Australian Monthly Climate Summary: November 2007

Wednesday 5th December, 2007

In Brief

Rainfall was generally average to above average over much of the country, except in Tasmania and southwest WA. The above average totals provided some relief in the rainfall deficient areas in eastern Australia. The northern half of the country was generally cooler than normal, while the southern half generally warmer. Across the southern half of the country mean November temperatures (anomaly +0.56°C) were ranked the 13th warmest in the post−1950 record. Victoria had its highest mean November temperature on record.

Details

Temperatures:

Daytime maximum temperatures were above normal throughout the southern and western parts of the continent, with very much above average temperatures (decile 10) over much of this area. Anomalies of +2 to +4°C were widespread over this area, with two centres above +4°C located in southwest WA and northwest Victoria. Most of Tasmania was in the highest decile, making it the warmest November on record for the state; maxima in Victoria were the third highest.

Cool conditions, with mean maximum temperatures mostly 1 to 3°C below normal covered much of Queensland and southern NT. Southern Queensland, inland and to the southwest from Rockhampton, recorded a large area of lowest decile temperatures, making it the ninth coolest November on record for Queensland.

Anomalies of overnight minimum temperatures were similar to those of daily maxima, in that there were warm anomalies in the south and cool anomalies in the north. However, the cool anomalies in the north of the country were situated further to the west, over the NT, with much of Queensland recording weak warm anomalies. Anomalies of +2 to +4°C covered much of Victoria and NSW, with an area of highest on record minimum temperatures over northeast Victoria and the southern inland areas of NSW. Much of southeastern Australia, and southwestern Australia recorded minimum temperatures in the highest decile, making it the second warmest November on record for Victoria and the third warmest for Tasmania.

In contrast, minima were below normal over most of the NT, and in the far north of WA, where much of the northern Kimberley had lowest on record minimum. It was the eighth coolest November on record for the NT.

* Anomaly is the difference from the long-term average

Maximum Temperature Maps
Mean (Average) | Departures from Long-Term Average (Anomalies) | Deciles (Historical Ranking)

Minimum Temperature Maps
Mean (Average) | Departures from Long-Term Average (Anomalies) | Deciles (Historical Ranking)

Rainfall:

Above-normal falls were widespread across Australia during November, with the highest totals in the eastern states. Large areas in eastern Australia had falls in the highest decile, especially in central Queensland, the central coast of NSW and parts of southern Victoria. Above average falls were also recorded along eastern WA into NT and northern SA.

The most notable dry conditions occurred in Tasmania, where November was the driest on record (78% below normal). Much of the western half of the state had record low falls. while totals in the eastern half were in the lowest decile. Rainfall in the lowest decile also occurred in southwest WA and in isolated small patches scattered over the NT, SA, NSW, Queensland and the rest of WA.

Rainfall Maps
Totals | Deciles (Historical Ranking) | Percentages | Departures from Long-Term Average (Anomalies)