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3 April 2006

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - NSW REGIONAL OFFICE

Very warm and dry March across NSW

March 2006 Main points:

  • 4th warmest March on record for statewide mean temperatures
  • 5th warmest March on record for statewide maximum temperatures
  • Record 15th consecutive month of above average statewide maximum temperatures
  • 12th consecutive month of above average statewide mean temperatures
  • 7th consecutive month of above average statewide minimum temperatures
  • 4th consecutive month of below average statewide rainfall

March 2006

Temperatures:

It was the 4th warmest March on record for NSW with the states average mean temperature 1.4 degrees above the average 1 of 21.86°C. It was also the 5th hottest March on record for statewide maximum temperatures which were 1.75 degrees above the historical average of 28.6°C (see maps 1 and 2). Significantly this marks a record 15th consecutive month that the state has experienced above average maximum temperatures and the 12th consecutive month for above average mean temperatures, only exceeded by the warm 12 month period of 1980/81 (records from 1950). In the last 29 months only one month has seen below average statewide maximum temperatures and that was only very slightly cooler than the 1961-90 average (Dec 2004, -0.08°C below average). Night-time temperatures were also very warm during March with the state experiencing average minimum temperatures 1.0 degree above the historical average of 15.2°C (see map 3). This was the seventh consecutive month of above average minimum temperatures for the state. The above average temperatures across NSW are consistent with the current global trend of rising temperatures.

Rainfall:

March was a very dry month across the state with an average statewide rainfall of 25.0 mm compared to the historical average of 54.2mm. It is the fourth consecutive month of below average rainfall for the state. Only a small area around Cobar and Byron Bay recorded above average rainfall. Most of the eastern half of the state received below average to very much below average March rainfall (see map 4).

 

Extremes

Weather extremes during March 2006
Highest temperature
Hottest day		 43.0°C Pooncarie on the 12th
Highest mean daily maximum temperature
Warmest days on average		 33.9°C White Cliffs AWS
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature
Coolest days on average		 16.0°C Thredbo AWS
Lowest daily maximum temperature
Coldest day		 8.6°C Thredbo AWS on the 16th
Lowest temperature
Coldest night		 -3.3°C Charlotte Pass on the 25th
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature
Coldest nights on average		 1.3°C Charlotte Pass
Highest mean daily minimum temperature
Mildest nights on average		 21.1°C Tibooburra Post Office
Highest daily minimum
Warmest night		 28.2°C Fowlers Gap AWS on the 13th
Highest total rainfall
Wettest overall		 639.7 mm Dorrigo (Old Coramba Rd)
Highest daily rainfall
Wettest day		 221.0 mm Dorrigo (Old Coramba Rd) on the 3rd

Summaries

Summary statistics for March 2006

Maximum temperatures
for March
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for March
(°C)		 Rainfall
for March
(mm)
Mean for 2006 Difference from normal Highest for 2006 Mean for 2006 Difference from normal Lowest for 2006 Total for 2006 Normal total
Albury AWS
30.4
-
38.5
13.5
-
9.5
25
21
Armidale AWS
23.0
-
27.9
11.8
-
6.0
95
61
Batemans Bay
25.4
-
34.2
15.0
-
9.1
20
67
Bathurst Ag Station
26.9
+2.4
33.3
11.1
+0.4
3.8
6
50
Bega AWS
27.5
-
37.5
12.5
-
7.8
8
58
Bourke AWS
33.7
-
40.1
19.9
-
15.7
13
35
Bowral
24.2
+1.8
31.0
12.7
+1.3
8.0
30
94
Broken Hill
30.2
+1.2
40.5
16.8
+1.3
10.8
23
19
Byron Bay
26.3
-0.2
30.6
20.0
+0.6
16.3
241
210
Canberra Airport
26.9
+2.5
33.9
12.2
+1.6
7.2
34
51
Cobar MO
31.8
+1.8
38.7
18.7
+1.7
13.4
58
35
Coffs Harbour MO
26.4
+0.5
30.5
18.7
+0.5
16.1
197
241
Cooma Visitors Centre
26.8
+3.0
35.2
7.3
-0.8
3.5
15
57
Deniliquin AWS
30.0
-
40.8
14.1
-
9.0
19
31
Dubbo AWS
30.3
-
36.0
16.1
-
9.5
24
52
Gosford
26.9
+1.0
34.5
16.3
+0.9
11.6
136
152
Goulburn Airport AWS
25.6
-
33.4
11.3
-
4.4
9
27
Grafton Olympic Pool
27.9
-0.4
33.8
18.6
+0.6
14.7
273
133
Griffith Airport AWS
31.4
+2.7
40.0
15.7
+1.6
10.0
11
34
Inverell 
27.9
+0.8
30.9
15.0
+0.6
11.9
24
68
Katoomba
21.6
+1.5
28.4
12.9
+1.5
8.7
71
167
Kempsey
28.0
+0.3
32.0
17.8
+1.3
14.5
77
153
Lismore
26.6
-
31.1
18.1
-
15.0
293
188
Liverpool
28.0
-
35.2
-
11.8
25
101
Maitland 
28.2
-
35.5
17.5
-
12.1
106
91
Moree Aero
30.9
-
35.7
17.8
-
12.4
10
61
Mudgee Airport AWS
28.5
-
34.0
13.6
-
5.8
35
47
Newcastle AWS
25.5
+0.8
32.4
20.4
+2.2
16.1
89
121
Nowra
26.3
-
34.5
15.7
-
12.1
37
100
Orange Ag Institute
24.6
+1.9
30.0
11.5
+1.0
5.5
12
57
Parkes
31.0
+2.6
36.3
15.9
+0.9
9.0
13
47
Penrith Lakes AWS
28.3
-
37.8
17.8
-
13.8
25
67
Port Macquarie AWS
26.8
-
30.5
17.2
-
13.0
95
179
Richmond RAAF
28.2
-
37.8
16.8
-
12.3
22
68
Scone SCS
30.6
+2.9
35.8
16.6
+2.0
9.0
7
52
Sydney
27.1
+2.4
34.7
19.6
+2.1
15.7
40
131
Tamworth AWS
30.3
-
35.0
15.5
-
7.0
17
38
Taree AWS
27.5
-
33.0
17.2
-
13.0
57
151
Wagga Wagga AMO
30.2
+2.6
38.0
13.5
+0.2
6.9
11
41
Wollongong Uni
25.1
+0.6
33.2
17.6
+0.9
14.5
20
164

 

**Please note: the length of record for some of the stations listed in the above table is not long enough to produce valid temperature and/or rainfall averages.

 

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 12 PM on 1 April 2006. Although every effort has been made to check them, it is possible that results may change as new information becomes available.

A note about deciles: Deciles are used to give an element (in this case rainfall or temperature) a ranking. Deciles are calculated by arranging the totals in ascending order (from lowest to highest) then splitting them into 10 equal groups (thus the groups are called deciles). The first group would be in decile range one, the second group in decile range two, etc up to the highest annual totals (highest 10 per cent) being in decile range 10.

1Averages: Averages are based on the period 1961 to 1990 which is a convention of the World Meteorological Organisation.

Further information: Contact Clinton Rakich 9296 1610, email: reqnsw@bom.gov.au

A directory of Bureau services is available on poll fax: 1800 630 100

The latest rainfall and temperature maps are available here
Climate averages for New South Wales localities are available here
Daily Weather Observations for selected New South Wales localities are available here

 


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