Monday 3 December, 2012 — Monthly Climate Summary for Australia — Product Code IDCKGC1A00

Australia in November 2012

Temperatures Rainfall Extremes Important notes the top

In Brief

November rainfall was average to below average across most of eastern Australia and South Australia, with much of the eastern Northern Territory and Western Australia recording above-average rainfall. Despite these spatial differences, for Australia as a whole the monthly rainfall total was near average. Maximum temperatures were above average for most of Australia and in the highest 10% of records for western Tasmania, SA, and adjoining parts of the surrounding States. A large area of northeastern SA recorded its highest November monthly maximum temperature. Small parts of WA were the only regions to record below-average daytime temperatures. November minimum temperatures were generally above average for Australia, with near-average monthly minima recorded in similar locations to maxima (western WA, parts of the north, and much of eastern Queensland). An area around Mackay on the Queensland coast was the only region to record below-average monthly minima.

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Temperatures

The November-averaged maximum temperature was the fourth-highest on record for Australia as a whole. The national anomaly was +1.73 °C; all States and the NT recorded a monthly maxima more than 1 °C above the long term average. Queensland's monthly anomaly was also its fourth highest (+1.50 °C), Tasmania's third highest (+2.30 °C), while SA its second highest and the largest anomaly for any State (+3.07 °C).

Maximum temperatures were above average for most of Australia. Maxima were near average in a narrow strip along the eastern coast in New South Wales and Queensland as well as parts of northern Australia and most of the western half of WA. Small parts of WA in the Central Wheat Belt and near Karratha were the only regions to record below-average daytime temperatures. A large part of the interior and southern Australia between southeastern WA and western Victoria as well as western Tasmania recorded maxima in the highest 10% of records. Anomalies were 3 to 5 °C above average across much of this area and was the highest-on-record November-averaged maximum temperature for a large area of northeastern SA.

Exceptional heat across central and southeastern Australia in the last week of the month contributed to these anomalies. During this event numerous stations recorded their hottest November day, including 45.8 °C at Ouyen in Victoria's Mallee, breaking the previous Victorian record (see the Special Climate Statement to be released shortly for full details.)

The national-average monthly minimum temperature was also above average (anomaly of +0.83 °C), and above for each individual State. Minima for most of central and southern Australia were above average, with the most significant anomalies extending in a band southeastwards from the Kimberley/Pilbara coast to NSW and East Gippsland. Anomalies were 2 to 4 °C above average across most of central Australia for the month. For SA, minima were 1.83 °C above average, the fourth-highest November anomaly on record. Although no state recorded a below-average monthly minimum temperature, the NT, Queensland, and WA recorded lower anomalies than the other States, reflecting the near-average minima recorded across most of eastern Queensland, western WA, the Kimberley, and the central NT.

Areal average temperatures
	Maximum Temperature			Minimum Temperature
	Rank (out of 63)	Anomaly* (°C)	Comment	Rank (out of 63)	Anomaly* (°C)	Comment
Australia	60	+1.73	fourth highest	56	+0.83
Queensland	60	+1.50	fourth highest	46.5	+0.44
New South Wales	57.5	+2.74		56	+1.52
Victoria	58	+2.10		56	+1.24
Tasmania	61	+2.30	third highest	54	+0.72
South Australia	62	+3.07	second highest, highest is +3.10 (1982)	60	+1.83	fourth highest
Western Australia	53	+1.01		47.5	+0.55
Northern Territory	58	+1.64		51	+0.64

^*Anomaly is the departure from the long-term (1961–1990) average.
A fractional rank indicates that the value is tied for that rank.

Temperature maps
	Mean	Anomaly	Deciles
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

Temperatures Rainfall Extremes Important notes the top

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Rainfall

November rainfall totals were below average across large areas of eastern Australia, SA, and the eastern Top End although the areas receiving below-average rainfall were non-contiguous. There were numerous isolated areas of lowest-on-record rainfall distributed amongst the patchy negative rainfall anomalies. The Kimberley, eastern NT, and most of WA south of Port Hedland recorded above- to very-much-above average rainfall. The nationally-averaged total was close to average, concealing these marked differences in rainfall; the national average was 8% below average while WA's total was 88% above average and SA's was the lowest since 1996 (54% below average).

While light falls were widespread across parts of the Kimberley and NT, isolated moderate to heavy falls brought small areas to the highest 10% of records. Falls in southern WA were more substantial, reaching 25 to 50 mm above the November average in much of the region, and exceeding 50 mm above average in parts of the Interior and southern hinterlands.

Area-average rainfall
	Rank (out of 113)	Average (mm)	Departure from mean*	Comment
Australia	53	30.1	−8%
Queensland	27	26.0	−43%
New South Wales	37	32.8	−27%
Victoria	23	28.8	−44%
Tasmania	16	65.1	−37%
South Australia	22	7.1	−54%	lowest since 1996
Western Australia	103	33.3	+88%
Northern Territory	72	43.6	+4%
Murray-Darling Basin	29	25.4	−37%

^*The mean is calculated for the 1961–1990 reference period.

Rainfall maps
	Totals	Percentages	Deciles
Total rainfall

Temperatures Rainfall Extremes Important notes the top

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Australian weather extremes in November 2012
Hottest day	46.4 °C at Roebourne (WA) on 15 November
Coldest day	1.2 °C at Mount Baw Baw (Vic) on 1 November
Coldest night	−5.2 °C at Perisher Valley (NSW) on 11 November
Warmest night	32.3 °C at Oodnadatta (SA) on 29 November
Wettest day	159.8 mm at Coffs Harbour (NSW) on 18 November

Temperatures Rainfall Extremes Important notes the top

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