|
Friday, 3 January 2003
ANNUAL CLIMATE SUMMARY - ACT METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE
2002 drier, warmer and windier in ACT
The weather in the ACT for 2002 was much drier, warmer, windier and sunnier than normal. However
February was exceptionally wet and cool, with the highest rainfall on record for that
month at Canberra airport and the third lowest mean maximum temperature. The 10 months
March to December had the second lowest rainfall on record for this period and the highest mean
maximum temperature.
Rainfall
At Canberra Airport, the annual rainfall was 505.4 millimetres, which is the 16th lowest
in the 63 full years of records. February, with a total of 211mm (the highest total on record
for that month) was the wettest month of the year. The highest 24-hour total to 9am for February
of 77.8mm was recorded on 5 February. Other months were all near or below normal. Rain during
the 10-month period after February totalled 271.8mm, the second lowest on record for this period.
The driest month of the year was November with 10.4mm, the third lowest total for November.
Measurable rain fell on 69 days during the year, well below the average of 106 days and the
fourth lowest number of rain days on record.
There were 23 days when thunderstorms were reported at the airport, which is average.
Severe thunderstorms were reported on 2 and 16 February. There were three days on which hail
was reported (average four). No snow was reported at the airport in 2002. There were fewer
fogs than usual - 26 compared with the average of 44.
Total evaporation for the year was 1866.0mm, the fourth highest since records of evaporation
began in 1967 and well above the average of 1686.6mm.
Temperature
The mean maximum temperature for the year was 21.0 degrees Celsius, well above the long-term
average of 19.6 degrees and the equal second highest on record together with 1980 and 1997.
The highest annual mean maximum was 21.2 degrees in 1982. Mean maximum temperatures were above
the long-term average in every month of 2002 except February, which was well below normal
at 24.5 degrees, the third lowest February mean on record. The average over the 10 months
March to December was the highest on record for this period at 16.7 degrees. The long-term
average is 15.1 degrees. The highest mean maximum was 28.8 degrees in January and the lowest
12.5 degrees in July. The number of days with maximum temperatures of 30 degrees or more was
37, again well above the average of 30. The hottest day of the year was 22 December with
a maximum of 36.9 degrees.
The mean minimum temperature for 2002 was 6.6 degrees, only slightly above the long-term mean
of 6.4 degrees. The lowest monthly mean minimum was minus 1.1 degrees in July, and the highest
of 13.6 degrees was recorded in February. The coldest morning of the year was minus 6.0 degrees
on 12 July. There were 112 days with frost (average 99). The first frost for the year was on
6 April, and the last on 7 December, unusually late, though frost has been recorded as late
as 31 December in 1970.
The overall mean temperature for the year was 13.8 degrees, well above average and the fifth
highest on record. The warmest month was January with a mean temperature of 21.1 degrees. The
coldest was July with 5.7 degrees.
Other
The mean daily wind run for the year was 193.6 kilometres a day, well above the long-term average
of 183.9 km/day and the highest on record, though measurement of wind run in Canberra only
started in 1969, and the record has some gaps. The windiest month was June with an average of
240.6 km/day, which was the highest on record for June. The average for June is 149.4 km/day.
The least windy month was April with a wind run of 113.7 km/day.
Strong winds (10-minute mean of 41 km/h or more) were reported on 29 days (average 25) and there
were two days of gale-force winds (mean speed 63 km/hr or more, average one day a year).
Gale-force winds followed a period of heavy rain on 18 September, resulting in damage to many
trees in the ACT. On 16 October, strong winds brought raised dust across the ACT during the evening,
and small amounts of rain mixed with the dust to produce the effect of “raining mud”.
The strongest wind gust for the year was 93 km/h from the west on 18 September. The strongest
wind gust ever recorded in Canberra was 128 km/h on 24 November 1957.
2002 was much sunnier than usual. The average of 8.4 hours a day was well above the long-term
mean of 7.5 hr/day and the highest since records of sunshine hours started in 1978. Sunshine was
above average in all months except February.
The average daily pressure was 1017.2 hectopascals, slightly above the long-term mean of 1016.8 hPa.
2002 summary for Canberra airport
Mean maximum temperature: 21.0°C (av 19.6°C)
Highest maximum temperature: 36.9°C (22 December)
Lowest maximum temperature: 8.9°C (2 July)
Mean minimum temperature: 6.6°C (av 6.4°C)
Highest minimum temperature: 23.1°C (26 November)
Lowest minimum temperature: -6.0°C (12 July)
Mean daily temperature: 13.8°C (av 12.9°C)
Lowest grass temperature: -10.6°C (30 June)
Annual rainfall: 505.4mm (av 630.2mm)
Annual evaporation: 1866.0mm (av 1686.6)
Mean daily sunshine: 8.4 hr/day (av 7.5 hr/day)
Mean daily pressure: 1017.2 hPa (1016.8 hPa)
Mean daily wind run (at 2 metres): 240.6 km/day (av 183.9 km/day)
Records at Canberra airport for 2002
(Records since 1939 unless otherwise indicated)
Rainfall
Highest February rainfall: 211.0mm. Previous record 148.2mm in 1977.
Highest February 24-hour rainfall total to 9am: 77.8mm on 5 February.
Previous record 69.4mm in 1974.
Temperature
Equal highest mean daily temperature in April: 15.3 degrees (equal with April 1990).
Wind
Highest mean daily wind run at 2 metres in June: 240.6 km/day.
Previous record 175.4 km/day in 1973 (records since 1969).
Sunshine
Highest average daily hours of sunshine for the year: 8.4 hr/day.
Previous record 8.3 hr/day in 1997 (records since 1978).
Ends
|
