Thursday, 9 January 2020 - Annual Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC51R0

Western Australia in 2019: a very dry year with record warm temperatures

2019 was the warmest year and second-driest on record for Western Australia. For each month of the year, the State mean maximum temperature was above average, and record warm in January, July, September, November and December. Monthly rainfall was below average for all months for WA, and record dry in spring. Severe tropical cyclone Veronica produced heavy rainfall along the Pilbara coast and adjacent inland in late March.

Dry across most of WA

• Annual rainfall was 49% below average for WA and the second-driest year on record and driest since 1924
• Severe tropical cyclone Veronica brought heavy rainfall to the Pilbara coast in late March, including Indee which received 263 mm in 24 hours on the 25th, and 634 mm over the 3-day period to the 26th, about twice of its normal annual rainfall
• The rain from Veronica ensured areas near the Pilbara coast and adjacent inland had above average annual rain
• Monthly rainfall was below average for all months for WA as a whole, and amongst top five driest in May, September and November
• Marble Bar recorded its highest daily rainfall on record with 138 mm on 25 March in 20 years of record, though Marble Bar Comparison had higher daily totals and the highest was 304.8 mm in 2 March 1941
• The driest locations were in central and inland southeastern WA with annual rainfall less than 50 mm; an annual total of 46.2 mm at Giles was its second-driest year on record and driest since 1961
• Several sites in the north, central and southeast of the State either had their driest year on record or driest for several decade
• The wettest locations were in the Perth hills and along the State's far southwest with annual rainfall of 900 mm-1050 mm; Northcliffe recorded the highest annual total of the year at 1055.6 mm

Record warm daytime temperatures for most of WA

• 2019 was Western Australia's warmest year on record, with the State mean temperature 1.67 °C above average and half a degree warmer than the previous record in 2013
• Days were particularly warm, with the State mean maximum temperature being the highest on record at 2.50 °C above average and a degree warmer than the previous record in 2014
• Almost the entire State saw record high mean maximum temperatures, and numerous sites had their warmest year on record, with several sites' observations going back more than 50 years
• The State mean maximum temperature was above average in every month, and record warm in January, July, September, November and December
• Monthly high temperature records were broken at numerous sites in March, April, August, November and December
• Several all-time high temperature records were reported in early January and December in the north and southeast of the State
• Eucla on the State's southeast border with observations going back to 1910, recorded its highest temperature at 49.8 °C on 19 December, which was also the State's equal second-highest temperature on record
• A maximum temperature of 49.5 °C at Forrest (north of Eucla) on 19 December was the State's sixth-highest temperature on record; Marble Bar and Red Rock Point (west of Eucla) recorded the State's equal tenth-highest temperature at 49.1 °C on 13 and 23 January respectively
• Eyre (west of Eucla) had broken its previous annual temperature record twice in January (48.5 °C on the 2nd and 48.2 °C on the 24th)
• May was very cold in the south, with monthly low temperature records at several sites
• Nights in the far north were relatively cool from August to November
• Despite the cold nights, the State's annual mean minimum temperatures was 0.83 °C above average, the third-warmest on record
• There was widespread frost in southern WA from 5 to 7 September; Esperance Aero had its lowest temperature in 29 years of record

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 lower 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