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MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - TASMANIA
Record cold days: Several sites, including Hobart and Launceston, had their coldest April
mean daily maximum temperature. For most others, it was the coldest
since 1996 or 1995. Almost
all days were colder than normal; the only notable exceptions were the
11th (when most sites had their warmest day for the month), 12th, 13th
and 19th. The result was mean maximum temperatures 2 to 3 degrees below
April normals in most parts of the state; sites on the north coast were
slightly less than 2 degrees below normal.
Cool nights as well: Overnight temperatures were also down on the April normal, although not quite as much as the days because of the frequent windy and cloudy conditions. Several sites (including Launceston) had their coldest April mean daily minimum temperature, at Hobart it the coldest since 1958 and at several others it was the coldest since 1995 or 1996. There were only a few especially cold nights, but on the morning of the 17th Tarraleah recorded its lowest April temperature in 22 years, dropping to -5.5 °C (on the same morning, Liawenee dipped to -5.7 °C).
Lots of rain, especially in the west: Frequent cold fronts and westerly winds brought plenty of rain to most parts of the state, with the west
bearing the brunt of the heavy falls. Savage River and Strathgordon
recorded their wettest April on record, and for several others
(including Launceston) it was the wettest for many years.
On the East Coast, rain was close to or slightly below normal. April's
wet weather has not been enough to cancel out the relatively dry
January-to-March in many areas.
Storm force winds and big swells: Several times during the month, low pressure systems passed close to Tasmania, producing winds that reached storm force in some areas. Such a low brought several days of strong southerly winds from the 7th, producing very large swells along the south and east coasts that lead to beach erosion and dangerous boating conditions but also some remarkably good surfing waves.
Macquarie Island the exception: Macquarie Island, 1500 km
southeast of Hobart, was quite different to the rest of Tasmania. The
mean daily minimum temperature of 5.2 °C equalled the record high
set in 1980, it recorded its warmest April night (with 7.8 °C on
the 19th) since 1993, and the 51.6 mm of April rainfall was as low as
it had been since 1978.
Included in this summary are a table of extremes, some new records, and summaries for sites across Tasmania
Weather extremes during April 2006 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Highest temperature Hottest day |
25.0 °C | Friendly Beaches on 11th |
| Highest mean daily maximum temperature Warmest days on average |
17.2 °C | Bicheno (Council Depot) |
| Lowest mean daily maximum temperature Coolest days on average |
5.6 °C | Mount Wellington |
| Lowest daily maximum temperature Coldest day |
-0.7 °C | Mount Wellington on 7th |
| Lowest temperature Coldest night |
-5.7 °C | Liawenee on 17th |
| Lowest mean daily minimum temperature Coldest nights on average |
-0.4 °C | Liawenee |
| Highest mean daily minimum temperature Mildest nights on average |
11.5 °C | Hogan Island (in Bass Strait, almost as close as it is possible to get to Victoria but still be on Tasmanian land). |
| Highest daily minimum Warmest night |
15.3 °C | Scamander on 19th |
| Highest total rainfall Wettest overall |
