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ANNUAL CLIMATE SUMMARY - TASMANIA
Tasmania's weather is renowned for being changeable, and 2004 gave many examples. Recorded temperatures ranged from as low as –9.1 °C to as high as 35 °C, whilst monthly rainfalls from lower than 10 millimetres to higher than 730 mm were recorded.
In most parts of the
State averaged temperatures were below normal. For
many places (including Hobart, Launceston, Swansea, Strahan,
Strathgordon, King Island and Maydena) averaged maximum temperatures
were the lowest they have been since at least 1996. Over most of
Australia, meanwhile, averaged temperatures were above normal, partly
a result of some marked heatwaves in February, September and October — heatwaves that Tasmania escaped.
January and June were very wet months in Tasmania, but there was
also a number of
very dry times. Added together, the whole year was wetter than
normal in the southwest, the upper Derwent Valley and the eastern north
coast, but below normal near the Tasman Peninsula and the the central Midlands.
In a small State, Tasmania experiences a wide range of weather. Often the conditions are much milder than other parts of the country - it is rare to get temperatures into the 40s or months with no rain - but there is always something interesting going on. Here are some of Tasmania's weather extremes for 2004:
Cool days predominated during January, but the 20th was an exception. Most places had temperatures into the high 20s, and many in the south and east exceeded 30 °C. The automatic weather station at Campania recorded 35 °C on that day, the State's highest temperature for the year. This is well short of the record 40.8 °C recorded in Hobart in 1976.
The Central Plateau, because it is away from the sea and high up, often has the coldest nights in Tasmania during winter. A cold snap in the middle of August saw the temperature drop to –9.1 °C at Liawenee on the morning of the 16th. This was the coldest August temperature reported in Tasmania since 1978, but was still warmer than the State's coldest-ever temperature of –13 °C recorded at several sites in June 1983.
Campania (north of Richmond) and Launceston City had a very similar average daily maximum temperature for 2004 of 17.9 °C. But the two places came at it in different ways. Launceston tends to have many relatively mild days, whereas Campania has a few very warm ones; the temperature varies at Campania much more than it does at Launceston. Campania's highest temperature was 35 °C and its coldest day was 7 °C. For Launceston, the equivalent figures were 28 °C and 8 °C.
Just 12 kilometres from Hobart but over 1200 metres further up, an automatic weather station takes measurements on the summit of Mount Wellington. The mountain experiences much colder conditions than much of the State, although it is sometimes similar to other mountain tops such as Keoghs Pimple in the Hartz Range and Mount Read in the west. The average daily maximum temperature for 2004 on Mount Wellington was 7.4 °C; the average daily minimum temperature there was 0.8 °C.
Proximity to the relatively warm waters of the Tasman Sea ensures the northeast coast has the mildest nights on average in Tasmania. The average minimum (that is, overnight) temperature for the year at Swan Island (off the northeast tip) was 11.3 °C. Cold nights are rare there, although it did drop to 3.1 °C on 18 July (a morning when many other parts of the State recorded sub-zero temperatures).
Mild nights and only a very few cold days ensure that the northeast coast has the highest average temperature in Tasmania. Swan Island was mildest overall at 14.0 °C, but Flinders Island Airport and Eddystone Point were not far behind.
There were a number of cold days during July, with highland snow a relatively common occurrence. On the 17th, the temperature stayed below 10 °C for almost the whole State; on Mount Wellington the temperature did not get above –3.6 °C on that day.
Very warm nights are rare in Tasmania, but sometimes the temperature does not fall away much as the sun goes down. On 14 February, northeast winds had brought warm and humid air from across the Tasman Sea. The night was especially mild for many parts of the State, and the temperature had not dropped below 20.2 °C at Flinders Island Airport by 9 am on the 15th. About ten days later, some places were reporting minimum temperatures below zero.
Numerous places (especially in the northeast) had their wettest-ever January, and almost the whole State was much wetter than normal. Most of the rain was concentrated in just a few days from the 27th; dozens of sites recorded their wettest-ever January day (and some their wettest day of any month). Blueberry Cottage at Gray topped the list with 237 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 29th; nearby Craigie-Lea recorded 234 mm in the same period. In the following 24 hours, Blueberry Cottage recorded another 188 mm and Craigie-Lea another 190 mm. This rain, heaviest in the northeast of the State, brought flooding, cut roads, damaged bridges, isolated communities, and caused enormous agricultural and aquacultural losses.
