Rainfall below average: The city received 13.4 millimetres of rainfall over 7 days in November compared with the average of 22 mm over 6 days. This was the driest November since the 4.4 mm in 1999. Historically, November rainfall has ranged from 0.0 mm in 1891 to 73.2 mm in 1984. Last November Perth recorded 32.8 mm on 11 days. Total rainfall for January to November this year was 869.8 mm compared with the average of 846 mm, making it the wettest January to November period since 1995, then 901.8 mm. The wettest January to November total on record was 1308.7 mm in 1945.

Mean daily maximum temperature well below average: Perth's mean daily maximum temperature in November was 24.9 degrees Celsius, compared with the average of 26.2 degrees. This was the lowest mean daily maximum temperature recorded since the 24.4 degrees in 1995. Daily maxima ranged from a mild 19.0 degrees on the 1st to a hot 34.7 degrees on the 15th.

Mean daily minimum temperature well below average: Perth's mean daily minimum temperature in November was 12.6 degrees Celsius, which is the lowest mean daily minimum temperature in the 13 years of November records at the official Perth metropolitan observation site at Mt Lawley. The previous lowest of 13.2 degrees occurred in 1997 whilst the average minimum temperature is 14.2 degrees. Minima ranged from a cool 5.8 degrees on the 2nd to a mild 17.7 degrees on the 28th.

Mean daily sunshine hours above average: Perth's mean daily sunshine hours in November was 11.3, compared with the average of 10.6 hours.

* Denotes the highest daily maximum temperature recorded on 24 November 1913 and 11 November 2003.

Climate of Perth in December

December is typically a dry month and days are generally sunny and warm to hot. On most afternoons a sea breeze moderates the temperature. December is Perth's sunniest month on average with 11.8 hours of sunshine per day.

Very hot days: Perth can expect one day in December when the maximum temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or higher. The highest number of such December days was two in 1968, 1974, 1977, 1997 and 2002. The last time Perth recorded a very hot day in December was on 14 December 2004 with 41.5 degrees.

Hot days: On average, Perth can expect eight days in December when the maximum temperature is 32 degrees Celsius or higher. The highest number of hot days in December was eighteen in 1931, Perth's warmest December on record with a mean maximum temperature of 31.7 degrees. Last December, Perth recorded twelve hot days.

Note: Official Perth observations have been recorded at several different sites with varying instrumentation over the years, and these changes can affect the continuity of the climate record. For the current Mt Lawley site, the most significant changes of this kind relate to temperature and rain days. For that reason, current mean temperature and rain-day data quoted here are based only on readings from the Mt Lawley site, which commenced observations in 1993. Sunshine recordings are from Perth Airport and for similar reasons current means use only Perth Airport data, which commenced in 1993.

Further information:
John Relf (JR), or John Cramb tel: (08) 9263 2222 on weekdays.