Tuesday, 1 October 2019 - Monthly Climate Summary for Queensland - Product code IDCKGC14R0

Queensland in September 2019: Dry with warm days

Rainfall was below average for much of Queensland. Mean maximum temperatures were above average for much of the State away from the north and lower western areas, and well above average in the central and southeast. Mean minimum temperatures were below average in the State's north, central coast and lower western areas.

Dry for much of Queensland

• For Queensland as a whole, September rainfall was 86% below average
• Rainfall was mostly confined to the State's inland southeast, lower western regions, and along the east coast
• Several sites in the southeast and on the northern tropical coast either had their lowest total September rainfall on record, or since 1991 or even 1980
• The year-to-date rainfall was slight below average for Queensland as a whole, which was wetter than the first nine months in 2018 and 2017 but drier than 2016

Very warm days in the central and southeast; cool nights in the northeast

• Queensland's mean maximum temperature was 1.83 °C above average
• Queensland's mean minimum temperature was 0.03 °C below average, the coolest September since 2011; the State's mean temperature was 0.90 °C above average
• Very warm days were experienced across the southeastern quarter of the State on the 4th and 5th, from strong and gusty west to northwesterly winds; a number of sites had their highest September temperature on record
• The tip of the Cape York Peninsula was the only region with below average mean maximum temperatures; Weipa Aero equaled its coolest September on record and Horn Island had its coolest September since 1997
• Some record cold nights were reported across the northern tropics and central coast in early September between the 4th and 10th
• Mean minimum temperatures were two to three degree below average in the State's north and east coast ; some sites had their coolest September on record , or coolest September for at least 20 years
• Townsville Aero's mean minimum temperature of 14.8 °C was its second-coolest September on record, and coolest September since 1941
• Queensland's year-to-date mean temperature was 1.08 °C above average, the tenth-highest year-to-date on record
• Queensland's year-to-date mean maximum and minimum temperatures were both just over one degree above average

Bushfires early in September

• Dozens of bushfires started early in the month, leading to the loss of several properties and covering tens of thousands of hectares
• On the 6th, strong west to northwesterly winds ahead of the passage of a surface trough produced extreme to locally catastrophic fire conditions in the Maranoa and Warrego, and Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts of Queensland, and also the northeastern districts of New South Wales
• Special Climate Statement 71 gives further information about the severe fire weather conditions at the start of the month

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 lower 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

* 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