Tuesday, 6 January 2015 - Annual Climate Summary for Brisbane - Product code IDCKGC54L0

Brisbane in 2014: Warm and dry; some very hot days and severe storms

2014 was a warm year across Brisbane, although at most sites it was a few tenths of a degree short of being the warmest on record. Rainfall was below average at most sites, and well below-average at Brisbane Airport. Some heavy rainfall events occurred during the year.

• Equal-second-warmest mean maximum temperature on record at the Brisbane city site (highest occurred in 2004)
• Fourth-driest year on record for Brisbane Airport
• Some very hot days in January, October and November
• Severe thunderstorms in November and December

Stations across Brisbane had mean maximum temperatures about a degree warmer than usual. At the Brisbane city site, the mean maximum of 27.0 °C was 0.6 °C above the historical average for the station, and the equal-second-warmest annual temperature on record (equal with 2005 and 2002). Amberley recorded its equal-third-highest mean maximum temperature of 28.0 °C, 1.3 °C above the historical average. Some very hot days occurred at the beginning of the year: Amberley reached 43.9 °C on 4 January during a heatwave that also saw Archerfield and Logan City set new high temperature records. There were more hot days at the end of October, and on 16 and 17 November. 

Mean overnight minimum temperatures were above average at all sites except Amberley. Some chilly nights occurred early in July when cold, southerly air was directed into southern Queensland and along the east coast. Amberley recorded the lowest annual temperature of -2.7 °C on 9 July. The warmest night was on 6 January when the early-year heatwave reached its peak, with the temperature at Brisbane city not dropping below 25.9 °C on the morning of 6 January.

Rainfall was well below average during 2014, with the Brisbane city station recording 790.2 mm for the year, around 20 % below its historical average. Brisbane Airport recorded its fourth-driest annual rainfall total, with 642.2 mm, and well below the historical annual rainfall of 1048.5 mm. It was a particular dry February and October, with record low rainfall at several Brisbane metropolitan sites. 

Some heavy downpours occurred during the year including a heavy rainfall event in March, where Amberley recorded its highest March daily rainfall in 73 years. Extremely high hourly rainfall was recorded during a thunderstorm on 19 November with 100 mm recorded in one hour at Inala, and heavy rainfall and very large hail occurred when a line of severe thunderstorms tracked through Brisbane on 27 November.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notable events in 2014

Heatwaves 

• Severe heat broke records in Brisbane metropolitan and surrounding districts on 4 January; Amberley reached 43.7 °C
• Record-breaking daytime and overnight temperatures at the end of October in Brisbane and the greater southeast
• A heatwave on 15 and 16 November resulted in Amberley reaching 43.0 °C and Brisbane reaching 37.9 °C, both on the 15th.

Thunderstorms and strong winds

There were numerous severe thunderstorms across Brisbane during 2014, with particularly high levels of thunderstorm activity during November and December. 

• Very high rainfall rates were observed in and south of Brisbane on 19 November, with 100 mm in one hour near Archerfield. A severe thunderstorm tracking in a northeasterly direction across the site caused widespread flash-flooding in Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley and metropolitan Brisbane.
• A line of very severe thunderstorms tracked through the greater Brisbane area on 27 November, bringing destructive winds, heavy rainfall and hail at least 7 cm in size to metropolitan Brisbane and surrounding southern and northern suburbs. A wind gust of 141 km/h was recorded at Archerfield Airport.
• Hail up to 3 cm was reported from inner southeast suburbs of Brisbane on 8 December, as severe thunderstorms tracked northeast through greater Brisbane.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top