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Tuesday, 1 November 2005

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - TASMANIA

Wet and mild - Tasmania in October 2005

Tasmania had a lot of wet weather during October, especially in the east and north where records for daily and monthly rainfall were broken. Temperatures, especially overnight, were above normal, with a few new records set.

A very wet month: Almost all of Tasmania had more rain than is normal for October. It was especially wet near the the North and East Coasts, and in the Derwent Valley. Several places on the East Coast and in the Devonport-Barrington area had their wettest-ever October (as shown in the table below). There was rain on most days during the month; the 17th to the 20th was the only extended period of "fine" weather. Totals were close to normal near King and Flinders Islands, and only in the far south were they below normal.

Some very wet days: Locations in the north and the east not only had a very wet month, but also some exceptionally wet days. Several sites on the East Coast saw heavy rain on the 8th and 9th as a low passed over Tasmania, with Swansea having its wettest October day. A complex system of troughs and lows affected the State from the 21st to the 24th, bringing thunderstorms to many areas and giving the wettest October day to  some sites in the northeast and northwest.

Very warm nights: A number of sites had their warmest October nights on average, including Hobart, Launceston and Burnie (although Hobart's mean daily minimum for October 2005 was just 0.04 °C above that recorded in 1963). There was a particularly warm spell from the 21st to the 26th, with a few sites having their warmest ever October night. Mean minimum temperatures were about 1.5 to 2.4 °C above normal across the State.

Mild days: Despite the rain, most days were warmer than normal. The less frequent westerly winds (and more frequent easterlies) ensured temperatures on the West Coast were about 1 to 1.5 °C above normal. Strahan registered the State's highest temperature this month, and Marrawah had its warmest October days on average. In other parts of the State, mean daily maxima were around 0.5 °C above the October normal, but they were fractionally below normal at a handful of sites in the northeast.

"Cut offs" the cause: The heavy rainfalls of the 8th-9th and the 21st-24th were the result of low pressure systems close to Tasmania. "Cut off lows" such as these (so called because they are "cut off" from the main westerly flow) are often the cause of heavy rain in the north and east of the State. Tasmania's weather in October is often controlled by strong westerly winds, but there were only a few bursts of those this year, notably at the start of the month when several sites recorded gusts over 100 km/h.

A wet three months:  Some locations in the north have had their wettest August-to-October period on record, as October's heavy rain comes after large falls during August and September. Some of these are in areas that had experienced record dry conditions in the months leading up to August, so although the recent rain has helped recharge water storages the last 15 months have been drier than normal, especially in the northwest and northeast.

Record dry October on Macquarie Island: While most of the State was wet, sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island (1500 km southeast of Hobart, but actually part of Tasmania) recorded its driest October in 58 years of operation. Just 35.0 mm of rain was registered, well down on the October normal of 74.8 mm and drier than the pervious low of 41.9 mm in October 1959. When cut-off lows were affecting Tasmania, ridges of high pressure were over Macquarie Island, reducing the rain-bearing westerly winds.


Included in this summary are a table of State extremes, some new records, and summaries for sites across the State.

Further information

Climate Services Section
Tasmania and Antarctica Regional Office
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au

Extremes

Weather extremes during October 2005
Highest temperature
Hottest day		 27.1 °C Strahan Aerodrome on 24th
Highest mean daily maximum temperature
Warmest days on average		 18.7 °C Bushy Park
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature
Coolest days on average		 8.1 °C Mount Wellington
Lowest daily maximum temperature
Coldest day		 0.4 °C Mount Wellington on 6th
Lowest temperature
Coldest night		 -4.2 °C Liawenee on 16th
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature
Coldest nights on average		 1.4 °C Mount Wellington
Highest mean daily minimum temperature
Mildest nights on average		 11.2 °C Swan Island
Highest daily minimum
Warmest night		 16.0 °C Hobart Airport on 25th
Highest total rainfall
Wettest overall		 495.2 mm Gray (Craigie-Lea)
Lowest total rainfall
Driest overall		 41.8 mm Deal Island
Highest daily rainfall
Wettest day		 187.8 mm Gray (Craigie-Lea) on 22nd

