Thursday, 1 April 2021 - Monthly Climate Summary for Australian Capital Territory - Product code IDCKGC15L0

Australian Capital Territory in March 2021: a wet and cool month

March was a wet month in the ACT, with flooding later in the month. Temperatures were below average, especially during the day.

A wet March

  • Rainfall was well above average at all ACT locations, with most sites receiving 2 to 3 times their average March rainfall.
  • The month was mostly dry until the 11th, then conditions turned wetter, with the heaviest rain falling between the 21st and 24th.

Cool, especially by day

  • Both daytime maximum and night-time minimum temperatures in March were below average throughout the ACT.
  • Maximum temperatures were particularly cool, with monthly means around 2 °C below average.
  • Minimum temperatures were about 1 °C below average.
  • The first half of the month had relatively warm days, but the remainder was very cool. Canberra Airport had below-average maximum temperatures every day from the 14th to the 31st.

Canberra Airport

  • Total rainfall for Canberra Airport was 110.2 mm, which is 207% of the long-term average of 53.3 mm.
  • This is the highest March rainfall since 2012 and the tenth-highest in 83 years of observations at Canberra Airport.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Canberra Airport was 23.0 °C, which is 1.6 °C below the long-term average of 24.6 °C and the lowest since 2012.
  • The warmest day was 30.1 °C on the 13th, and the coolest day was on the 14th when the temperature reached 15.9 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Canberra Airport was 9.9 °C, which is 0.9 °C below the long-term average of 10.8 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 3.2 °C on the 29th, and the warmest morning was on the 12th when the minimum temperature was 16.3 °C.

Heavy rain and flooding later in the month

  • Heavy rain fell across the ACT from the 21st to the 24th, particularly on the 23rd and 24th, as a low-pressure system passed nearby.
  • Two-day totals between 50 and 90 mm were recorded at most sites on the 23rd and 24th.
  • Minor flooding was observed on the Queanbeyan, Molonglo and Murrumbidgee Rivers, and numerous river crossings were closed.
  • The Gudgenby River at Tennent rose more than 4 metres during the event, and a bridge at Naas was washed away.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Extremes in March 2021
Hottest day 30.1 °C at Canberra Airport on the 13th
Warmest days on average 23.0 °C at Canberra Airport
Coolest days on average 13.8 °C at Mount Ginini AWS
Coldest day 8.4 °C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 17th
Coldest night 1.1 °C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 3rd and 15th
Coolest nights on average 5.9 °C at Mount Ginini AWS
Warmest nights on average 10.1 °C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS
Warmest night 16.6 °C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS on the 12th
Warmest on average overall 16.5 °C at Canberra Airport
16.5 °C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS
Coolest on average overall 9.9 °C at Mount Ginini AWS
Wettest overall 193.8 mm at Mount Ginini AWS
Driest overall 110.2 mm at Canberra Airport
Wettest day 58.4 mm at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS on the 23rd
Strongest wind gust 80 km/h at Mount Ginini AWS on the 20th

