Monday, 2 April 2012 - Monthly Climate Summary for Canberra - Product code IDCKGC15R0

Canberra in March 2012: 3rd wettest March on record

• 3rd wettest March on record, wettest since 1989.
• Third wettest 5-day rain event on record.
• 5th coldest March days on record, coldest since 1993.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall

Canberra Airport recorded 198 mm of rain during March, almost four times the historical average of 50.7 mm. This is the 3rd wettest March on record for Canberra Airport, as well as the wettest since 1989 at the Airport, the Botanical Gardens, and Tharwa General Store. The rain fell over 15 rain days, twice the March average and the second highest on record, following 18 days in 1956. Two days exceeded 50 mm; this has only occurred once for any month since the site opened in 1939, during March 1950.

The majority of the rain fell during the first five days of the month, as a low pressure trough brought widespread heavy rainfall to southern NSW and the ACT. Canberra Airport recorded 163.2 mm between the 1st and 5th, with similar totals only recorded two times before in any month, between 11-15 March 1989 and 18-22 March 1950. Daily falls at the Airport were as high as 62 mm on the 4th, reaching 93 mm at Tharwa General Store and 107.6 mm at Mt Ginini. This was the wettest single day in Canberra since December 2010.

The heavy rain in late February and early March resulted in minor to moderate flooding, road closures, and some flash flooding in the ACT, with 941 Requests for Assistance to the ACT SES. For further information on the impacts of the heavy rain and flooding across southeastern Australia please see Special Climate Statement 39.

Temperature

The average maximum temperature at Canberra Airport during March was 22.1 °C, 2.4 °C below the historical average. This is the coldest March in Canberra since 1993, and the equal 5th coolest on record. The cool days were particularly driven by overcast conditions associated with the rain event at the beginning of the Month, with two consecutive days reaching just 16.6 °C on the 2nd and 3rd; the last spell this cold was during March 1994.

The warmest day during the month reached just 27.2 °C on the 14th; the last March with no warmer days was also in 1994, with a maximum of 27.0 °C. Only 6 days reached 25 °C during the month, well below the March average of 14 days and the fewest since 1994.

In comparison, the average minimum temperature during March was 0.6 °C below average at 10.1 °C. Only one night dropped below 5 °C, normal for March, reaching 2.2 °C on the 25th, the coldest March night since 2001. The mean temperature for March was consequently 16.1 °C, 1.5 °C below average and the coolest March since 1994.

Wind

The prevailing wind direction at Canberra Airport during March was northwesterly, with 48% of 3pm winds between NNW and WNW, normal for March. Four strong wind days were reported at Canberra Airport, with minor damage associated with windy conditions on the 7th. The maximum wind gust at Canberra Airport was 65 km/hr on the 1st, with the strongest winds anywhere in the state reaching 81 km/hr at Mt Ginini AWS on the 23rd.

Other phenomena

Canberra Airport recorded an average of 6.6 hours of bright sunshine during March, well below the historical average of 8.1 hours but similar to March 2011 (6.5 hours). Conditions were particularly cloudy at the start of the month, with seven consecutive days of completely overcast conditions between February 27 and March 4. This is only the second time on record with such a long period of overcast conditions, following seven overcast days 31 July - 6 August 1952.

There were no thunderstorms reported at Canberra Airport, below the March average of two storms, with four storms reported anywhere in the ACT.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top