Friday, 1 May 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for New South Wales - Product code IDCKGC15R0

New South Wales in April 2020: cool and wet

It was generally cool and wet across New South Wales in April. Below average maximum temperatures were experienced over inland regions, although they were above average along the coast. Keeping with this, rainfall was above average inland and below average in coastal regions

Above average rainfall inland, below average in coastal areas

• Monthly rainfall for New South Wales was above the April average for much of the inland west of the Dividing Range
• It was the wettest April for New South Wales since 2015
• Substantial daily totals of 50–100 mm were reported along the Western Slopes on the 4th, 10th and 30th, and a number of sites recorded their highest April daily rainfall
• Some sites had their highest total April rainfall on record or their highest since 1990
• Year-to-date rainfall totals are 125–150% of the long-term average over much of the State except for the far west
• Over much of the northeast, January–April 2020 rainfall exceeds the 2019 annual total
• Unlike inland, April rainfall in coastal regions was generally below average, particularly in the Northern Rivers District

Cool daytime temperatures inland, warm along the coast

• Maximum temperatures were below average for April across much of New South Wales, particularly along the Western Slopes
• A persistent west-to-southwesterly flow kept conditions cool throughout the month, except for a period around 15th and 16th
• Some sites had their lowest April mean daily maximum temperature on record or since the mid-1990s
• East of the Dividing Range, maximum temperatures were above the April average
• State-wide, it was the third consecutive month of below average maximum temperatures, a sequence not seen for any period since 2012
• Minimum temperatures were generally above average across the State

A cold end to the month

• Several cold fronts crossed the State during the month. While they brought substantial rain and cool conditions to inland areas, they did not generally reach coastal areas
• The most significant cold front was on the 30th. This brought strong winds and a drop in temperature, with significant snowfall over the Alpine region
• The most recent comparable event in New South Wales in April occured on 26–27 April 2008
• Some sites had their coldest April day on record, and for many towns in north and west it was their coldest April day since the 1950s or 1960s
• Canberra Airport's maximum of 9.7 °C on the 30th was the coldest April day, and the earliest date in autumn with a maximum below 10 °C, since 1952

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top