Thursday, 3 January 2008 - Monthly Climate Summary for Canberra - Product code IDCKGC1xx0
Canberra in December 2007
Very warm nights, wettest December in 8 years
Summary
- Highest December rainfall total since 1999
- 15 rain days - highest December rain day total since 1971
- Equal third warmest December on record for average minimum temperatures
- Cloudiest December since 1992
Jump to: Extremes Maps Records Summaries Notes the top
Rainfall
Canberra Airport recorded a total rainfall of 100.6 mm during December, which is significantly above the historical average1 of 52.4 mm. This makes it the wettest December since 1999, and the wettest month since September 2005. There were 15 rain days during December, compared to the average of 8 days, which is the highest December rain day total since 1971.
Much of the rain that fell over Canberra in December was a result of slow moving troughs and upper atmospheric cold pools during the month. Additionally, an unseasonably strong cold front brought heavy rainfall on the 22nd and 23rd of the month.
See a map of total rainfall. See a map of rainfall deciles.
![total rainfall](javascript:ShowMap("ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon/home/ncc/www/rainfall/totals/month/colour/history/ns/2007120120071231.gif")){kind=link}
![rainfall deciles](javascript:ShowMap("ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon/home/ncc/www/rainfall/decile/month/colour/history/ns/2007120120071231.gif")){kind=link}
Temperature
The wet and cloudy conditions across Canberra during December produced cooler than average days and warmer than average nights. The mean minimum temperature for Canberra was 13.3ºC, which is 2.0ºC above the historical average1 of 11.3ºC. This makes December 2007the equal 3rd warmest December on record (current record is 13.9ºC set in 1988) for average minimum temperatures, and the warmest December since 1997. It also marks the seventh consecutive December with above average minimum temperatures.
The average maximum temperature for December was 25.1ºC, which is slightly below the historical average of 25.9ºC, and the coolest December since 1999 for average maximum temperatures.
The average mean temperature (the average of the maximum and minimum temperature) was 19.2ºC, which is slightly higher than the historical average of 18.6ºC. This makes it the coolest December since 2001 for average mean temperatures, but marks the eighth consecutive December with above average mean temperatures.
Extremes at Canberra Airport ranged from a high of 35.0ºC on the 30th to a low of 7.5ºC on the 18th. Corresponding extremes for Tuggeranong ranged from a high of 35.0ºC on the 30th to a low of 6.8ºC on the 18th.
See a map of mean maximum temperatures. See a map of maximum temperature anomalies.
![mean maximum temperatures](javascript:ShowMap("ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon/home/ncc/www/temperature/maxave/month/colour/history/ns/2007120120071231.gif")){kind=link}
![maximum temperature anomalies](javascript:ShowMap("ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon/home/ncc/www/temperature/maxanom/month/colour/history/ns/2007120120071231.gif")){kind=link}
See a map of mean minimum temperatures. See a map of minimum temperature anomalies.
![mean minimum temperatures](javascript:ShowMap("ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon/home/ncc/www/temperature/minave/month/colour/history/ns/2007120120071231.gif")){kind=link}
![minimum temperature anomalies](javascript:ShowMap("ftp://ftp.bom.gov.au/anon/home/ncc/www/temperature/minanom/month/colour/history/ns/2007120120071231.gif")){kind=link}
Other phenomena
It was the cloudiest December in Canberra since 1992, with only 8.3 hours per day of sunshine, which is below the historical average of 9.4 hours per day. One fog was observed (average 1 fog) during the month. Canberra's average wind run of 167.1 km per day was well below the historical average of 224.1 km per day. This is the lowest December wind run average for 15 years. Two strong winds were recorded during the month (average 3).
Canberra Airport recorded 5thunderstorms during December (historical average 4), with hail reported on the 27th. The average air pressure of 1013.8 hPa was higher than the historical average of 1011.2 hPa. Canberra Airport recorded 180.4 mm of evaporation during December, below the historical average of 255.8 mm.
Further information
Shannon SymonsClimate Officer
NSW Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (02) 9296 1555
Email reqnsw@bom.gov.au
Extremes
| Hottest day Highest temperature | 35.5°C at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on the 30th |
|---|---|
| Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature |
25.1°C at Canberra Airport 25.1°C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS |
| Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature | 15.8°C at Mount Ginini AWS |
| Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature | 12.0°C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 1st |
| Coldest night Lowest temperature | 1.0°C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 18th |
| Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature | 7.0°C at Mount Ginini AWS |
| Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature | 13.3°C at Canberra Airport |
| Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature | 19.9°C at Canberra Airport on the 22nd |
| Wettest overall Highest total rainfall |
209.6 mm at Mount Ginini AWS |
| Wettest day Highest daily rainfall |
58.0 mm at Sullivan Creek (Southwell) on the 1st 54.8 mm at Mount Ginini AWS on the 22nd |
Driest Overall |
92.2 mm at Gordon (Bore) |
| Highest wind gust | 76 km/h at Canberra Airport on the 22nd |
Jump to: Extremes Maps Records Summaries Notes the top
Summaries
| Summary statistics for December 2007 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for December (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for December (°C) |
Rainfall for December (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for December 2007 |
Diff from normal |
Highest for December 2007 |
Mean for December 2007 |
Diff from normal |
Lowest for December 2007 |
Total for December 2007 |
Normal for December |
Rank of December 2007 |
Fraction of December normal |
|||
| Sthn Tablelands Gburn-Monaro (district 70) | ||||||||||||
| Canberra Airport | 25.1 | −1.0 | 35.0 | 30th | 13.3 | +2.0 | 7.5 | 18th | 100.6 | 52.5 | high | 192% |
| Mount Ginini AWS (elev 1760 m)* | 15.8 | 24.0 | 29th | 7.0 | 1.0 | 18th | 209.6 | |||||
| Tuggeranong | 25.1 | 35.0 | 30th | 12.6 | 6.8 | 18th | 98.0 | |||||
* new station, no historic averages available
Jump to: Extremes Maps Records Summaries Notes the top
Notes
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Thursday 3 January 2008. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
A note about deciles: Deciles are used to give an element (in this case rainfall or temperature) a ranking. Deciles are calculated by arranging the totals in ascending order (from lowest to highest) then splitting them into 10 equal groups (thus the groups are called deciles). The first group would be in decile range one, the second group in decile range two, etc up to the highest annual totals (highest 10 per cent) being in decile range 10.
1Averages: Averages are based on the period 1961 to 1990 which is a convention of the World Meteorological Organisation
Normals are long-term averages based on observations from all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site. They are not shown for sites with less than 20 years of record for temperature and less than 30 years of record for rainfall, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
Further information
Shannon SymonsClimate Officer
NSW Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (02) 9296 1555
Email reqnsw@bom.gov.au