Wednesday, 1 May 2019 - Monthly Climate Summary for Queensland - Product code IDCKGC14R0

Queensland in April 2019: Wetter than usual in central to southern Queensland

A significant rainfall event in the last part of the month brought widespread moderate falls to much of the southwest and southern interior, the central interior, and parts of the central coast to Wide Bay and Burnett. However, much of the northwest and southeast where drier than usual. For the year-to-date, large areas of the southeast quarter of the State are in the lowest 10% of historical rainfall records, with some areas around the Darling Downs the lowest of record for the January to April period.

For April, both daytime and overnight temperatures were above average for the State as a whole, but mean maximum temperatures where cooler than usual across western through to central Queensland. For the year-to-date, maximum and mean temperatures are the warmest on record in parts of the southeast and the southern interior.

Well above average rainfall in parts of central to southern Queensland; drier than usual across much of the southeast

• Above to well above average rainfall was recorded in parts of central to southern and southwest Queensland, but it was drier than usual in much of the northwest and southeast
• In the first week of the month, the monsoon trough and embedded tropical systems triggered showers and thunderstorms around the Cape York Peninsula and northeast tropical coast of Queensland
• Moist onshore flow produced showers, with light to moderate falls about parts of the east coast during the month
• A surface and upper-level trough over central and southern Queensland produced widespread moderate falls from the 22nd to the 27th in the southwest and southern interior, and from the central interior to central coasts as the trough moved eastwards; Boothulla had its highest April daily rainfall on record
• A few sites had their highest total April rainfall on record or in several decades or their highest total April rainfall in several decades
• For the year-to-date, large areas of the southeastern quarter of the State are in decile 1, or the lowest 10% of historical records, with some areas of the Darling Downs reporting their lowest January to April rainfall on record

Cool daytime temperatures through central Queensland

• Mean, maximum and minimum temperatures were all warmer than average for the State as a whole
• Mean maximum temperatures were cooler than usual across the central interior due to persistent, cool easterly winds, but warmer than usual in the northwest, along the southern border and parts of the east coast
• Mean minimum temperatures were warmer than average across large parts of southern, northern and eastern Queensland, but near-average elsewhere. Willis Island had its warmest April night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record on the 2nd
• For the year-to-date, maximum and mean temperatures are the warmest on record across parts of the southeast and southern interior for the January to April period, including Miles, Roma, Oakey and Gatton

Flooding in western Queensland

• Major flooding continued across western Queensland into April, following heavy falls associated with ex-tropical cyclone Trevor at the end of March. Flood warnings were issued for the Georgina/Eyre, Diamantina, Thomson/Barcoo/Cooper, Bulloo, Paroo and Warrego catchments
• Major flood levels were recorded across the Channel Country catchments (Georgina/Eyre, Diamantina and Thomson/Barcoo/Cooper) with further inflows into Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre expected throughout April, May and June
• Significant flooding was also recorded in the Bulloo, Paroo and Warrego catchments during early to mid-April but the most significant flooding was recorded further to the west

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