Tuesday 1 December 2020 — Monthly Summary for Australia — Product Code IDCKGC1A00
Australia in November 2020
Temperatures Rainfall Extremes Important notes the top
In brief
- Temperatures during November were warmer than average for most of Australia, except southwest Western Australia
- Both the national mean maximum and mean minimum temperature were the warmest on record for November
- Rainfall was below average for Australia overall, despite above average rainfall in parts of northern, western, and southern Western Australia
- Rainfall was well below average for southeastern Queensland, northeastern New South Wales, and Tasmania; for Tasmania it was the ninth-driest November on record
Temperatures
The national mean temperature for November was the highest on record for Australia as a whole, at 2.47 °C warmer than average (previous record was +2.07 °C in 2014).
Both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were above the highest on record for November at 2.90 °C and 2.04 °C above average, respectively. All states and the Northern Territory had both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures amongst the top ten on record for November.
Maximum temperatures for November were above or very much above average across the majority of Australia, and warmest on record in a large area of the centre of the continent. The mean maximum temperature for the month was cooler than average for the southern half of the west coast of Western Australia.
The mean minimum temperature for the month was above or very much above average for most of Australia, although mean minimum temperatures were close to average for much of the west of Western Australia, and some pockets of south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales, and the Cape York Peninsula.
Heatwaves affected parts of Australia several times during the month.
A low- to severe-intensity heatwave affected much of north-west to south-east Queensland around the middle of the month. However, the most significant event came at the end of the month.
Very warm air was directed from the middle of the continent into south-eastern and eastern Australia as frontal systems combined with a heat trough over inland Australia. Large areas experienced daily maximum temperatures more than 10 degrees above average over a number of days. Heatwave conditions were accompanied by gusty winds and elevated fire danger for South Australia and the eastern states.
A large number of stations in New South Wales observed record high November daily maximum temperature or their warmest November night on record on the 28th or 29th. A few stations in the Northern Territory set records for their highest November maximum temperature or warmest November night during the month, as did a few in Tasmania and Western Australia, and several in Queensland for highest November daily maximum temperature.
Some stations in the Northern Territory had their highest November mean daily maximum temperature on record, or their highest mean daily minimum temperature for November, as did a few stations in Western Australia, Tasmania and South Australia, and a few in Queensland for highest mean daily maximum temperature for November.
Areal average temperatures | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum Temperature | Minimum Temperature | Mean Temperature | |||||||
Rank (of 111) |
Anomaly (°C) |
Comment | Rank (of 111) |
Anomaly (°C) |
Comment | Rank (of 111) |
Anomaly (°C) |
Comment | |
Australia | 111 | +2.90 | highest (was +2.40 °C in 2014) | 111 | +2.04 | highest (was +1.90 °C in 2015) | 111 | +2.47 | highest (was +2.07 °C in 2014) |
Queensland | 110 | +2.85 | 2nd highest (record +2.97 °C in 2014) | 110 | +2.17 | 2nd highest (record +2.61 °C in 2014) | 110 | +2.51 | 2nd highest (record +2.79 °C in 2014) |
New South Wales | 107 | +3.86 | 5th highest | 106 | +2.43 | 6th highest; highest since 2009 | 107 | +3.15 | 5th highest |
Victoria | 110 | +3.85 | 2nd highest (record +5.11 °C in 2009) | 107 | +2.51 | 5th highest | 110 | +3.18 | 2nd highest (record +4.59 °C in 2009) |
Tasmania | 108 | +2.52 | 4th highest (record +3.98 °C in 2017) | 107 | +1.32 | 5th highest | 108 | +1.92 | 4th highest (record +2.77 °C in 2017) |
South Australia | 111 | +4.38 | highest (was +3.62 °C in 2012) | 108 | +2.33 | 4th highest (record +4.18 °C in 1914) | 111 | +3.36 | highest (was +3.01 °C in 2009 and 1914) |
Western Australia | 103 | +1.79 | 9th highest | 109 | +1.36 | 3rd highest (record +1.87 °C in 2006) | 108 | +1.58 | 4th highest (record +2.20 °C in 2006) |
Northern Territory | 111 | +3.25 | highest (was +2.91 °C in 1990) | 111 | +2.66 | highest (was +2.22 °C in 1990) | 111 | +2.96 | highest (was +2.57 °C in 1990) |
Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 111 (highest). A rank marked with ’=‘ indicates the value is tied for that rank. Anomaly is the departure from the long-term (1961–1990) average.
