bit special for me - it's the day my daughter was born (of course the daughter of two atmos/ocean scientists would be born on such spectacular and interesting weather day 😁)
A wintery mid-summer blast in Southern Victoria this weekend. We had a "beach weekend" planned but had an adventure in a dune field near Wilson's Promontory National Park instead. Winds at the closest gauge were sustained at 60km/h and gusting to 80km/h at the time. My retinas got a good polish!!
February 17, 2025 at 11:45 AM
A wintery mid-summer blast in Southern Victoria this weekend. We had a "beach weekend" planned but had an adventure in a dune field near Wilson's Promontory National Park instead. Winds at the closest gauge were sustained at 60km/h and gusting to 80km/h at the time. My retinas got a good polish!!
I will remain on this hill. Get stuffed Google. Stop pandering.
February 11, 2025 at 1:18 AM
I will remain on this hill. Get stuffed Google. Stop pandering.
This photo* is the most spectacular image of a downburst I've ever seen. Taken from Arthur's Seat on the Mornington Peninsula outside Melbourne yesterday.
*Not my photo. Copyright Toby Anderson via Facebook www.facebook.com/share/15ZWEv...
*Not my photo. Copyright Toby Anderson via Facebook www.facebook.com/share/15ZWEv...
February 3, 2025 at 2:37 AM
This photo* is the most spectacular image of a downburst I've ever seen. Taken from Arthur's Seat on the Mornington Peninsula outside Melbourne yesterday.
*Not my photo. Copyright Toby Anderson via Facebook www.facebook.com/share/15ZWEv...
*Not my photo. Copyright Toby Anderson via Facebook www.facebook.com/share/15ZWEv...
US colleagues are starting to post this letter. Does this mean all NSF grants and similar schemes are paused indefinitely? Can anyone clarify? I am beyond words...
January 28, 2025 at 4:09 AM
US colleagues are starting to post this letter. Does this mean all NSF grants and similar schemes are paused indefinitely? Can anyone clarify? I am beyond words...
Fading light over the peaks at my happy place. Goodbye 2024! Have a wonderful NYE everyone!
December 31, 2024 at 9:37 AM
Fading light over the peaks at my happy place. Goodbye 2024! Have a wonderful NYE everyone!
One of my favourite things about an Aussie Christmas (in Victoria!) is the local CFA doing the annual Santa run! Kids and adults all get a kick out of it. Thanks so much to all the CFA volunteers who do this rain, hail or shine year in, year out.
December 21, 2024 at 4:40 AM
One of my favourite things about an Aussie Christmas (in Victoria!) is the local CFA doing the annual Santa run! Kids and adults all get a kick out of it. Thanks so much to all the CFA volunteers who do this rain, hail or shine year in, year out.
Sunsets are pretty nice, at least
December 20, 2024 at 7:01 AM
Sunsets are pretty nice, at least
The fires in The Grampians in western Vic are making themselves known over Melbourne.
December 20, 2024 at 5:31 AM
The fires in The Grampians in western Vic are making themselves known over Melbourne.
Found this stunning golden stag beetle on the walk to school this morning. Even the local wildlife is getting into the Christmas spirit!
December 5, 2024 at 10:30 PM
Found this stunning golden stag beetle on the walk to school this morning. Even the local wildlife is getting into the Christmas spirit!
And now it's a rainbow afternoon as the sun shines through at exactly the right angle on the glass banisters on the staircase!
December 5, 2024 at 6:32 AM
And now it's a rainbow afternoon as the sun shines through at exactly the right angle on the glass banisters on the staircase!
New but temporary office as our space gets refurbed. I've gone from a north facing view of a multi-story car park and the need to keep my blinds closed so people could see me on video conferences, to this beautiful view of a small forest of giant lemon scented gums. Not sure I want to go back now!
