Monday, 3 August 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Australian Capital Territory - Product code IDCKGC15L0

Australian Capital Territory in July 2020: mild with average rainfall

July 2020 saw warmer than average temperatures in the ACT. Rainfall was generally close to average.

Rainfall close to average

  • Rainfall was close to average at most ACT sites, which follows three very dry Julys in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
  • The heaviest rain of the month fell on 26 and 27 July, in association with an intense low pressure system off the New South Wales coast.

Mild July temperatures

  • Both maximum and minimum temperatures were warmer than average at all locations.
  • The warmth was especially marked at high elevations, with Mount Ginini having its highest July mean maximum temperature since records there began in 2004.
  • Daytime maximum temperatures at Canberra Airport were cooler than those of July 2018 or 2019, while overnight minimum temperatures were the highest since 2016.

Canberra Airport

  • Total rainfall for Canberra Airport was 33.4 mm, which is 83% of the long-term average of 40.1 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Canberra Airport was 13.2 °C, which is 1.7 °C above the long-term average of 11.5 °C.
  • The warmest day was 15.7 °C on the 29th, and the coolest day was on the 11th when the temperature reached 8.5 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Canberra Airport was 1.2 °C, which is 1.3 °C above the long-term average of -0.1 °C.
  • The coldest morning was -3.6 °C on the 22nd, and the warmest morning was on the 28th when the minimum temperature was 9.6 °C.

Coastal low impacts the ACT

  • An intense low off the New South Wales South Coast from 26 to 28 July produced strong southerly winds in the ACT, with gusts to 76 km/h at Canberra Airport. Widespread wind damage, mostly to trees, was reported across Canberra.
  • While Canberra received modest rainfall from the low compared with the surrounding region, due to the rainshadowing effect of the Tinderry Range in southerly winds, heavy rains upstream caused rises in the Murrumbidgee River. Some low-level crossings were closed to traffic.
  • The coldest night so far this year at Canberra Airport has been -4.9 °C on 5 June. The last time Canberra Airport had a year with no nights of -5 °C or below was in 2007.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Extremes in July 2020
Hottest day 16.0 °C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS on the 29th
Warmest days on average 13.2 °C at Canberra Airport
Coolest days on average 4.5 °C at Mount Ginini AWS
Coldest day -0.4 °C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 4th
Coldest night -5.5 °C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 4th
Coolest nights on average -1.0 °C at Mount Ginini AWS
Warmest nights on average 1.2 °C at Canberra Airport
1.2 °C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS
Warmest night 9.6 °C at Canberra Airport on the 28th
9.6 °C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS on the 28th
Warmest on average overall 7.2 °C at Canberra Airport
Coolest on average overall 1.7 °C at Mount Ginini AWS
Wettest overall 78.2 mm at Mount Ginini AWS
Driest overall 26.4 mm at Bruce (Australian Institute of Sport)
Wettest day 22.4 mm at Mount Ginini AWS on the 13th
Strongest wind gust 89 km/h at Mount Ginini AWS on the 27th
89 km/h at Mount Ginini AWS on the 28th

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top



Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Summary statistics for July 2020
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
July
2020		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
July
2020		 Mean for
July
2020		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
July
2020		 Total for
July
2020		 Average
for
July		 Rank of
July
2020		 Fraction of
July
average
Canberra Airport 13.2 +1.7 15.7 29th 1.2 +1.3 -3.6 22nd 33.4 40.1 average 83%
Mount Ginini AWS 4.5 +2.0 8.0 25th -1.0 +1.5 -5.5 4th 78.2 94.1 average 83%
Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS 13.1 +0.7 16.0 29th 1.2 +1.3 -3.9 23rd 42.8 38.2 average 112%
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 July 2020
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
Canberra Airport15.114.011.611.413.59.513.911.914.515.18.511.711.712.612.512.814.412.913.813.813.814.311.814.715.112.012.215.615.714.713.5
Mount Ginini AWS4.02.41.0-0.45.46.25.44.94.96.13.50.80.81.21.55.27.17.12.52.85.76.45.77.68.04.02.84.67.66.67.7
Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS15.913.912.611.814.39.212.711.814.214.98.410.910.313.112.412.414.412.514.313.814.214.511.613.514.413.212.415.716.014.213.4
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 July 2020
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
Canberra Airport0.53.42.91.7-0.40.4-2.5-2.3-0.30.70.51.93.94.96.13.6-0.6-0.34.42.7-3.3-3.6-3.1-2.1-3.32.49.49.61.21.8-2.8
Mount Ginini AWS-1.11.0-3.1-5.5-3.2-2.00.9-1.7-0.2-0.30.2-0.6-1.7-1.8-3.5-3.8-2.50.3-1.1-4.4-4.0-0.2-0.6-0.40.91.72.81.00.60.5-0.7
Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS3.26.60.10.0-1.8-0.90.5-2.6-2.00.50.42.05.44.86.11.23.7-0.63.22.8-3.8-3.7-3.9-3.0-3.72.09.39.61.81.4-2.9
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 July 2020
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
Aranda (Bindaga St) - 1.6
Bruce (Australian Institute of Sport) - 2.2 - → → 1.0 - - - - - - - 2.2 - - - - - - - - - - → → 19.8 1.2


Canberra (Australian National Botanic Ga - 2.0 0.9 - - - - - - - - 5.2 3.6 0.1 - - - - -











Canberra Airport - 1.6 - 0.6 - 0.2 - - 0.2 - - 2.4 8.6 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - 9.2 10.0 0.4 - - -
Ginninderra (Charnwood (ACT)) -
-
- - - - - - 0.4 4.0 3.4 0.2 - 0.2 - - - - 0.2 - - - 0.2 4.8 6.6 3.0 - - 0.2
Mount Ginini AWS - 3.0 0.2 5.2 0.2 - - - - - - 4.6 22.4 7.4 - - - - - 1.6 - - - - - 11.8 17.0 4.8 - - -
Torrens (Darke St) - 1.8 - 1.0 - 0.2 - - - - 0.2 2.0 11.4 1.8 - - - - - - - - - - - 13.4 12.2



Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS - 1.6 - 0.8 - 0.2 - - - - - 2.0 10.2
- - - - - - - - - - - 14.4 12.4 1.2 - - -
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 9 am on Monday 3 August 2020. 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