Thursday 3 January, 2008- Annual Climate Summary for Perth - Product
Code:IDCKGC51L0

A dry year for Perth

Annual rainfall - below average: Perth's annual rainfall for 2007 was 703.0 mm on 117 days, compared with the long-term average of 856 mm on about 111 days. In 2006, Perth recorded its driest year on record with 466.8 mm on 97 days.

Perth's wettest month in 2007 was July with 179.4 mm on 19 days, 9.4 mm above the average of 170 mm. The wettest day in 2007 was 16 April with 40.4 mm.

Annual mean maximum temperature - average: Perth's annual mean maximum temperature in 2007 was 24.4°C, which equals with the average of 24.4°C. In 2006the mean maximum temperature was 24.8°C.

Daily maxima ranged from a cold 14.5°C on 10 August to a very hot 44.2°C on 26 December (Boxing Day), which was the hottest daily maximum temperature in Perth for December on record. The previous record being 42.3°C on 31 December 1968.

During 2007 Perth recorded nine days when the maximum temperature was 40.0°C or higher, which is the greatest number of such days in a year since records commenced in 1897. The previous record was seven in 1997. The long-term average is three days.

Annual mean minimum temperature - near average: Perth's annual mean minimum temperature in 2007 was 12.5°C, compared with the average of 12.7°C. In 2006the mean minimum temperature was 12.3°C.

Daily minima ranged from a cold 3.1°C on 12 and 13 August to a warm 25.1°C on 26 February.

Perth recorded 24 nights when the minimum temperature was 5 degrees or less, the least number of such nights since the 23 nights in 2002. The average is 27.

Annual mean sunshine hours - average: Perth's annual mean sunshine hours in 2007 was 8.8 hours, which equals the average of 8.8 hours.

Denotes * 6 February 1898, 8 February 1933 and 3 February 1962.

Note: Official Perth observations have been recorded at several different sites with varying instrumentation over the years, and these changes can affect the continuity of the climate record. For the current Mount Lawley site, the most significant changes of this kind relate to temperature and rain days. For that reason, current mean temperature and rain-day data quoted here are based only on readings from the Mount Lawley site, which commenced observations in 1993. Sunshine recordings are from Perth Airport and for similar reasons current means use only Perth Airport data, which commenced in 1993.

Further information:
John Relf (JR), or Yanhui Blockley tel: (08) 9263 2222 on weekdays.