Records

Record Highest Total Rainfall for October

Total rainfall
for October 2005 (mm) 		Previous highest
for October 		Years of
record
Swansea142.2 134.5
in 1926
 121
Bicheno 174.0 142.3
in 1931
 82
Lorinna 245.0 242.6
in 1949
 50
Pyengana 299.2 219.0
in 1962
 44
Devonport 140.8 126.5
in 1971
 43
Gray 495.2 381.0
in 1976
 41
Barrington243.3 197.2
in 1979
 39
Forthside213.6 178.0
in 1979
 38
Scamander 271.0 160.2
in 1976
 22

Several other sites had their wettest October for many years, as the following table shows:

Highest Total Rainfall for at least 20 years for October

Total rainfall
for October 2005 (mm) 		Most recent higher
for October
Elliott232.6 254.0
in 1928
Yolla 276.0 367.8
in 1949
Ulverstone 210.2 215.6
in 1949
Mole Creek 209.2 253.2
in 1949
Frankford 207.6 227.2
in 1955
Latrobe 166.6 210.8
in 1955
Pioneer 227.6 252.5
in 1958
St Marys 397.8 417.0
in 1958
Burnie 174.8 195.6
in 1958
Oatlands109.2 122.8
in 1958
St Marys 254.2 301.9
in 1958
Wynyard
 195.4 197.7
in 1958
Risdon Vale 99.4 132.8
in 1966


Record Highest Daily Rainfall for October

Highest daily rainfall
in October 2005
(mm in 24 hours to 9 am) 		Previous highest
for October		 Years of
record
Swansea
75.4
on 9th
 71.6
on 8th in 1891
 101
Bicheno76.0
on 22nd
 68.6
on 3rd in 1931
 81
Pyengana 116.2
on 22nd
 65.0
on 17th in 1985
 44
Gray (Craigie-Lea)
 187.8
on 22nd
 114.0
on 4th in 1976
 43
Marrawah50.2
on 24th
 39.2
on 9th in 1992
 35
Scamander 138.8
on 22nd
 57.0
on 6th in 1989
 22
The 187.8 mm at Gray is the second-highest October daily rainfall registered in Tasmania, not quite reaching the 188.0 mm at St Marys on the 12th in 1958. It is well short of the 352 mm registered at Cullenswood on 22 March 1974.


Record Highest Mean Daily Maximum Temperature for October

Mean daily maximum
temperature
for October 2005 (°C) 		Previous highest
for October 		Years of
record
Marrawah 15.8 15.7
in 1999
 33
Several other sites with shorter periods of record also had their highest mean maximum temperature for October. Some other sites had their highest mean daily maximum temperature for many years, as the following table shows:

Highest Mean Daily Maximum Temperature for at least 20 years for October

Mean daily maximum
temperature
for October 2005 (°C) 		Most recent higher
for October
Flinders Island Airport 17.6 17.7
in 1981
Strathgordon
15.2 15.4
in 1985



Record Highest Mean Daily Minimum Temperature for October

Mean daily minimum
temperature
for October 2005 (°C) 		Previous highest
for October 		Years of
record
Hobart 9.5 = 9.5
in 1963
 124
Cape Bruny
 9.7 = 9.7
in 1963
 82
Burnie 10.1 9.7
in 1999
 56
Swansea 9.5 8.6
in 1984
 49
Grove 7.7 7.4
in 1961
 48
Hobart Airport 9.6 8.9
in 1963
 48
Flinders Island Airport 10.4 9.7
in 1977
 43
Strathgordon
 7.1 6.2
in 1979
 36
Marrawah 9.6 9.2
in 1999
 33
Launceston 8.7 8.0
in 1999
 23
Tarraleah
 5.1 4.6
in 1999
 23
Scamander 9.2 8.6
in 1985
 22
Fingal 6.9 6.3
in 1999
 20
Many sites with shorter periods of record also had their highest mean minimum temperature for October. Some other sites had their highest mean daily minimum temperature for many years, as the following table shows:

Highest Mean Daily Minimum Temperature for at least 20 years for October

Mean daily minimum
temperature
for October 2005 (°C) 		Most recent higher
for October
Bushy Park 7.7 7.9
in 1963
Launceston Airport (old site) 7.3 7.5
in 1963
Maatsuyker Island
8.8 9.0
in 1963
Bicheno 9.6 9.8
in 1973


Record Highest Daily Minimum Temperature for October

Highest daily minimum
temperature
in October 2005 (°C) 		Previous highest
for October 		Years of
record
Eddystone Point 14.4
on 25th
 14.3
on 27th in 1982
 48
Hobart Airport 16.0
on 25th
 15.7
on 15th in 1991
 48
Scottsdale 14.4
on 24th
 13.8
on 24th in 2001
 29
Launceston 15.3
on 24th
 = 15.3
on 31st in 1992
 23
Fingal 14.3
on 25th
 13.4
on 1st in 1993
 20
Many sites with shorter periods of record also had their highest daily minimum temperature for October.


Record Highest Total Rainfall for August to October

Total rainfall
for August to October 2005 (mm) 		Previous highest
for August to October 		Years of
record
Premaydena
 400.4 397.2
in 1958
 99
Launceston Airport (old site) 404.3 352.0
in 1955
 75
Devonport 395.5 350.6
in 1973
 43
Pyengana 631.8 622.4
in 1996
 43
Barrington631.4 510.3
in 1979
 38
Forthside 537.4 459.3
in 1979
 35
Launceston 387.8 307.8
in 1996
 25
Scamander 390.2 372.8
in 1984
 22
Tea Tree 223.4 208.6
in 2001
 20
Several other sites have had their wettest August-to-October for many years, as the following table shows:

Highest Total Rainfall for at least 20 years for August to October

Total rainfall
for August to October 2005 (mm) 		Most recent higher
for August to October
York Plains 254.0 263.8
in 1932
Avoca 275.2 332.8
in 1939
Oatlands253.2 261.6
in 1939
Frankford 592.4 613.4
in 1955
Mole Creek 584.4 627.9
in 1955
Ulverstone 514.8 549.7
in 1955
Latrobe 505.0 523.4
in 1955
Lilydale
 481.6 516.9
in 1955
Pioneer 443.2 497.1
in 1971
Gladstone 361.6 410.2
in 1971
Hobart Airport 222.4 259.5
in 1975
Yolla 708.2 732.6
in 1979
Gray 623.8 626.6
in 1976
Eaglehawk Neck 404.2 456.0
in 1984
Levendale 293.4 337.8
in 1984
Orford 284.6 328.5
in 1984
Sorell 201.2 222.6
in 1984
Swansea259.2 277.4
in 1984
Bicheno 264.4 329.4
in 1984
Blackmans Bay223.8 266.4
in 1984
Lewis Hill 246.4 344.0
in 1984
St Marys 543.2 566.2
in 1984
Copping 287.8 394.1
in 1984


Summaries

Summary statistics for October 2005


 Maximum temperatures
for October
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for October
(°C)		 Rainfall
for October
(mm)
Mean for 2005 Difference from normal Highest for 2005 Mean for 2005 Difference from normal Lowest for 2005 Total for 2005 Normal total Ranking
Hobart 17.4 +0.5 22.3 9.5 +1.8 4.5 87 63 high
Launceston 18.2 +0.3 24.0 8.7 +1.8 2.7 93 56 high
Burnie 16.4 +0.5 21.3 10.1 +2.2 4.5 175 89 very high
Devonport
 16.1 +0.5 22.3 9.7 +2.5 3.3 141 68 highest
Swansea 17.9 +0.3 23.1 9.5 +2.4 3.6 142 54 highest
Strahan
 17.1 +1.3 27.1 8.4 +1.3 3.3 178 127 high
Strathgordon
 15.2 +1.9 23.0 7.1 +1.7 2.8 348 253 high
King Island Airport 16.2 +0.7 21.1 9.7 +0.9 3.9 93 78 normal
Flinders Island Airport 17.6 +0.9 24.5 10.4 +1.9 4.6 65 62 normal
Bicheno 17.6 +0.2 20.4 9.6 +1.2 3.5 174 57 highest
Bridport 16.4 -0.1 20.0 9.3 +1.4 3.2 141 71 highest
Bull Bay 16.9 +0.6 20.5 9.2 +1.3 4.4 64 59 high
Bushy Park 18.7 +1.1 24.8 7.7 +1.9 0.8 97 58 very high
Campania 18.1
23.7 8.5
2.9 69