The automatic weather station on Mount Read in the West Coast Range south of Rosebery is 1119 metres above sea. This area is one of the wettest known in the State, and Mount Read often tops the monthly rainfall bulletins. Mount Read received 731 millimetres in June; nearby Lake Margaret Dam received 632 mm. June was a very wet month for most of the State, and many places recorded there wettest-ever June.
It is common for the western highlands to be wetter than the rest of the State, but the northeast highlands were the wettest in January, with Gray recording 555 mm for the month.
Mount Read recorded a total of 3693 millimetres of precipitation for the year. Snow and ice often cause problems with measurements at this remote, automated mountain-top station, and it is possible that the actual total is higher again. Nearby Lake Margaret Dam still holds the record for wettest year (4504 mm in 1948).
The Midlands is often one of the driest parts of Tasmania. Tunbridge's total rainfall for the whole year was just 379 mm, only slightly more than half that received by Mount Read in a single month in June. (It is possible that a lower total will emerge as reports come in from other volunteer rainfall observers).
Not only is the summit of Mount Wellington often cold, it is also very windy. On 21 August, a wind gust to 193 km/h was recorded there. This was the second-highest wind gust recorded in Tasmania; the highest was 200 km/h in the same place in March 1998. The day was windy across the State, with sustained storm-force winds reported in the southeast.
January ended up being a wet month, largely the result of several days of widespread heavy rain late in the month. Many places reported record high rainfall totals, and some had their wettest day ever. Thunderstorms, heavy rain and resulting flooding caused extensive damage.
February was cooler than normal for the time of year, with several marked cold snaps.
March saw most of the State experience below normal rainfall, with the rain that did fall largely associated with just two events.
April started with a very windy day, with damage reported in many areas. Gale to storm-force winds were reported, and many places recorded wind gusts over 100 km/h.
May was also very windy, and some snow early in the month forced
several road closures. It was also quite cold, with several places
recording their coldest-ever May.
June was generally wet, and many places reported record June
rainfall totals. Heavy rain on the west coast caused problem late in
the month, as did highland snow on several occasions.
July was another relatively cold month; the coldest for many years
in some areas. There were a number of cold days, but not many warm ones.
August was mostly another cold, wet and windy month, but a burst of
warm weather at the end of the month broke some records and added some
balance.
September rainfall was well below normal in the north, and temperatures were above normal for most areas.
October was another relatively dry and warm month, although there were several cold nights and the 27th was a very cold day.
November brought record rainfall to Flinders Island, and although
most of the rain fell in the first week or so totals for the month were
mostly up on average. It was also warmer than normal, both by day and
by night.
December was dry in many areas, with a burst of cool weather in the last week or so.
Summary statistics for 2004 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for (°C) |
Rainfall for (mm) |
||||||
| Mean for 2004 | Difference from normal | Highest for 2004 | Mean for 2004 | Difference from normal | Lowest for 2004 | Total for 2004 | Normal total | |