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top



Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Summary statistics for March 2021
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
March
2021		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
March
2021		 Mean for
March
2021		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
March
2021		 Total for
March
2021		 Average
for
March		 Rank of
March
2021		 Fraction of
March
average
Canberra Airport 23.0 -1.6 30.1 13th 9.9 -0.9 3.2 29th 110.2 53.3 high 207%
Mount Ginini AWS 13.8 -2.5 19.1 1st 5.9 -1.3 1.1 3rd 193.8 92.5 high 210%
Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS 22.9 -2.4 29.9 13th 10.1 -1.3 2.7 15th 150.0 58.3 v high 257%
Note: Observations for “Canberra Airport” are taken from the current site (Bureau number 070351), which opened in late 2008.
Comparisons are made against data from the previous site Canberra Airport Comparison (070014), which ran from 1939 to 2010,
combined with the current site from March 2010 onwards.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Daily maximum temperatures for March 2021
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
Canberra Airport29.225.123.326.226.524.227.027.727.527.025.727.030.115.922.120.517.521.720.720.717.916.718.619.822.621.421.621.022.422.623.4
Mount Ginini AWS19.116.814.917.118.616.417.518.118.117.715.517.619.09.314.610.08.411.210.710.19.89.211.88.810.112.89.611.014.114.916.0
Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS28.824.423.026.426.124.126.827.127.126.825.326.629.916.522.620.917.721.519.619.918.616.318.219.522.521.321.421.722.922.523.4
Values are the maximum temperature, usually in the 24 hours from 9 am on the day indicated,
and typically occurred in the afternoon of that day.
Temperatures coloured according to their difference
from the long-term average for the period		 -10.0 -9.0 -8.0 -7.0 -6.0 -5.0 -4.0 -3.0 -2.0 -1.0 0.0 +1.0 +2.0 +3.0 +4.0 +5.0 +6.0 +7.0 +8.0 +9.0 +10.0 °C Grey outline marks highest
and lowest for the period
Daily minimum temperatures for March 2021
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
Canberra Airport10.15.49.98.26.27.26.112.17.212.913.616.312.810.93.56.710.513.313.914.115.514.914.315.614.04.45.94.43.29.24.4
Mount Ginini AWS10.32.71.13.85.44.63.79.57.07.58.19.811.17.81.14.83.75.46.86.97.77.17.68.16.93.04.52.63.45.35.1
Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS9.75.29.57.46.98.17.811.77.715.415.516.613.29.82.76.812.412.814.814.615.314.514.315.013.94.86.94.83.37.83.1
Values are the minimum temperature, usually in the 24 hours to 9 am on the day indicated,
and typically occurred that morning.
Temperatures coloured according to their difference
from the long-term average for the period		 -10.0 -9.0 -8.0 -7.0 -6.0 -5.0 -4.0 -3.0 -2.0 -1.0 0.0 +1.0 +2.0 +3.0 +4.0 +5.0 +6.0 +7.0 +8.0 +9.0 +10.0 °C Grey outline marks highest
and lowest for the period
Daily rainfall for March 2021
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
Aranda (Bindaga St) - - - - - - - - 2.2 - - 9.8 - 11.0 5.6 - - - 0.2 1.0 19.6 6.2 47.2 30.4 0.4 - - 3.0 - - -
Bruce (Australian Institute of Sport) - - - - - - - - - - - 8.8 → → 20.1 - - - - → → 24.8 40.0 32.0 - - → → 2.2

Canberra Airport - - - - - - - 0.2 3.0 - - 11.2 - 9.8 10.8 - - 0.2 0.2 2.6 11.2 5.8 30.6 23.8 - - - 0.8 - - -
Ginninderra (Charnwood (ACT)) - - - - - -
- 2.2 - - 13.6 0.2 6.6 9.8 - - - 0.2 - 15.0 4.6 42.6 30.4 0.2 0.2 - 3.4 - - -
Mount Ginini AWS - - - - - - - - - - - 24.8 - 10.2 0.8 0.2 - 0.2 2.6 2.8 40.2 18.4 50.4 31.0 6.2 2.4 0.2 3.4 - - -
Nicholls (Gungahlin Lakes) - - - - - - - - 3.4 - - 9.0 - 6.8 11.0 - - 1.0 - 2.0 15.0 8.0 45.0 28.0 - - - 4.2


Torrens (Darke St) - - - - - - - - - - - 10.2 - 11.0 6.0 - - - 1.6 3.2 23.0 10.6 47.4 29.8 0.8 - - 1.2


Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS - - - - - - - 0.4 - - - 10.2 - 13.0 3.6 - - - - 1.0 22.0 11.0 58.4 29.2 0.2 - - 1.0 - - -
Most values are the precipitation in the 24 hours to 9 am on the day indicated. Days marked with → are part of a longer accumulation, which is shown on the final day.
Values over 100 mm have been rounded to the nearest whole millimetre.
Days marked with - have a rainfall report of zero; days left blank have no rainfall report (which often indicates no rain fell).
Rainfalls coloured
according to the amount		 0 1.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 25.0 50.0 100 150 200 300 400 600 millimetres

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Notes

The Monthly climate summary, generally published on the first working day of each month, lists the main features of the weather in Australian Capital Territory using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.

This summary includes data from observing sites in or near the Australian Capital Territory “Greater Capital City Statistical Area” (GCCSA). The Australian Bureau of Statistics designed the GCCSAs to “include the population within the urban area of the city, as well as people who regularly socialise, shop or work within the city, and live in small towns and rural areas surrounding the city. It is important to note that GCCSAs do not define the built up edge of the city. They provide a stable definition for these cities and are designed for the output of a range of social and economic survey data.”

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 11 am on Thursday 1 April 2021. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.

Averages for individual sites are long-term means 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 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median is sometimes more representative than the mean of long-term average rain.

The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site, based on the decile ranking (very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3, average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9 and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a percentage of the long-term mean.

Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057

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