ACT Monthly Climate Summary: June 2006
Canberra has cold, frosty start to winter

Tuesday 4 July, 2006

In Brief

• Coldest average daytime maximum temperature since 1993.
• 21 frosts - highest since 1999.
• 7 consecutive heavy frosts (temperature below −2°C from 12th to 18th) - longest such spell in June since 1984.
• On 15th, maximum temperature (5.9°C) lowest for June since 1983.
• Wettest June since 1998, total of 74.0 mm.

Details

Temperatures:

In a marked change from recent months, Canberra has experienced significantly below average temperatures. The average monthly mean temperature (the average of daytime and night-time temperatures) of 5.9°C was 0.5°C below the historic average¹ of 6.4°C, ending the run of  5 consecutive Junes with above average temperatures. Days were cool to cold with the average maximum day-time temperature of 11.9°C being below the historic average of 12.2°C and the lowest since 1993 (when 11.7°C). A notable cold day was 15th June, a day of fog and low cloud, when the mercury struggled to a maximum temperature of only 5.9°C, the coldest June maximum since 1983 and the coldest 15th June maximum since 1958 (when 7.7°C).

Nights were also cold with an average minimum temperature at Canberra Airport of −0.2°C, about one degree below the historic average (of 0.7°C) and the lowest for 6 years. Frosts (minimum temperature 2°C or less) were common, Canberra Airport recording 21 frosts, three more than the historic average. A particularly heavy frost spell occurred from 12th to 18th when minimum temperatures were less than −2.0°C on 7 consecutive nights. This is the longest such spell in June since a similar spell in 1984. On the 28th the minimum temperature of −5.3°C was the lowest temperature at Canberra Airport since 21st July 2004 when it fell to −7.3°C. The lowest temperature recorded at Tuggeranong was −6.3°C on the 14th.

Rainfall:

Canberra Airport's total June rainfall of 74.0 mm was well above the historic average of 39.7 mm and the wettest June since 1998 (when 117.4 mm was recorded). The majority of the rainfall fell on 2 days (the 2nd with 24.0 mm and the 11th with 30.6 mm). There were 10 rain days during the month (historic average 9 days). Rainfall across the ACT varied only slightly and ranged from 83 mm at Gungahlin to 61 mm at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Other phenomena:

There were 8 fog days compared to an historic average of 7 days. The fog on the 15th persisted until after midday resulting in the coldest maximum temperature for June 2006 of 5.9°C and delaying air traffic at Canberra Airport. It was less windy than usual during June with a wind run of 99km/day (historic average 171km/day) with 1 strong wind day (historic average 2 days).

Climate summary for Canberra Airport

#  median June rainfall is 31 mm   * windy day defined as average wind speed of 40km/h or greater at synoptic times. 

Climate averages for Canberra Airport are available, here.

Daily Extremes for June - Canberra metropolitan area

 # new station, historic extremes not yet available