| Hobart | 16.8 | 0 | 33.9 | 8.5 | +0.2 | 0.5 | 576 | 619 |
| Launceston | 17.9 | -0.5 | 28.0 | 7.0 | -0.1 | -2.7 | 734 | 683 |
| Burnie | 17.1 | +0.2 | 28.4 | 9.6 | +0.3 | 1.5 | 733 | 971 |
| Devonport | 16.6 | -0.1 | 28.1 | 8.2 | +0.2 | -0.9 | 761 | 786 |
| Swansea | 17.7 | -0.1 | 33.1 | 7.7 | -0.1 | -2.2 | 590 | 596 |
| Strahan |
15.9 | -0.5 | 30.9 | 7.8 | -0.2 | -2.4 | 1561 | |
| Strathgordon |
13.5 | -0.5 | 29.1 | 6.0 | -0.2 | -1.2 | 2828 | 2514 |
| King Island Airport | 16.3 | -0.4 |
32.7 | 9.6 | -0.2 |
0.6 | 821 | 866 |
| Flinders Island Airport | 17.3 | -0.3 | 31.8 | 10.2 | +0.5 | -1.2 | 661 | 752 |
| Bicheno | 17.7 | 0 | 30.1 | 9.2 | -0.2 | 0.9 | 751 | 683 |
| Bridport | 17.0 | -0.5 | 27.8 | 8.9 | -0.1 |
-0.2 | 819 | 755 |
| Bushy Park | 17.7 | +0.1 | 33.8 | 5.3 | -0.7 | -3.4 | 629 | 578 |
| Campania | 17.9 | 35.0 | 6.6 | -3.0 | 519 | |||
| Cape Bruny |
14.8 | 0 | 30.0 | 9.0 | +0.2 | 1.5 | 957 | 947 |
| Cape Grim |
15.4 | -0.3 |
25.0 | 10.4 | -0.3 |
4.0 | 502 | 736 |
| Cressy | 17.7 | 30.2 | 5.2 | -4.1 | ||||
| Dover | 16.2 | -0.2 | 32.1 | 6.8 | 0 | -1.4 | 866 | 882 |
| Eddystone Point | 17.4 | +0.4 | 26.3 | 10.0 | -0.4 | 1.2 | ||
| Fingal | 17.1 | -0.6 | 31.1 | 4.9 | -0.4 | -6.1 | 594 | 609 |
| Friendly Beaches | 17.8 | 32.4 | 8.8 | -0.1 | 731 | |||
| Geeveston | 16.1 | -0.6 | 32.1 | 6.3 | +0.4 | -3.9 | 992 | 876 |
| Grove | 17.0 | -0.1 | 33.0 | 5.9 | +0.1 | -3.2 | 719 | 749 |
| Hartz Mountain | 10.6 | 26.5 | 3.2 | -3.2 | ||||
| Hobart Airport | 17.3 | -0.1 | 34.5 | 8.1 | 0 | -0.6 | 437 | 501 |
| Lake Leake | 13.5 | -0.2 | 26.8 | 3.7 | -0.3 | -6.7 | 686 | 836 |
| Lake St Clair | 12.4 | -0.6 | 28.9 | 2.6 | +0.1 | -5.0 | 2015 | 1901 |
| Launceston Airport |
16.9 | -0.1 | 28.8 | 5.8 | -0.4 | -3.3 | 653 | 681 |
| Liawenee | 11.4 | 26.7 | 1.0 | -9.1 | 911 | |||
| Low Head | 16.0 | 25.7 | 10.1 | 0.6 | 714 | |||
| Maatsuyker Island |
13.2 | -0.7 | 29.1 | 8.3 | -0.2 | 1.8 | 1071 | 1238 |
| Marrawah | 15.7 | -0.2 | 27.0 | 9.2 | 0 | 1.5 | 981 | 1076 |
| Maydena | 15.3 | -0.9 | 30.4 | 5.1 | 0 | -2.8 | 1309 | 1227 |
| Melton Mowbray | 16.5 | 32.5 | 5.5 | -5.0 | 493 | |||
| Moogara | 13.2 | 28.0 | 4.6 | -2.5 | 933 | 844 | ||
| Mount Read | 7.8 | 23.8 | 1.9 | -4.7 | ||||
| Mount Wellington | 7.4 | 0 | 24.8 | 0.8 | -0.4 | -6.3 | ||
| Orford | 17.0 | -0.6 | 31.5 | 7.8 | 0 | -2.9 | 677 | 678 |
| Ouse | 17.6 | 33.1 | 5.2 | -4.4 | 727 | |||
| Port Arthur | 14.8 | 0 | 28.4 | 7.8 | -0.4 | 1.0 | 1003 | 1162 |
| Powranna | 17.5 | -0.1 | 30.0 | 5.7 | -0.2 | -3.6 | ||
| Ross | 17.4 | 0 | 30.4 | 5.2 | -0.4 | -5.2 | 492 | 492 |
| Scamander | 17.4 | -0.5 | 31.8 | 8.3 | -0.4 | 0.2 | 663 | 675 |
| Scotts Peak Dam | 13.6 | 30.9 | 5.5 | -2.1 | 1883 | |||
| Scottsdale | 16.7 | -0.6 | 27.5 | 6.7 | -0.4 | -1.2 | 938 | 1014 |
| Sheffield | 15.5 | 26.3 | 6.4 | -2.0 | ||||
| Smithton |
16.8 | 25.8 | 7.4 | -2.0 | ||||
| St Helens |
17.3 | 31.1 | 8.3 | -1.0 | 754 | |||
| Swan Island | 16.6 | 25.4 | 11.3 | 3.1 | 760 | |||
| Tarraleah |
13.4 | -0.4 | 29.2 | 3.9 | +0.4 | -4.0 | 1324 | 1173 |
| Tasman Island | 13.7 | 26.0 | 8.2 | 1.2 | ||||
| Tunnack |
14.6 | 28.7 | 4.8 | -5.3 | 682 | |||
| Wynyard |
16.8 | +0.2 | 27.8 | 6.8 | -0.1 | -2.9 | 936 | 990 |
This statement has been prepared based on information available at noon on Tuesday 4 January 2005
. Although every effort has been made to check them,
it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
"Normals" are based on all available years of record, which vary widely
from site to site. Sites without normals do not have sufficient record
for them to be calculated. Those without rainfall values had at least
one month where the recordings were missing or suspect.
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