Temperature maps | |||
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Mean | Anomaly | Deciles | |
Mean daily maximum temperatures |
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Mean daily minimum temperatures |
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Mean daily temperatures |
Temperatures Rainfall Extremes Important notes the top
Rainfall
November rainfall was 41% below average for Australia as a whole.
Rainfall was below average for much of the eastern two thirds of Australia, and very much below average for large parts of Tasmania, north-east New South Wales, and greater south-east Queensland.
Rainfall for the month was above or very much above average across large parts of Western Australia, including in the Kimberley, Pilbara, and the South West Land Division.
A number of cold fronts and associated low pressure systems brought periods of rainfall to the South West Land Division in Western Australia during the first third of the month. A large number of stations in Western Australia, mostly in the south-west, had record high daily rainfall for November, as did a couple towards the end of the month. A large number also had record high November total rainfall for the month overall.
Victoria experienced storms or damaging winds both around the middle of the month, when strong northerly winds affected much of western and central Victoria, and on the 22nd and 23rd when locally severe thunderstorms affected southern parts of the state.
Typically La Niña would be associated with cooler, cloudier, and wetter than average conditions for Australia. During this November the La Niña currently active in the Pacific Ocean weakened temporarily, and the Southern Annual Mode also briefly returned to neutral. This contributed to a reduction in cloud cover over Australia during the month, higher air pressure, and less rainfall than typical for a La Niña. Both La Niña and the Southern Annual Mode are expected to return to their October levels soon, and the climate outlooks expect cooler temperatures and more rainfall for summer 2020–21.
Area-average rainfall | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rank (of 121) |
Average (mm) |
Departure from mean |
Comment | |
Australia | 25 | 19.2 | −41% | |
Queensland | 16 | 17.4 | −62% | |
New South Wales | 23 | 20.4 | −54% | |
Victoria | 31 | 33.7 | −35% | |
Tasmania | 9 | 48.3 | −52% | 9th lowest; lowest since 2007 |
South Australia | 13 | 4.4 | −71% | |
Western Australia | 94 | 24.1 | +35% | |
Northern Territory | 13 | 18.6 | −55% | |
Murray-Darling Basin | 15 | 15.9 | −60% |
Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 121 (highest). A rank marked with ’=‘ indicates the value is tied for that rank. Departure from mean is relative to the long-term (1961–1990) average.
Rainfall maps | |||
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Totals | Percentages | Deciles | |
Total rainfall |
Temperatures Rainfall Extremes Important notes the top
Australian weather extremes during November 2020 | ||
---|---|---|
Hottest day | 48.0 °C | at Andamooka (SA) on the 28th |
Coldest day | 3.3 °C | at Mount Read (Tas.) on the 5th |
Coldest night | −3.7 °C | at Mount Hotham (Vic.) on the 6th |
Warmest night | 33.8 °C | at Wanaaring (Delta AWS) (NSW) on the 29th |
Wettest day | 191.0 mm | at Moruya (Plumwood) (NSW) on the 1st |
Temperatures Rainfall Extremes Important notes the top
Notes
The Monthly Climate Summary is prepared to list the main features of the weather in Australia using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, usually published in the fourth week of the following month.
Climate Summaries are usually published on the first working day of each month.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 1:30 pm EDST on Tuesday 1 December 2020. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available, especially for rainfall where much more data becomes available as returns are received from volunteers.
Long-term averages in this statement and associated tables are for the period 1961 to 1990 unless otherwise specified. Temperature area averages are derived from the ACORN-SAT version 2 dataset. Rainfall area averages, along with rainfall and temperature maps, are derived from the AWAP dataset.
Further information
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