December 5, 2024 at 5:42 AM
New but temporary office as our space gets refurbed. I've gone from a north facing view of a multi-story car park and the need to keep my blinds closed so people could see me on video conferences, to this beautiful view of a small forest of giant lemon scented gums. Not sure I want to go back now!
Brilliant! Blueskyroast.com analyses your posts and writes a description of you from them 🤣
December 4, 2024 at 3:46 AM
Brilliant! Blueskyroast.com analyses your posts and writes a description of you from them 🤣
Lots of rain forecast just as my cherries are ripening - kids and I braved the wet to go grab them to avoid splits like last year. 1.134kg - pretty good haul for a small tree!! It's officially Christmas when cherry season starts, so our tree also goes up today!
November 29, 2024 at 10:05 PM
Lots of rain forecast just as my cherries are ripening - kids and I braved the wet to go grab them to avoid splits like last year. 1.134kg - pretty good haul for a small tree!! It's officially Christmas when cherry season starts, so our tree also goes up today!
Day 2 of a 3 day November heatwave in Melbourne. From my (flawed) memory, I don't think we've had a November heatwave this long, widespread or intense for quite a while, not 3 days in a row across much of Victoria, anyway.
November 22, 2024 at 10:31 AM
Day 2 of a 3 day November heatwave in Melbourne. From my (flawed) memory, I don't think we've had a November heatwave this long, widespread or intense for quite a while, not 3 days in a row across much of Victoria, anyway.
It's been a year for awards! Latest is the Vice Chancellor's Award for "Research Team of the Year" for the Weather & Climate Group @monashuniversity.bsky.social. This inclusive, kind and clever bunch of people are a joy to work with.
November 19, 2024 at 10:25 PM
It's been a year for awards! Latest is the Vice Chancellor's Award for "Research Team of the Year" for the Weather & Climate Group @monashuniversity.bsky.social. This inclusive, kind and clever bunch of people are a joy to work with.
Sleuthing Christmas Days' past for "Weather Detectives" on 774 ABC Melbourne on Monday night. Seems Mildura's Postmaster regularly took a few cheeky days off for the hols 1910 to 1938. Graph shows how many observations were taken for these days of the year, with a big dip 24 to 26 December!
November 25, 2023 at 1:47 AM
Sleuthing Christmas Days' past for "Weather Detectives" on 774 ABC Melbourne on Monday night. Seems Mildura's Postmaster regularly took a few cheeky days off for the hols 1910 to 1938. Graph shows how many observations were taken for these days of the year, with a big dip 24 to 26 December!
A tale of two springs across eastern Australia. Significant drying in September has continued in the central-east of Australia, but a big storm in the far southeast in early October pulled that area out of its drying funk. One event made all the difference.
October 26, 2023 at 2:55 AM
A tale of two springs across eastern Australia. Significant drying in September has continued in the central-east of Australia, but a big storm in the far southeast in early October pulled that area out of its drying funk. One event made all the difference.
I am so very, very sad today. Post-vote data shows that, overwhelmingly, Australia's Indigenous people wanted "Yes". I can only hope there is momentum for a move to Treaty. But cynical me feels a No will be an excuse to ignore Indigenous Australians yet again.
October 15, 2023 at 5:20 AM
I am so very, very sad today. Post-vote data shows that, overwhelmingly, Australia's Indigenous people wanted "Yes". I can only hope there is momentum for a move to Treaty. But cynical me feels a No will be an excuse to ignore Indigenous Australians yet again.
A new one for compound extremes? Red dots are fires, which flared with strong winds from this developing, intense mid-lat cyclone & associated front on Tuesday. Hours later, the same system dumped 100+ mm of rain and those same areas affected by fire are now flooding. #wx #weather #extremes
October 6, 2023 at 1:37 AM
A new one for compound extremes? Red dots are fires, which flared with strong winds from this developing, intense mid-lat cyclone & associated front on Tuesday. Hours later, the same system dumped 100+ mm of rain and those same areas affected by fire are now flooding. #wx #weather #extremes