Australia in August 2022

In brief

• August rainfall was 34% above average for Australia as a whole.
• Rainfall was above or very much above average for much of eastern Australia inland of the New South Wales and Queensland coast, across the central to southern Northern Territory, inland northern Western Australia, and along the west coast of Western Australia except for the far south-east.
• Rainfall for August was below average for some small pockets of the eastern seaboard in New South Wales and Queensland.
• Australia's national area-average mean temperature was 0.73 °C above average for August.
• Area-average mean maximum temperature for August was 0.71 °C above average nationally, while the mean minimum temperature was 0.75 °C above average.
• Both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were above average for all states and the Northern Territory.
• Compared with all Augusts since 1900, the mean maximum temperature for Tasmania was amongst the ten highest on record, as was the mean minimum temperature for New South Wales and Victoria.

Temperatures

The national mean temperature for August was 0.73 °C warmer than the 1961–1990 average for Australia as a whole.

The national mean maximum temperature for August was 0.71 °C warmer than average, and the national mean minimum temperature 0.75 °C warmer than average.

The mean maximum temperature for August was above or very much above average across the northern tropics, much of the Gascoyne in Western Australia, around the western border of New South Wales, east of the Dividing Range along the coast of the southern half of New South Wales and Victoria, and across Tasmania. Maximum temperatures for the month were cooler than average for a large area of Queensland from the Central Highlands to inland south-east, an area spanning the New South Wales–Queensland border between Lightning Ridge and Cunnamulla, and along parts of Western Australia's south coast.

Mean minimum temperatures for August were above or very much above average for south-eastern Australia to southern Queensland, most of the northern tropics to north-west Western Australia, and an area of central inland Western Australia. Mean minimum temperatures for August were cooler than average for some areas, mostly about the Southeast Coastal District in Western Australia, central South Australia, and the north-east coast of the Kimberley in Western Australia.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 113 (highest). A rank marked with ’=‘ indicates the value is tied for that rank. Anomaly is the departure from the long-term (1961–1990) average.

Rainfall

August rainfall was 34% above the 1961–1990 average for Australia as a whole.

Rainfall was above or very much above average for much of eastern Australia, including northern and eastern Tasmania; most of New South Wales except along the coast and in the south-west; much of Queensland inland of the coastal ranges and hinterlands, and also for the east of the Cape York Peninsula. Rainfall was also above or very much above average across the central to southern Northern Territory, inland northern Western Australia, and along the west coast of Western Australia and the South West Land Division, except for far south-east Western Australia.

Rainfall for August was below average for some small pockets on the east coast between the New South Wales Mid North Coast and Townsville in Queensland.

Significant weather and records

A series of cold fronts and low pressure troughs swept across southern and south-eastern Australia at the start of August as a deep and complex low pressure system passed to the south of the country. Periods of damaging winds, thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and generally cool conditions resulted with flood warnings issued for catchments across inland New South Wales, Victoria, and north-eastern Tasmania. The New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) ordered Wagga Wagga residents in low-lying areas to evacuate as the Murrumbidgee River reached Minor flood levels and was continuing to rise. Record-high daily rainfall for August was observed at a number of stations on the inland slopes and plains in New South Wales in the 24 hours to 9am on the 5th.

A cold front connected with a cloudband over the Pilbara in Western Australia brought unusually cool and wet conditions to large areas of the west of the country and central Australia from the 9th to 11th. Some stations in south-west Western Australia observed record-low daily maximum temperatures for August during the 24 hours to 9am on the 9th.

A long cold front extended from a deep low pressure system located well to Australia's south, crossing the west of the continent during the 15th and 16th. The system interacted with a moist tropical cloudband, and thick cloud ahead of the front brought heavy rain along the west coast followed by widespread lighter falls farther inland. Minor flooding was reported in the mid-west and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia, including on the Avon and upper Swan rivers. A very large number of stations in west of Western Australia set records for their highest daily rainfall total for August during the 24 hours to 9am on the 16th, including 12 with over 100 years of observations. A large number of stations in this region had record-high total rainfall for the month, or for at least 20 years.

Relatively cool nights were observed across northern Australia in the wake of the cold front, with some stations in Western Australia observing record-low daily minimum temperatures for August during the 24 hours to 9am on the 16th.

A complex low pressure system returned to the Great Australian Bight during the second week of August, with cold fronts tracking over south-east Australia and into Queensland during the 11th and 12th as the low developed into a Tasman Low, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the south-east and localised reports of hail in metropolitan Melbourne. The Tasman Low stalled in Bass Strait on the 13th and 14th, bringing multi-day rainfall totals of 50 to 100 mm over much of Tasmania and Gippsland in Victoria. Several rivers in eastern Tasmania had minor to moderate flooding, including along the Huon, while in West Gippsland there was major flooding along the Moe River at Darnum, and minor flooding at Traralgon and Iona. A number of stations in Gippsland observed record-high daily rainfall totals for August between the 13th and 15th, while a number of stations across eastern Tasmania set records during the 24 hours to 9am on the 16th.

Severe thunderstorms affected western Victoria on the afternoon of the 29th and into the following evening. Large hail (2 to 5 cm in diameter) was reported in the Mildura to Wentworth area, smaller 1 to 2 cm hailstones at Kaniva, west of Nhill, storms caused widespread power outages in Horsham, and wind gusts of more than 100 km/h were observed at several locations across western Victoria and elevated locations in the alpine regions. Föhn winds over western Tasmania (dry, relatively warm, downslope winds that occur in the lee of significant topography) in north-easterly flow resulted in record-high August daily maximum temperatures on the 29th at a number of stations.

Persistent moist onshore flow across Queensland's Central Coast to far northern tropics combined with a trough through inland Queensland, producing a broad band of cloud and rain. Between the 27th and the end of the month moderate to heavy rain fell on the tropical coast between Ingham and Cape Melville, and across broad areas of inland central to western Queensland. A number of stations in central to western Queensland observed record-high daily rainfall for August during the 24 hours to 9am on the 30th. Some stations both on the coast and in inland regions had record-high total rainfall for August.

In South Australia a number of stations had their highest total August rainfall for at least 20 years, although only a few set new records.

Some stations in New South Wales observed record-high mean minimum temperatures for August, or the highest for at least 20 years.

In south-east South Australia a few stations observed a record-high mean minimum temperature for August.

Further discussion and tables of records for each state and the Northern Territory can be found in the individual regional climate summaries, to be released on 5 September 2022.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 123 (highest). A rank marked with ’=‘ indicates the value is tied for that rank. Departure from mean is relative to the long-term (1961–1990) average.