Friday, 1 April 2011 - Monthly Climate Summary for ACT Monthly Summary - Product code IDCKGC15R0

ACT in March 2011: Cool, humid days and warm nights

• Equal highest 9am relative humidity on record.
• Below average rainfall.
• Coldest March for maximum temperatures since 2001.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall

Canberra Airport recorded just 41.4mm of rainfall during March 2011, below the historical average of 50.7mm. Daily falls exceeded 10mm only twice during the month, with a maximum daily total of just 13.4mm on the 11th. However, rainfall varied throughout the ACT, with monthly totals as high as 123.4mm at Tharwa General Store, the wettest March at this site since 1989. Much of this was recorded in a single day, with 70 mm recorded to 9am on the 12th, associated with a local thunderstorm. In addition, 30 mm was recorded at Tuggeranong on the 11th and 35 mm at Mt Ginini on the 22nd, significantly wetter than at the airport.

Temperature

Maximum temperatures were cool during March at 23.3 °C, 1.2 °C below the historical average of 24.5 °C. This was the coolest March since 23.2 °C was recorded in 2001, associated with well below average sunshine during the month. No days above 30 °C were recorded during the month compared to a historical average of 3 hot days, with only eight days during the month exceeding 25 °C, the fewest since 1994. However, only three days below 20 °C were recorded during the month compared to the historical average of four days, with a minimum temperature of 19.7 °C.

Minimum temperatures were above average during March at 11.8 °C, 1.1 °C above the historical average of 10.7 °C, resulting in slightly below average mean temperatures during the month. The high minimums were associated with the increased cloudiness during the month in addition to well above average humidity. Only ten days during the month had minimum temperatures below 10 °C at Canberra Airport, below the historical average of 13 days, with a minimum temperature of 3.1 °C on the 31st, the coldest March day since 2005.

Wind

N-W winds prevailed during March, forming 50% of afternoon wind flow, which is normal for March. No strong wind days were reported at Canberra Airport during the month, below the historical average of one day, with a maximum wind gust of just 59 km/hr at the Airport on the 1st, reaching 76 km/hr at Mt Ginini.

Other phenomena

Canberra Airport recorded an average of 6.5 hours of sunshine during March, well below the historical average of 8.1 hours, which ranks as the fourth lowest on record (since 1978). No thunderstorms were reported at Canberra Airport during the month, which is below the historical average of 2 thunderstorms, with only three storms occurring anywhere in the ACT. In addition, no fog was reported at the airport during the month, below the historical average of 2 days.

The average 9am relative humidity was 82% during March, the second highest on record following 83% in March 1982. March 2011 also had the highest number of days on record with relative humidity exceeding 80% at 9am, with 20 days compared to the previous record of 19 days in March 1982, of which 8 exceeded 90%. Despite the cooler maximum temperatures, the average 3pm relative humidity was 54% during March, the third highest on record and the highest since 3pm humidity of 66% in March 1956. Dewpoint temperatures at 9am and 3pm, another measure of humidity, were the highest since March 2000.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top