Wednesday, 6 January 2016 - Annual Climate Summary for New South Wales - Product code IDCKGC55R0

New South Wales in 2015: A warm year with winter snow and spring heat

New South Wales recorded well above average temperatures in 2015. Nights were particularly warm, the sixth-warmest on record for the State. Rainfall was close to average for the state as a whole.

• Equal seventh-warmest year for statewide average mean temperatures
• Statewide average minimum temperature sixth-warmest on record
• Spring warm spells break early season temperature records
• Coldest July since 1997 brings heavy snow to the Great Dividing Range
• Average rainfall for the State as a whole
• Several East Coast Lows cause severe weather in April

The statewide mean temperature during 2015 was 1.00°C above the historical average, the equal seventh-warmest year on record. Most of the State recorded temperatures in the warmest 10% of years, but no stations broke annual mean temperature records. Both maximum and minimum temperatures were above average across the State. Large areas recorded mean minimum temperatures in the warmest 10% of years, ranking as the sixth-warmest year on record for minimum temperatures across the State as a whole. Temperatures were warmest at the end of the year, with several heatwaves contributing to the second-warmest spring on record. October was particularly warm, the warmest on record for statewide average maximum, minimum and mean temperatures, with mean temperatures 4.52 °C above average and almost 2 °C above the previous record (set in 2014). In contrast, temperatures were close to average during the middle of the year, with two cold snaps in July causing substantial snow along the Great Dividing Range and the coldest July for mean temperatures since 1997. The statewide average minimum temperature in September was also the coldest since 1994, associated with very dry, clear conditions during the month.

The statewide total rainfall was very close to the historical average, with above average totals near the coast and in the far west but close to average elsewhere. Rainfall varied throughout the year, with several heavy rainfall events and periods of severe thunderstorm activity. The most notable of these were three East Coast Lows that affected the east coast between 8 April and 2 May, contributing to the seventh-wettest April on record as well as causing record daily rainfall totals and substantial flooding. A further East Coast Low affected the southeast on 24-26 August. Inland NSW also recorded several heavy rain events, notably on 10-11 January, 15-17 June, and 5 November. Rainfall was below average during 2015 on parts of the southern and northern borders, and at the end of the year the severe long-term rainfall deficiencies in the Walgett area of northwest NSW remained generally unchanged.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notable events in 2015

This is a brief summary of major weather events; for more information see the appropriate Climate Summaries, Monthly Weather Reviews and Special Climate Statements.

Heavy rain and flooding

• 11 January: Thunderstorms caused heavy rain and strong winds in inland NSW, with storms in the Corowa area causing roof damage and grass fires.
• 19 January: Heavy rainfall and high tides produced widespread flash flooding on the central coast.
• 26-27 January: Heavy rain across much of the central and north coasts, with widespread flash flooding in the Port Macquarie region as well as a flood rescue near Coffs Harbour.
• 20-23 February: Ex-tropical cyclone Marcia caused minor to moderate flooding and strong winds in the Northern Rivers region.
• 8 April: An East Coast Low produced heavy rain in southeast NSW, including the wettest April day on record at Cooma and Tharwa.
• 20-22 April: An East Coast Low on the Hunter coast produced very heavy rain and strong winds in the Hunter, Central Coast and Sydney regions, resulting in widespread flooding, high waves, coastal erosion and extended power outages, with a flash flood causing several fatalities in Dungog.
• 1-3 May: An East Coast Low caused heavy rainfall in the Northern Rivers, with daily totals as high as 217 mm at Kalang.
• 24-26 August: An East Coast Low produced 48-hour rainfall totals over 300 mm in southeast NSW, resulting in widespread flooding in the Illawarra and South Coast regions.

Severe thunderstorms and strong winds

• 11 February: Strong winds in the Corowa region caused downed trees, roof damage, and grass fires sparked from lightning strikes.
• 16 February: A tornado damaged vines and a shed in Pokolbin.
• 11-12 March: Several severe thunderstorms in the central coast, Sydney and Illawarra regions, with hail of 5-10 cm in diameter damaging roofs and skylights in the Blue Mountains.
• 21 March: Severe thunderstorms with hail more than 7 cm in diameter damaged crops and buildings near Narrabri.
• 25 April: Storms in Sydney produced large amounts of hail, collapsing several warehouses.
• 10 July: Strong winds associated with the passage of a cold front damaged buildings in Burrumbuttock and Armidale.
• 23-24 August: Severe thunderstorms across the state, with a tornado on the 24th damaging at least 12 properties in Dubbo.
• 17 September: Thunderstorms produced golf ball sized hail and flash flooding on the Central Coast, with hail injuring several horses in Grafton.
• 30 November: A thunderstorm with large hail and heavy rain caused the collapse of a maternity ward roof in Lismore.
• 16 December: Severe thunderstorms caused heavy rain, strong winds and hail in eastern New South Wales, with a wind gust of 213 km/h reported from a category F2 tornado in Kurnell, the strongest wind gust ever recorded in New South Wales.

Extreme heat and fire

• 19-20 March: A heatwave broke both monthly and late season records for extreme heat in northeast New South Wales (see Special Climate Statement 51).
• 1 June: A small bushfire destroyed a house in Copacabana on the Central Coast.
• 31 July - 1 August: A bushfire near Wentworth Falls threatened homes and burnt more than 30 ha of bushland.
• 3-6 October: A significant heatwave resulted in a large number of NSW stations recording record high October temperatures or early season records (see Special Climate Statement 52).
• 18-20 November: A heatwave produced very warm temperatures across the State, particularly on the coast, with early season records broken in Sydney. This, and a subsequent heatwave over 25-26 November, contributed to several bushfires across the state.

Cold outbreaks and snow

• July: Two East Coast Lows (on 10-12 and 15-17 July) caused cold temperatures and widespread snowfall in the Great Dividing Range, with snow settling on the ground at Goulburn and Orange. Depths of 15-20 cm were reported in Oberon and Blackheath, the heaviest snow since October 2012.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

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Monthly maps
	Rainfall rank	Maximum temperature rank	Minimum temperature rank
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

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* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top