Australian Monthly Climate Summary: June 2009

Thursday, 2 July, 2009

In Brief

While much of southern and eastern Australia recorded average or above average rainfall during June 2009, a substantial area of south-eastern Australia, including northwest Tasmania and southern and eastern Victoria, saw a continuation of dry conditions. Rainfall over central and northern Australia was also generally below average for June, however, it should be noted that rainfall is commonly low over central and northern Australia at this time of the year.

Daytime maximum temperatures were generally warmer than the long-term mean across most of the country during June. Overnight minimum temperatures in June were mostly above average over much of central and southern Australia as well as across much of the west Kimberley. Overnight minimum temperatures were generally close to or slightly below average elsewhere.

Details

Temperatures:

Daytime maximum temperatures were warmer than the long-term mean across most of the country during June. When averaged across the continent, daytime temperatures were approximately 0.8°C above normal (fourteenth warmest in 60 years). The largest departures from the long-term mean were recorded across northern Australia, with the average daytime maximum temperature generally 1°C above normal for June. Land adjacent to the southern Gulf of Carpentaria observed daytime temperatures average as much as 3°C above normal. Many stations in eastern and northern Queensland, and the north of the NT, recorded maximum temperatures in the highest decile (top 10% of records). A few sites along Queensland’s central and northeast coast (including Rockhampton, Kairi, Walkamin and Musgrave) recorded their highest June mean maximum temperatures on record. When averaged over the state, Queensland had its fifth warmest June mean maximum temperatures in 60 years of data while SA had its fifteenth.

Overnight minimum temperatures in June were mostly above average over much of central and southern Australia as well as across much of the west Kimberley. Minimum temperatures were generally close to or slightly below average elsewhere. When averaged across the continent minimum temperatures were approximately 0.6°C above normal (sixteenth warmest in 60 years). Minimum temperatures were as much as 2°C above normal over parts of NSW, the far south of Queensland and the southwest Kimberley. Much of NSW observed mean minimum temperatures in the highest decile of records, with the state-wide average being the sixth highest in the record dating from 1950. Tasmania recorded is ninth warmest June mean minimum temperatures and SA its twelfth warmest.

* 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:

When averaged across the continent, Australia’s rainfall was slightly below the long-term average (6% below normal). The main areas that recorded below average rainfall in June were southern and eastern Victoria, northwest Tasmania and some large regions in central and northern Australia, but excluding WA. Most of West and South Gippsland in Victoria observed rainfall in the lowest 10% (decile 1) of 110 years of records. Some parts of northern Queensland and northern SA also recorded rainfall in decile 1. However, as noted already, rainfall is commonly low over central and northern Australia at this time of the year.

In contrast, June rainfall was above average in southeast Tasmania, the south coast of WA and SA, and a large part of the interior of eastern Australia. Several areas in the latter registered totals in decile 10, including a small patch of record high June falls near Dillalah, southwest of Charleville (Qld). Rainfall was also very much above average (decile 10) in southeast Tasmania and at a few sites near Denmark in southwest WA. A region of the coast covering northern NSW and southeast Queensland also recorded above average rainfall. In area average terms, the most significant departures from the long-term mean were across the Murray-Darling Basin (52% above) and NSW (41% above).

* A new area-averaging method has been adopted for rainfall from May 2009. Current and historical totals for Tasmania are substantially higher than under the old scheme, but differences for other states, and nationally, are negligible.

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