• Warm month with above average temperatures
• Average minimum temperature 6th highest on record at 12.6°C
• 6 hot days exceeding 30°C, twice the historic average
• Below average rainfall

Canberra Airport received below average rainfall during March with a total of 35.4 mm compared to the historic average of 51.1 mm.  There were 10 rain days which was above the average of 7 rain days.  Much of the rain fell over a few days mid-month when a low-pressure trough caused showers and thunderstorms over the region. There was little variation in March rainfall across the ACT with totals ranging from 74 mm at Corin Dam (Boat Ramp) and 70.2 mm at Mawson to 29 mm at Tuggeranong.

Generally warm conditions prevailed in Canberra throughout March, except for the last week when below average temperatures were recorded. The average mean temperature (the average of daytime and night-time temperatures) was 19.2°C, well above the historic average¹ of 17.6°C . The average maximum temperature at Canberra Airport was 25.8°C or 1.3°C above the historic average¹ of 24.5°C.  There were 6 hot days with a maximum temperature exceeding 30°C, twice the historic average of 3 days.  Canberra generally experienced very mild nights during March with an average minimum temperature of 12.6°C, the 6th highest on record and well above the historic average¹ of 10.7°C.  Only during the last week of the month did the overnight temperatures drop well below average.

Extremes of temperature at Canberra Airport ranged from a high of 35.1°C on the 4th to a low of 3.9°C on the 31st.  Corresponding extremes at Tuggeranong ranged from 33.7°C on the 5th to a low of  2.8°C on the 31st. Temperatures fell as low as −1°C at Mount Ginini (elevation 1760 metres) on the Brindabella Ranges on the 25th.

Thunderstorms were recorded on 2 days during March which equals the historic average. Average sunshine for March was 8.0 hours per day, slightly below the historic average of  8.1 hours per day.  The wind run was 177 km per day, above the historic average wind run of 167 km per day for March. No strong wind days were recorded during the month (average 1).  There were 2 fogs recorded at the Airport on the 20th and 28th with visibility as low as 500 metres on the 20th.  Fog patches were also recorded on the 1st and 3rd. Air pressure was below average at 1014.9 hPa (historic average 1016.5 hPa).  The total evaporation of 174.6 mm was close to the historic average evaporation of  172.1 mm.

Mike De Salis
NSW Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (02) 9296 1542
Email: reqnsw@bom.gov.au

*  new station, historic average based on period 1996 - 2006 only.

¹Historic average temperatures for Canberra Airport are based on the period 1961 to 1990 which is a convention of the World Meteorological Organisation.  Historic rainfall averages for Canberra Airport are based on all years of record 1939 - 2006.