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1 May 2006

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - NSW REGIONAL OFFICE


Hot spell ends, dry conditions continue

 

April 2006 Main points:

  • End of record 15 consecutive months of above average statewide maximum temperatures
  • 4th coldest statewide April minimum temperatures
  • Large number of record low minimum April temperatures
  • High variation in maximum temperatures across the state
  • Fifth consecutive month of below average rainfall for NSW

April 2006

Temperatures:

Cold nights finally returned to NSW in April with very much below average1 minimum temperatures across the state. Continuing clear dry conditions and cool southerly changes produced the fourth coldest April average1 statewide minimum temperatures on record, 2.1 degrees below the average of 11.1 degrees. A large belt of record low minimum temperatures stretched from the metropolitan and central coasts to the Riverina (See map 1).

Statewide maximum temperatures were also below average in the western half of the state with border areas of the Lower Western and Riverina experiencing very much below average maximum temperatures during April. In contrast the north east of the state and the Illawarra coast experienced above average maximum temperatures with the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers recording very much above average maximum temperatures (See maps 2 and 3 ). The statewide maximum temperature was 0.6 degrees below the April average of 24.1 degrees, ending a record run of 15 consecutive months of above average temperatures (records since 1950).

Rainfall:

April was the fifth consecutive month of below average statewide rainfall. An average of only 18.1mm fell across the state compared to the April average1 of 48mm. A band of below average to very much below average rainfall stretched from the south east and central coasts to the far north west of the state. Very much below average rainfall was also recorded in the Mid North Coast and southern half of the Northern Rivers (See map 4)

 

  

Extremes

Weather extremes during April 2006

Highest temperature
Hottest day
35.9°C
 Tibooburra P.O. on the 14th
Highest mean daily maximum temperature
Warmest days on average
28.2°C
 Mungindi P.O.
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature
Coolest days on average
6.1°C
 Thredbo AWS
Lowest daily maximum temperature
Coldest day
-1.7°C
 Thredbo AWS on the 21st
Lowest temperature
Coldest night
-8.6°C
 Charlotte Pass on the 24th
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature
Coldest nights on average
-3.1°C
 Charlotte Pass
Highest mean daily minimum temperature
Mildest nights on average
17.4°C
 Byron Bay
Highest daily minimum
Warmest night
22.5°C
 Murwillumbah on the 6th
Highest total rainfall
Wettest overall
330mm
 Byron Bay
Highest daily rainfall
Wettest day
229.6mm
 Byron Bay

NSW Records for April

Record Lowest Total Rainfall for April

Total rainfall
for April 2006 (mm)		 Previous lowest
for April		 Years of
record
Sans Souci
4.0
5.6
in 1997
107
Riverview Observatory
6.6
7.7
in 1997
87
Marrickville Golf Club
2.0
= 2.0
in 2004
71
South West Rocks
7.2
12.0
in 1944
67
Coffs Harbour MO
14.8
19.6
in 1944
58

 

Record Highest Temperature for April

Highest temperature
in April 2006 (°C)		 Previous highest
for April		 Years of
record
Riverview Observatory
32.7
on 5th
32.6
on 9th in 1969
70
Gosford
32.9
on 5th
32.8
on 11th in 1969
25
Nelson Bay
30.5
on 12th
30.1
on 17th in 2004
21

 

Record Lowest Daily Maximum Temperature for April

Lowest daily maximum
temperature
in April 2006 (°C)		 Previous lowest
for April		 Years of
record
Balranald
14.2
on 28th
14.5
on 27th in 1982
90

 

Record Lowest Mean Daily Minimum Temperature for April

Mean daily minimum
temperature
for April 2006 (°C)		 Previous lowest
for April		 Years of
record
Bathurst Agricultural Station
2.7
3.9
in 1997
85
Hillston Airport
7.3
= 7.3
in 1951
75
Williamtown RAAF
11.0
11.3
in 1995
56
Taralga Post Office
3.6
4.1
in 1995
47
Peak Hill Post Office
9.7
9.8
in 1995
41
Nerriga Composite
3.2
4.1
in 1996
36
Wollongong University
12.3
12.4
in 1995
36
Gulgong Post Office
6.9
7.6
in 1996
33
Paterson
10.4
= 10.4
in 1996
33
Camden Airport AWS
8.5
9.6
in 1977
30
Goulburn Tafe
5.1
5.4
in 1995
30
Cessnock
9.3
9.4
in 1996
29
Griffith Airport AWS
6.9
7.0
in 1972
28
Gosford
9.5
9.7
in 1965
26
Thredbo AWS
-0.9
-0.4
in 1999
25

 

Record Highest Daily Minimum Temperature for April

Highest daily minimum
temperature
in April 2006 (°C) 		Previous highest
for April 		Years of
record
Bankstown Airport AWS
20.2
on 20th
19.9
on 9th in 1998
38
Murwillumbah
22.5
on 6th
= 22.5
on 23rd in 1998
30

 

