Monday, 2 July 2007 - Monthly Climate Summary for ACT Region - Product code IDCKGC1xx0

Wet June with cool daytime temperatures in Canberra

Summary

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Rainfall

Canberra Airport recorded a total rainfall of 92.8 mm during June which is the wettest June since 1998 when 117.4 mm was recorded (historic average 41.1 mm). Most of the rainfall occurred during the period 26th to 28th when Canberra Airport recorded 54.2 mm, resulting from an east coast low pressure system off the NSW South Coast and an associated upper level cold pool of air. There were 13 rain days during June well above the average of  9 days. There was considerable variation in June rainfall totals across the ACT ranging from 113.4 mm at Ginninderra to 43.7 mm at Tidbinbilla.

Temperature

The mean daily temperature (the average of the mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures) at Canberra Airport was 6.9°C  which is 0.5°C higher than the average of 6.4°C. Cooler day-time temperatures were experienced in Canberra during June with a maximum temperature of 11.6°C which is 0.6°C below the average of 12.2°C.  However, Canberra experienced quite mild nights overall during June with a mean minimum temperature of  2.3°C,  which was above the long term average of 1.0°C.

As an indication of the mild temperatures in the ACT this year, the minimum of −1.9°C on 5 June was the first time a sub-zero temperature was recorded at Canberra Airport this year.  The 5 June is the latest date a sub-zero temperature has ever been recorded in Canberra.  The previous latest sub-zero temperature was on 1 June 1989 when −0.3°C was recorded.

Extremes of temperature at Canberra Airport ranged from a high of 15.3°C on the 9th to a low of −3.8°C on the 23rd. Corresponding extremes for Tuggeranong ranged from a high of 14.6°C on the 10th to a low of −5.4°C on the 23rd.

Phenomena

Even though the nights were milder overall there were still 15 frosts recorded during June which is slightly below the average of 18 frosts. Fog occurrences were slightly below average with 5 fogs (average 8 fogs).  Sunshine hours were slightly above average during June with an average of 5.4 hours per day (long term average 5.2 hours per day).  Winds were lighter than normal with an average windrun of 164.5 km per day compared to the long term average of 169.0 km per day. There were no strong wind days (average 2).

There were no snow days reported at Canberra Airport during June (the historic June average is 1 snowfall in every 4 years).  However, there was snow on the hills surrounding Canberra on several occasions during the month, of particular note was the early morning of Thursday 14th when snow to a depth of 25cm was reported around Captains Flat, Braidwood, Bungendore and just to the east of the Queanbeyan area. The Kings Highway was closed between Queanbeyan and Bungendore for most of the day and there were many reports of vehicles losing control on black ice. Further heavy snowfalls over the southern parts of the ACT on the 26th closed the Monaro Highway at Michelago where about 10cm was recorded. The average air pressure of 1018.3 hPA was well below the long term average of 1021.1 hPa mostly indicative of the presence of east coast lows off the NSW coast. Evaporation was 46.6 mm slightly below the average of 47.2 mm.

* short record, normals based on period 1996 - 2006 only