Cape Bruny
 15.7 +1.3 20.7 9.7 +1.9 4.2 76 84 normal
Cape Grim
 15.4 +1.3 19.3 10.3 +1.2 7.2 81 66 normal
Cressy
 17.4
22.3 7.3
0.4 109

Dover 16.6 +0.5 21.8 7.8 +1.5 1.6 89 88 normal
Eddystone Point 17.2 +0.9 21.0 10.2 +1.1 5.2 87 71 high
Fingal 16.8 -0.5 20.7 6.9 +2.1 -0.5 118 56 very high
Friendly Beaches 18.0
22.2 10.0
5.4 152

Geeveston 17.0 +0.8 22.8 7.8 +1.8 2.0 129 93 high
Grove 17.8 +1.0 23.7 7.7 +2.0 0.8 69 70 normal
Hartz Mountain 12.1 +1.5 21.6 4.0 +1.5 -1.0 162

Hobart Airport 17.7 +0.5 23.2 9.6 +2.2 4.7 71 48 high
Lake Leake 14.0 +0.3 19.3 5.7 +2.2 -1.6 101 77 high
Lake St Clair13.7 +1.1 23.0 4.3 +2.4 0.0 239 183 high
Launceston Airport 17.8
22.5 7.3
1.7 67

Launceston Airport (old site) 17.0 +0.7 21.9 7.3 +1.8 1.2 75 62 high
Liawenee 11.7
20.1 2.1
-4.2 100

Low Head 15.8
21.2 10.8
5.7 127

Luncheon Hill 15.8 +1.4 21.8 7.8 +2.0 2.9 192 148 high
Maatsuyker Island
 14.3 +1.1 22.2 8.8 +1.4 4.4 124 107 normal
Maria Island 16.8
20.0 10.4
6.1 80

Marrawah 15.9 +1.0 21.1 9.6 +1.6 5.5 162 93 very high
Maydena16.8 +1.4 24.0 6.7 +2.0 0.3 165 129 high
Melton Mowbray 16.9
22.9 7.5
2.0 81

Moogara 14.4 +1.3 20.0 5.7 +1.8 0.6 133 84 high
Mount Read 8.9 +1.5 18.9 2.5 +1.3 -1.7 433

Mount Wellington 8.1 +1.4 16.0 1.4 +1.4 -3.7 173 82 very high
Orford 17.2 -0.1 21.6 8.9 +1.8 3.4 117 62 high
Ouse18.2
24.3 7.0
0.1 106

Powranna 17.5 +0.5 22.4 7.6 +2.2 1.4 78 55 high
Ross 17.5 +0.8 23.2 7.2 +2.4 0.4 81 48 high
Scamander 17.2 -0.2 21.1 9.2 +1.2 4.4 271 68 highest
Scotts Peak Dam 15.7
26.1 6.1
2.0 188

Scottsdale 16.3 -0.1 21.0 7.3 +1.5 0.5 149 90 high
Sheffield 15.4
21.6 7.6
2.2 250

Smithton
 16.8
21.4 8.8
1.9 135

St Helens
 17.4
21.6 9.4
4.5 213

Swan Island 16.0
20.4 11.2
6.3 91

Tarraleah
 14.5 +1.1 21.3 5.1 +2.0 -0.5 176 112 very high
Tasman Island 13.8
17.2 8.8
4.3 81

Tunnack 14.8
19.7 6.4
0.7 119

Warra 14.0
22.0 6.0
1.3 263

Wynyard
 16.3 +0.4 20.4 8.4 +2.4 1.8 195 104 very high

Note

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Tuesday 1 November 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 shown do no have sufficient record for them to be calculated reliably.

The "Ranking" indicates about where rainfall this time ranks in the climate record for the site.

Further information

Climate Services Section
Tasmania and Antarctica Regional Office
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au

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