Record Lowest Temperature for April

Lowest temperature
in April 2006 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for April 		Years of
record
Parkes
0.5
on 22nd
1.2
on 27th in 1978
96
Murrurundi Post Office
-2.1
on 23rd
-2.0
on 18th in 1996
88
Bathurst Agricultural Station
-5.0
on 23rd
-4.2
on 30th in 1976
85
Hillston Airport
0.5
on 23rd
= 0.5
on 1st in 1973
75
Riverview Observatory
6.1
on 24th
6.2
on 21st in 1965
70
Wagga Wagga AMO
-2.1
on 22nd
-0.5
on 22nd in 1999
65
Yass
-3.5
on 22nd
-2.6
on 21st in 1987
57
Williamtown RAAF
2.1
on 23rd
3.9
on 19th in 1996
56
Prospect Dam
3.6
on 23rd
4.5
on 20th in 1996
40
Narrandera Golf Club
-0.2
on 22nd
0.0
on 28th in 1996
37
Nerriga Composite
-5.5
on 22nd
-3.5
on 21st in 1987
36
Oberon
-4.0
on 16th
-2.8
on 27th in 1965
33
Paterson
1.3
on 23rd
4.0
on 29th in 1978
33
Orange Agricultural Institute
-1.6
on 23rd
-1.4
on 27th in 1978
31
Camden Airport AWS
-0.7
on 23rd
0.6
on 27th in 1986
30
Cessnock
0.5
on 23rd
1.0
on 29th in 1978
29
Griffith Airport AWS
0.0
on 23rd
0.2
on 27th in 1978
28
Gosford
1.5
on 23rd
3.1
on 28th in 1978
26

 

Summaries

Summary statistics for April 2006

Maximum temperatures
for April
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for April
(°C)		 Rainfall
for April
(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 
19.8
-
26.9
6.4
-
1.0
38
33
Armidale 
20.1
-
24.5
6.3
-
0.4
25
33
Batemans Bay
22.9
-
30.6
7.8
-
1.3
8
70
Bathurst Ag. Station
20.6
+0.5
27.3
2.7
-4.0
-5.0
7
42
Bega 
22.4
-
30.6
7.6
-
0.2
12
27
Bourke 
26.8
-
33.7
11.3
-
3.4
1
28
Bowral
20.2
+0.7
26.9
7.6
-0.5
1.6
3
81
Broken Hill
22.4
-1.6
29.3
10.8
-1.0
5.5
17
18
Byron Bay
23.9
-0.6
29.9
17.4
+0.2
13.5
260
185
Canberra Airport
19.7
-0.2
25.9
4.8
-1.9
-3.4
15
47
Cobar MO
23.7
-1.5
30.6
11.1
-1.8
4.2
8
28
Coffs Harbour MO
24.9
+0.8
28.9
14.1
-1.2
8.2
15
175
Cooma 
18.3
-1.3
24.0
1.4
-2.7
-6.0
19
40
Deniliquin 
20.4
-
28.4
7.8
-
2.8
22
31
Dubbo 
23.6
-
30.3
8.2
-
0.1
11
36
Gosford
24.4
+0.7
32.9
9.5
-2.4
1.5
6
135
Goulburn 
19.7
-
25.9
3.1
-
-5.9
7
17
Grafton 
26.7
+0.5
34.0
14.1
-0.8
9.2
21
87
Griffith 
22.1
-1.9
30.0
6.9
-3.2
0.0
11
29
Inverell 
23.3
-0.2
26.5
8.8
-2.2
3.1
15
40
Katoomba
18.3
+1.7
25.6
7.5
-1.1
0.4
8
121
Kempsey
26.2
+0.7
31.5
11.7
-1.5
6.5
10
115
Lismore
25.7
-
31.4
15.0
-
11.6
66
129
Liverpool
25.1
-
33.5
10.1
-
1.9
4
85
Maitland 
25.7
-
32.3
10.4
-
0.7
30
40
Moree Aero
26.7
-
33.0
11.2
-
1.6
15
19
Mudgee 
22.1
-
29.0
5.5
-
-2.1
49
33
Newcastle 
23.9
+1.1
32.9
14.9
-0.3
8.1
54
115
Nowra
23.2
-
30.9
10.3
-
5.3
8
96
Orange 
18.0
-0.5
24.0
5.2
-2.0
-1.6
7
53
Parkes
23.1
-0.4
30.0
7.9
-3.1
0.5
8
42
Penrith
25.2
-
33.6
11.0
-
3.6
4
29
Port Macquarie
24.6
-
29.0
11.3
-
5.0
8
103
Richmond
24.9
-
33.4
8.5
-
-0.4
5
39
Scone
26.1
+1.6
31.5
10.9
-0.6
2.7
58
40
Sydney
24.6
+2.2
33.1
14.3
-0.4
9.2
10
126
Tamworth 
24.5
-
30.0
8.8
-
1.0
47
24
Taree
25.1
-
33.0
11.4
-
4.0
18
114
Wagga Wagga 
21.2
-1.2
27.7
5.8
-3.3
-2.1
17
42
Wollongong Uni.
22.9
+0.3
31.4
12.3
-2.0
6.7
7
127

 

**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 May 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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