Friday, 1 April 2022 - Monthly Climate Summary for New South Wales - Product code IDCKGC15R0

New South Wales in March 2022: Very wet along most of the coast

The coastal regions along with adjacent ranges experienced a very wet month, with some areas recording their highest daily and monthly rainfall on record. Rainfall was generally above average for other parts of the state apart from the north-west, where rainfall was closer to average. The state experienced cooler than average maximum temperatures over and eastwards of the ranges, with above average maximum and minimum temperatures more prominent towards the west of the state.

Very wet along most of the coast and over adjacent ranges

• For the state overall, 93.8 mm of rain fell in March, 74.5% above the 1961–1990 average.
• The development of low-pressure troughs that subsequently spawned coastal lows was responsible for heavy rainfall over northern and central parts of the coast.
• Following a very wet last two days of February for the Northern Rivers coast, during the first week of the month, heavy rainfall was experienced along northern parts of the coastline on the 1st, before moving to central and southern parts of the coasts on the 2nd and 3rd, and back to the Hunter coast on the 4th before moving offshore.
• Daily rainfall totals exceeding 200 mm were recorded over parts of the Northern Rivers, while daily totals exceeding 60 mm were recorded over large parts of the coastline north of Narooma.
• The development of an East Coast Low off the NSW Central Coast resulted in heavy rainfall again on the 8th and 9th, this time with daily totals exceeding 100 mm being recorded over many parts of the Sydney and Illawarra coast and their adjacent ranges.
• Rainfall was increasingly heavy again towards the end of the month due to the development of a low-pressure trough culminating in the development of a coastal low off the Northern Rivers coast on the 29th.
• For this event, the heaviest rainfall was observed on the 29th and 30th, with daily totals in excess of 100 mm being recorded along the coast north of Ballina on the 29th, increasing to totals exceeding 200 mm over parts of the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast on the 30th.
• Many areas in Greater Sydney had their wettest March on record, with rainfall exceeding 4 to 5 times the monthly average.
• Over the month, above-average rainfall was also recorded over many inland parts of the state, in part due to frontal rainfall activity.
• Many sites had their highest March daily rainfall on record.
• Many sites had their highest total March rainfall on record or their highest total March rainfall in at least 20 years.

Daytimes temperatures close to average, cooler along the coast; warm nights

• Mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were 0.50 °C and 1.55 °C above their 1961–1990 averages respectively.
• Inverell (Raglan St) and Bellambi AWS had their coldest March day (lowest maximum temperature) on record.
• Several sites had their lowest March mean daily maximum temperature on record or their lowest March mean daily maximum temperature in at least 20 years.
• Mudgee Airport AWS had its warmest March night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record.
• Cooma Visitors Centre and Cootamundra Airport had their highest March mean daily minimum temperature on record.
• Bellambi AWS had its lowest March mean temperature on record.

Record-breaking wet weather at the start and end of the month

• A large number of sites in Greater Sydney and the Illawarra district, along with several in the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast districts observed daily and monthly rainfall records for March, and all other months, during the event.
• As a result of the heavy rainfall experienced, major flooding occurred for many parts of the Northern Rivers, Mid-North Coast, Hunter, Sydney, and Illawarra districts.
• At the start of the month, record flood peaks occurred at Lismore on the Wilsons River, along the Tweed River, and at Coraki and Woodburn on the Richmond River.
• At the end of the month, Lismore residents were evacuated after floodwater entered the city's central business district for the second time in a month, with Byron Bay, Ballina and other Northern Rivers towns also experiencing flash flooding.
• On the 16th, an inland low-pressure trough brought storms and heavy rainfall to western parts of the state.
• At Broken Hill, there was significant flash flooding with the storms impacting telecommunications and internet services; more than 60 mm of rain was recorded at the airport in under 4 hours.
• More details on the extreme rainfall that has impacted large areas of the state are expected in a follow up Special Climate Statement.

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

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* 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