Tuesday, 9 January 2018 - Annual Climate Summary for Australian Capital Territory - Product code IDCKGC55L0

Australian Capital Territory in 2017: warm days, chilly winter nights, and drier than average

The Australian Capital Territory was drier than average in 2017, with an average number of rain days but few very heavy events. The mean maximum temperature was the third-warmest on record. The mean minimum temperature was average overall due to colder than average nights from April to September but warm nights in January and December.

Driest year since 2009

• Rainfall was below average for the Territory overall, with high totals in March and December offset by below average totals during the cooler months and early summer
• Canberra Airport received 486.0 mm of rain for the year, around 78% of the average and the lowest annual total since 2009
• Low rainfall in January and February made way for a wet March, but dry conditions re-emerged in winter: it was the driest June on record for Canberra Airport and the third-driest June to September period
• Rain fell on 116 days at Canberra Airport, slightly more than the average of 106 days, but only two days received 25 mm or more, less than the average of five days
• The wettest day at Canberra Airport was 2 December, when a moist air mass crossed southeastern Australia, resulting in a 24 hour total of 35.2 mm

Warm days, but cold winter nights

• The mean temperature at Canberra Airport for 2017 was 14.0 °C, 0.9 °C above average
• The mean maximum temperature at Canberra Airport was 21.6 °C, 1.8 °C above average and the third-warmest year on record
• The year began with very warm days: the mean maximum in January 2017 was the warmest ever recorded at Canberra Airport
• Daytime temperatures were above average for every month of the year except April; February, June, July, September and October were all in their top ten warmest, and it was the warmest on record for January
• There were 56 days that reached 30 °C or more, more than the long-term average of 33 days but similar to recent years
• The mean minimum temperature at Canberra Airport was close to the average at 6.5 °C
• Winter 2017 was the fourth-coolest on record for minimum temperature and the lowest since 1982
• Frosty conditions were prevalent for much of the cooler months: Canberra Airport recorded 109 nights below 2 °C, 16 days more than the average
• Despite the cold winter nights, the warmer months saw 46 nights that failed to drop below 15 °C, more than the average of 29 days
• The mean minimum for December at Canberra Airport of 13.9 °C was the equal warmest on record for the month, tied with 1988

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top