over 500 mm | Mt Read (observations missing for some days so exact total is not known). |
| Lowest total rainfall Driest overall |
26.2 mm |
Hobart Airport
and Rosemount Flat |
| Highest daily rainfall Wettest day |
67.2 mm | Frankford (Rossville) on 20th |
| Strongest wind gust | 141 km/h | Tasman Island on the 8th |
Record Lowest Daily Maximum Temperature for April |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lowest daily maximum temperature in April 2006 (°C) |
Previous lowest for April |
Years of record |
||||
| Tarraleah Village | 5.8 | on 7th |
6.0 | on 9th in 1995 |
22 | |
Record Lowest Mean Daily Minimum Temperature for April |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily minimum temperature for April 2006 (°C) |
Previous lowest for April |
Years of record |
||
| Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates) | 3.9 | 4.1 | in 1995 |
72 |
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 4.4 | 4.5 | in 1975 |
67 |
| Eddystone Point | 9.1 | = 9.1 | in 1965 |
48 |
| Strathgordon Village | 5.3 | = 5.3 | in 1995 |
35 |
| Bicheno (Council Depot) | 7.8 | 8.6 | in 1999 |
32 |
| Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) | 5.0 | 5.3 | in 1999 |
22 |
| Tarraleah Village | 2.0 | 2.5 | in 1996 |
22 |
| Fingal (Legge Street) | 3.9 | = 3.9 | in 2000 |
20 |
| Scamander | 7.3 | 8.3 | in 2000 |
20 |
Lowest Mean Minimum Temperature for at least 20 years for April |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily minimum temperature for April 2006 (°C) |
Most recent lower for April |
||
| Hobart (Ellerslie Road) | 7.3 | 7.2 | in 1958 |
| Orford (Aubin Court) | 7.0 | 6.5 | in 1979 |
Record Lowest Temperature for April |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lowest temperature in April 2006 (°C) |
Previous lowest for April |
Years of record |
||||
| Tarraleah Village | -5.5 | on 17th |
-3.6 | on 25th in 1997 |
22 | |
Record Highest Total Rainfall for April |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for April 2006 (mm) |
Previous highest for April |
Years of record |
||
| Savage River Mine | 311.7 | 259.8 | in 1986 |
39 |
| Strathgordon Village | 407.5 | 404.1 | in 1981 |
38 |
Highest Total Rainfall for at least 20 years for April |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for April 2006 (mm) |
Most recent higher for April |
||
| City of Melbourne Bay | 136.8 | 178.1 | in 1961 |
| Cradle Valley (Waldheim) | 440.6 | 441.8 | in 1956 |
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 113.8 | 118.5 | in 1971 |
| Waratah (Mount Road) | 284.2 | 303.8 | in 1960 |
| Lake Margaret Power Station | 396.2 | 458.8 | in 1981 |
| Zeehan (West Coast Pioneer Museum) | 336.2 | 380.8 | in 1981 |
| Wynyard Airport | 114.2 | 138.3 | in 1961 |
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 | Ranking | |
| Hobart | 15.0 | -2.3 | 23.2 | 7.3 | -1.6 | 1.9 | 46 | 52 | normal |
| Launceston | 16.5 | -2.3 | 20.6 | 5.0 | -2.4 | 0.1 | 73 | 53 | high |
| Burnie | 16.0 | -1.7 | 19.2 | 8.8 | -1.1 | 4.5 | 93 | 76 | normal |
| Devonport |
16.1 | -1.4 | 19.3 | 7.0 | -1.4 | 1.7 | 68 | 62 | normal |
| Swansea | 16.7 | -2.0 | 23.4 | 7.2 | -1.1 | 0.5 | 27 | 52 | normal |
| Strahan |
14.5 | -2.0 | 19.4 | 6.9 | -1.5 | 2.7 | 183 | 114 | very high |
| Strathgordon |
10.8 | -3.4 | 17.4 | 5.3 | -1.6 | 1.0 | 408 | 208 | highest |
| King Island Airport | 15.7 | -1.9 | 19.4 | 9.8 | -0.5 | 3.8 | 95 | 56 | very high |
| Flinders Island Airport | 17.1 | -1.6 | 23.5 | 9.7 | -1.1 | 2.8 | |||
| Bicheno | 17.2 | -1.7 | 22.2 | 7.8 | -2.5 | 2.8 | 32 | 61 | normal |
