Tuesday, 4 November 2008 - Monthly Climate Summary for ACT - Product code IDCKGC15R0

ACT has another warm, dry and sunny October

Summary

• 9th consecutive October with below average rainfall
• 3rd warmest maximum temperatures (behind 2006 & 2007) at the Airport site
• Warmer than average minimum temperatures
• Plentiful sunshine during October

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Rainfall

Canberra Airport recorded a total rainfall of 33.2 mm during the month, which is well below the historical average¹ of 62.7 mm. The dry conditions continue the recent trend of low October rainfall in Canberra with now 9 consecutive Octobers having below average rainfall. Prevailing high pressure systems dominated the Tasman Sea, NSW and the ACT during October maintaining generally settled and sunny weather in the Canberra region.

Much of the rainfall was due to thunderstorm activity on the 6th, 13th and 14th associated with the passage of low pressure troughs. The extreme northern parts of the ACT scored the highest totals for the month with Hall, on the border with NSW, receiving 39 mm. There were 7 rain days, compared to the average of 10. The wettest day was 13.4 mm at Canberra Airport on the 14th, which was due to 2 separate storms late on 13th and early 14th. On the same day, Hall received the ACT's highest daily rainfall for the month of 21.2 mm.

See a map of total rainfall for the ACT and surrounding region. See a NSW map of rainfall deciles.

Temperatures

The typical Spring pattern of variable temperatures persisted in the ACT throughout the month of October. Maximum temperatures at Canberra Airport varied from a low of 15°C on the 22nd, to a high of 30.7°C on the 27th. This was also the warmest day recorded throughout the ACT for the month of October. Overall, the mean maximum temperature at Canberra Airport was 23.0°C, which is 3.6°C above the historical average of 19.4°C. This is the 3rd highest October on record, behind 2007 (23.2°C) and 2006 (24.2°C). The high frequency of north to northwesterly winds combined with the sunny conditions in Canberra during October would have contributed to these warmer temperatures.

Nights were also above average with the mean minimum temperature for the month being 7.2°C compared to the average of 6.0°C. At Canberra Airport, minimum temperatures ranged from a frosty 0.3°C on the 7th to a warm 16.8°C on the 3rd. The lowest temperature in the Canberra metropolitan area was −0.5°C at Tuggeranong on the 7th. A total of 5 frosts were reported during the month, just below the October average of 7 frosts. The coldest nights were experienced at higher elevations of the ACT with Mount Ginini (elev 1760 m) recording a minimum of −4.8°C on both the 7th and 22nd, the lowest temperature in October at that site in the 4 years of record.

See NSW map of mean maximum temperatures. See NSW map of maximum temperature anomalies.

See NSW map of mean minimum temperatures. See NSW map of minimum temperature anomalies.

Wind

The prevailing wind direction over Canberra during the mornings (9am) was southerly, around 26% of the time, compared to the average of 9%. Normally at this time of day and year, the prevailing winds are from the W-NW (34% of the time). In the afternoons, the prevailing wind shifted to become N-NW, with 80% of the observations being observed from this direction, well above the normal frequency of 55% from this direction.

The highest wind gust at Canberra Airport was 78km/hr on the 31st, which was associated with the passage of a front.

Other phenomena

There was plentiful sunshine during the month in the ACT with an average of 9.9 hours per day, the 3rd sunniest October over the last 30 years of sunhine records. The historical average for the month is 8.7 hours per day. The frequency of fog was below average with just the 1 fog reported on the 10th (compared to the average of 3 fogs). There were 3 days when thunderstorms were reported, on the 6th, 13th and 14th with small hail reported at the Airport on the 6th.

Further information

NSW Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (02) 9296 1555
Email reqnsw@bom.gov.au

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Extremes for the ACT

Hottest day Highest temperature	30.7°C at Canberra Airport on the 27th
Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature	23.1°C at Tuggeranong AWS and Canberra Airport
Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature	14.0°C at Mount Ginini AWS 23.1°C at Tuggeranong AWS and Canberra Airport
Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature	3.9°C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 22nd 13.8°C at Tuggeranong AWS on the 22nd
Coldest night Lowest temperature	−4.8°C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 7th and on the 22nd −0.5°C at Tuggeranong AWS on the 7th
Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature	3.6°C at Mount Ginini AWS 6.9°C at Tuggeranong AWS
Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature	7.2°C at Canberra Airport
Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature	16.8°C at Canberra Airport on the 3rd
Wettest overall Highest total rainfall	39.4 mm at Hall (Lochleigh) (NSW/ACT border) 37.2 mm at Tuggeranong AWS
Driest overall Lowest total rainfall	16.8 mm at Watson (Racecourse)
Wettest day Highest daily rainfall	21.2 mm at Hall (Lochleigh) on the 14th
Highest wind gust	78 km/h at Canberra Airport on the 31st

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Records

Nil recorded

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Summaries for the ACT

Summary statistics for October 2008
	Maximum temperatures for October (°C)				Minimum temperatures for October (°C)				Rainfall for October (millimetres)
	Mean for October 2008	Diff from normal	Highest for October 2008		Mean for October 2008	Diff from normal	Lowest for October 2008		Total for October 2008	Normal for October	Rank of October 2008	Fraction of October normal
Canberra Airport	23.0	+3.6	30.7	27th	7.2	+1.2	0.3	7th	33.2	62.3	low	53%
Mount Ginini AWS*	14.0		20.0	28th	3.6		−4.8	7th	36.0
Tuggeranong**	23.1	+2.5	29.7	27th	6.9	+0.7	−0.5	7th	37.2	49.5	low	75%

** short record, 1996 - 2008 only

* new station, no historic averages available

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Notes

Further information

NSW Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (02) 9296 1555
Email reqnsw@bom.gov.au

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