Friday, 8 January 2021 - Annual Climate Summary for Queensland - Product code IDCKGC54R0

Queensland in 2020: warm across the state; dry in the east

Queensland temperatures in 2020 were above average across virtually all of the state. Rainfall was below average across northern and eastern Queensland, and close to average elsewhere. There was widespread rainfall and flooding to western and northern parts of the state at the start of the year and in the south-east in December.

Drier than usual year in the north and east

• 2020 rainfall was below average across northern and eastern Queensland, and close to average elsewhere.
• A tropical low in the Gulf of Carpentaria and a monsoon trough produced above average January rainfall in the northern tropics, and extremely heavy falls about the north tropical to Burdekin coasts. Some sites had their highest daily rainfall on record.
• Heavy rainfall recorded across north-west Queensland in late January produced river level rises in the upper Georgina River. Floodwaters resulting from this rainfall extended downstream across the entire month of February eventually reaching Eyre Creek in late February.
• Significant flood levels were recorded in numerous catchments during February most notably in the Georgina/Eyre, Logan/Albert, Condamine/Balonne and Warrego catchments. February rainfall was well above average across the south-east quarter of Queensland, from ex-tropical lows and active troughs.
• In early March, a surface trough combined with an upper-level trough over central Australia, and the remnants of tropical cyclone Esther, entering western Queensland around the 4th. At the same time, a coastal trough was also located over the central coast of Queensland, and produced moderate to locally heavy falls in the Central Coast and Capricornia districts.
• April saw below average rainfall across much of the central west to eastern Queensland.
• It was very wet across the northern half of Queensland in May. A surface trough and moist onshore flow brought heavy showers onto the north tropical Queensland coast on the 20th, with locally heavy falls exceeding 250 mm around Mission Beach. Bingil Bay recorded 301.8 mm on 21 May.
• Much of the rainfall was confined to the eastern half of Queensland in June, with little to no rainfall recorded in western Queensland. June rainfall was close to average in eastern Queensland, and below average central and western parts and the southern interior.
• August to October rainfall was wetter than average for much of the west, and La Niña was declared active in the tropical Pacific Ocean by the Bureau on 29 September.
• November was very dry, as La Niña temporarily weakened in the Pacific Ocean, and weather patterns were unfavourable for rainfall over the state.
• Thunderstorm activity in December brought isolated moderate to heavy falls across southern and south-east Queensland. A coastal trough off the south-east Queensland coast generated heavy falls in the Gold Coast Hinterland and parts of the south-east coast from 12 to 18 December. Coolangatta and Sunshine Coast Airport reported their highest total rainfall for at least 20 years.

Fifth-warmest year on record for Queensland

• Queensland's mean temperature for 2020 was 1.40 °C above average, and the fifth-warmest year on record for the state as a whole.
• Queensland's mean maximum temperature for 2020 was 1.32 °C above average, and the eighth-warmest year on record for Queensland. A few sites had their highest mean daily maximum temperature on record or their highest mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years.
• Queensland's mean minimum temperature for 2020 was 1.48 °C above average, and the fourth-warmest year on record. Some sites had their highest mean daily minimum temperature on record or their highest mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years.
• Queensland had its second-warmest January on record in terms of mean temperature, at 2.38 °C above average (record is 2.46 °C in 2019). Burketown had its highest temperature in 20 years on 19 January.
• The hottest day was at Birdsville: it reached 48.7 °C on 5 December.
• In February, Queensland's mean minimum temperature was 1.60 °C above the long-term average, the third-warmest on record. Thick cloud associated with the remnants of Esther saw unusually warm nights in the month.
• By March, both maximum and minimum temperatures were close to average for much of the state, apart from warmer than average days and nights across the far northern tropics.
• It was the sixth-warmest April on record in terms of mean temperature, and 1.59 °C above average Queensland's mean maximum temperature in April was 1.95 °C above the long-term average and the seventh-warmest April on record.
• May was the only month of the year when Queensland's mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were below the long-term average. A cold outbreak across the northern tropics and central parts of the state saw very cold days. Thick cloud and cool air across the north resulted 23 May being the coldest Queensland May day on record (16.94 °C, previous record 17.44 °C on 25 May 2012). A few sites had their coldest day (lowest maximum temperature) on record.
• In June, Queensland's mean maximum temperature was the sixth-warmest on record, and 1.77 °C above the long-term average.
• By September, the mean temperature was 2.60 °C above average, and the second-warmest on record for Queensland as a whole. Queensland's mean maximum temperature was 2.11 °C above average and the ninth-warmest September on record Queensland's mean minimum temperature was 3.09 °C above average, and the third-warmest September on record, and the warmest since 2010.
• It was the second-warmest November on record for Queensland in terms of mean temperature. Low-, severe- and extreme-intensity heatwaves affected the state from the 15th to 17th, then from the 23rd to the end of the month. Birdsville, in far south-west Queensland, had a record November run of days above 46.0 °C from 26 to 30 November.
• Low-, severe- and extreme-intensity heatwaves affected much of Queensland in December, with most of the state reporting several days or more in heatwave conditions.
• A number of sites had their warmest night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record at either the beginning or end of the year.

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

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

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

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

* 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