| Bridport | 16.5 | -1.6 | 20.2 | 7.2 | -2.1 | 2.6 | 61 | 57 | normal |
| Bull Bay | 15.2 | -2.1 | 23.5 | 7.2 | -2.4 | 3.8 | 51 | 48 | high |
| Bushy Park | 15.1 | -2.8 | 23.4 | 3.9 | -2.3 | -3.5 | 53 | 47 | normal |
| Campania | 16.0 | 23.6 | 6.3 | -1.7 | 43 | ||||
| Cape Bruny |
13.7 | -1.8 | 21.5 | 8.0 | -1.6 | 2.5 | 133 | 81 | high |
| Cape Grim |
14.6 | -1.8 | 18.1 | 9.9 | -1.4 | 6.2 | 127 | 67 | high |
| Cressy |
15.4 | 19.8 | 3.8 | -4.0 | 59 | ||||
| Dover | 14.2 | -2.6 | 22.2 | 5.6 | -1.6 | -0.5 | 99 | 68 | high |
| Eddystone Point | 17.1 | -0.9 | 20.0 | 9.1 | -2.3 | 4.0 | 53 | 66 | normal |
| Fingal | 15.3 | -3.2 | 21.4 | 3.9 | -1.6 | -4.5 | 31 | 53 | normal |
| Friendly Beaches | 16.4 | -2.3 | 25.0 | 7.6 | -2.1 | 1.0 | 41 | 57 | normal |
| Geeveston | 14.2 | -3.0 | 21.9 | 5.0 | -1.3 | -2.0 | 116 | 65 | very high |
| Grove | 15.0 | -2.6 | 23.0 | 4.9 | -1.4 | -2.1 | 81 | 63 | high |
| Grove | 15.1 | 23.4 | 4.2 | -2.8 | 84 | ||||
| Hartz Mountain | 8.4 | -2.4 | 16.2 | 2.8 | -1.5 | -0.5 | 116 | 66 | highest |
| Hobart Airport | 15.9 | -2.2 | 23.9 | 7.5 | -1.3 | 2.0 | 26 | 44 | normal |
| Hogan Island | 16.5 | 23.2 | 11.5 | 7.1 | 82 | ||||
| Lake Leake | 11.3 | -2.9 | 16.7 | 2.8 | -1.5 | -3.9 | 92 | 71 | high |
| Lake St Clair | 10.1 | -2.9 | 17.0 | 0.7 | -2.1 | -4.1 | 290 | 141 | highest |
| Launceston Airport | 15.6 | 20.7 | 4.5 | -2.0 | 97 | ||||
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 14.9 | -2.4 | 19.6 | 4.4 | -2.2 | -1.1 | 114 | 55 | very high |
| Liawenee | 8.8 | 14.7 | -0.4 | -5.7 | 111 | ||||
| Low Head | 16.1 | 18.5 | 9.5 | 5.9 | 72 | ||||
| Luncheon Hill | 12.6 | -3.0 | 18.0 | 6.3 | -1.6 | 3.0 | 209 | 105 | highest |
| Maatsuyker Island | 12.2 | -2.3 | 17.5 | 7.9 | -1.6 | 4.8 | 117 | 110 | normal |
| Macquarie Island | 7.5 | +0.6 | 9.7 | 5.2 | +1.6 | 1.9 | 52 | 94 | very low |
| Maria Island | 15.4 | 20.8 | 9.0 | 5.2 | 63 | ||||
| Marrawah | 14.6 | -2.2 | 18.5 | 8.9 | -1.3 | 4.5 | 125 | 87 | high |
| Maydena | 12.6 | -3.4 | 20.6 | 4.1 | -1.2 | -1.0 | 159 | 93 | high |
| Melton Mowbray | 14.4 | -3.0 | 21.7 | 3.9 | -1.7 | -3.2 | 45 | 32 | high |
| Moogara | 11.4 | -2.3 | 19.0 | 3.6 | -1.6 | -1.0 | 83 | 64 | high |
| Mount Wellington | 5.6 | -2.8 | 12.1 | 0.4 | -1.7 | -3.2 | 94 | 85 | normal |
| Orford | 15.8 | -2.7 | 22.0 | 7.0 | -1.4 | 0.4 | 59 | 60 | normal |
| Ouse Fire Station | 15.3 | 23.2 | 3.3 | -4.5 | 51 | ||||
| Powranna | 15.0 | -2.8 | 19.6 | 4.8 | -1.3 | -1.1 | 89 | 46 | highest |
| Ross | 15.1 | -2.3 | 20.1 | 3.9 | -1.7 | -3.5 | 60 | 41 | high |
| Scamander | 16.9 | -1.9 | 22.1 | 7.3 | -2.1 | 2.4 | 37 | 70 | normal |
| Scotts Peak Dam | 10.5 | 16.7 | 4.6 | 0.8 | 313 | ||||
| Scottsdale | 15.3 | -2.7 | 20.1 | 5.9 | -1.9 | -0.5 | 86 | 83 | normal |
| Sheffield | 14.0 | -2.6 | 17.6 | 5.3 | -1.6 | 1.0 | 87 | ||
| Smithton |
15.6 | -2.1 | 20.2 | 6.7 | -0.6 | -1.9 | 107 | 59 | highest |
| St Helens Aerodrome | 16.4 | 22.3 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 36 | ||||
| Swan Island | 16.4 | 19.2 | 10.4 | 6.6 | 51 | ||||
| Tarraleah |
10.6 | -3.4 | 17.7 | 2.0 | -2.1 | -5.5 | 178 | 97 | very high |
| Tasman Island | 12.6 | 19.5 | 7.5 | 3.5 | 137 | ||||
| Tunnack | 12.7 | 19.0 | 3.1 | -3.3 | 51 | ||||
| Warra | 10.5 | 17.9 | 3.8 | -1.3 | 266 | ||||
| Wynyard |
15.8 | -1.6 | 20.0 | 5.4 | -1.4 | -0.6 | 114 | 76 | high |
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Monday 1 May 2006 . 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.
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