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Monday, 2 December 2002
SEASONAL CLIMATE SUMMARY - ACT METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE
Spring in the ACT much warmer and drier than average
Spring in the ACT this year was much warmer and drier than normal, with very high evaporation.
Rainfall: Total rainfall at Canberra airport for September, October and November this year was 80.4 millimetres
over 12 days, well below the long-term average of 182.8mm over 31 days. It was the fourth lowest total since records
began at the airport in 1939. September’s total of 58.4mm was slightly above average, but October (11.6mm) and November
(10.4mm) were very much below the means of 65.6mm and 64.5mm respectively. Thunder was reported at the airport on
four days, below the average of seven.
Temperature: The mean daily maximum temperature for spring was 22.2 degrees Celsius, well above the average of
19.2 degrees and the third highest on record. There were 12 days with maximums over 30 degrees, well above the average of two.
Eleven of these days were in November. There were 30 frosts - more than usual - compared with the mean of 21. However
the average minimum temperature for the season was still above average at 6.7 degrees (mean 6.0 degrees) due to high minimums
in November.
Other: The total evaporation for spring was 605.4mm, very much above the long-term average of 464.1mm and the second
highest on record. The highest was 663.5mm in 1982. Daily hours of sunshine were above average in all months. The overall
average of 9.4 hours a day was the third highest on record. Spring was windier than usual, with a mean daily wind run at 2 metres
of 233.6 kilometres a day compared with the mean of 213.9. The were 13 days on which strong winds (mean speed 41-62km/h) were
recorded (the average is nine) and one day (18 September) of gale force winds (mean speed more than 62km/h), when
there were numerous reports of wind damage to trees. The strongest recorded wind gust was 93km/h. Fog was reported on only
one day in spring, much less than the average of eight due to the generally dry conditions. The mean daily air pressure
was 1015.4 hectopascals, very close to the average of 1015.6.
| Summary for Canberra airport, Spring 2002
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| Mean maximum temperature |
22.2 degrees (av 19.2) |
| Highest maximum temperature |
34.2 degrees (25 November) |
| Lowest maximum temperature |
11.1 degrees (17 September) |
| Mean minimum temperature |
6.7 degrees (av 6.0) |
| Highest minimum temperature |
23.1 degrees (26 November) |
| Lowest minimum temperature |
minus 4.7 degrees (11 September) |
| Mean daily temperature |
14.5 degrees (12.6) |
| Lowest grass temperature |
minus 8.8 degrees (11 September) |
| Total spring rainfall |
80.4mm (av 182.8mm) |
| Total spring evaporation |
605.4mm (av 464.1mm) |
| Mean daily sunshine |
9.4 hr/day (av 8.3 hr/day) |
| Mean daily pressure |
1015.4 hPa (av 1015.5 hPa) |
| Mean daily wind run (at 2 metres) |
233.6 km/day (av 213.9 km/day) |
Ends
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