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Queensland in September 2023

Rainfall

  • Rainfall for Queensland was 78% below the 1961–1990 average for the state as a whole, the lowest for September since 2019.
  • Rainfall was below average across much of the southern two-thirds of the state, with areas in the southeast quadrant reporting rainfall totals in the lowest 10% of records (compared with all Septembers since 1900).
  • Areas across the northern tropical coasts and Cape York Peninsula reported average to above average rainfall totals for September.
  • Cooktown Airport had its wettest September day on record on the 17th which contributed to its monthly total being the highest total September rainfall on record.

Temperature


Extremes in September 2023
Hottest day 39.3 °C at Julia Creek Airport on the 21st
Warmest days on average 35.0 °C at Kowanyama Airport
35.0 °C at Normanton Airport
Coolest days on average 22.0 °C at Applethorpe
Coldest day 16.4 °C at Applethorpe on the 11th
Coldest night -0.9 °C at Applethorpe on the 9th
Coolest nights on average 5.6 °C at Stanthorpe Leslie Parade
Warmest nights on average 24.2 °C at Coconut Island
Warmest night 25.8 °C at Horn Island on the 8th
25.8 °C at Mornington Island Airport on the 10th
Warmest on average overall 28.3 °C at Coconut Island
Coolest on average overall 13.9 °C at Applethorpe
Wettest overall 205.2 mm at Innisfail Aerodrome
Wettest day 55.0 mm at Mt Tamborine Fern St on the 29th
Strongest wind gust 246 km/h at Gannet Cay on the 22nd

Maps
ObservedAnomalyDecile rank
Total
rainfall
Map of Rainfall totals Map of Percentage of normal rainfall Map of Rainfall deciles
Mean
daily
maximum
temperatures
Map of Mean maximum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean maximum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean maximum temperature
Mean
daily
minimum
temperatures
Map of Mean minimum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean minimum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean minimum temperature

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


Record highest September daily rainfall
New record
(mm)
Old
record
Years of
record
Cooktown Airport 42.6 on the 17th 17.2 on the 14th in 2020 24



Record highest September total rainfall
New record
(mm)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
September
Cooktown Airport 129.8 36.6 in 2020 24 13.6



Record highest September temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
September
Coolangatta 33.9 on the 21st 32.8 on the 30th in 2017 36 23.4



Record lowest September daily maximum temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
September
Weipa Aero 30.0 on the 17th = 30.0 on the 16th in 2005 31 34.5



Record highest September mean daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
September
St George Airport 12.2 12.1 in 1998 26 10.6



Summary statistics for September 2023
Maximum temperatures
(°C)
Minimum temperatures
(°C)
Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
September
2023
Diff
from
average
Highest for
September
2023
Mean for
September
2023
Diff
from
average
Lowest for
September
2023
Total for
September
2023
Average
for
September
Rank of
September
2023
Fraction of
September
average
North Peninsula (district 27)
Coconut Island 32.4 +1.1 34.0 21st 24.2 0.0 22.8 1st 8.4 7.3 average 115%
Coen Airport 31.1 -0.7 34.7 22nd 19.1 +0.5 12.5 1st 0.2 0.8 average 25%
Horn Island 30.3 +0.1 31.2 20th 23.8 -0.2 20.4 2nd 5.6 5.1 high 110%
Scherger RAAF 33.8 -0.5 36.9 22nd 20.2 0.0 15.8 1st 0 5.0 v low 0%
Weipa Aero 34.4 -0.1 37.3 22nd 19.4 -0.6 15.2 1st 0 1.8 lowest 0%
South Peninsula (district 28)
Lockhart River Airport 29.4 +0.3 30.6 8th 20.8 +0.1 13.5 1st 7.6 15.1 average 50%
Palmerville 34.3 +0.6 38.0 22nd 14.9 -1.7 11.1 6th 0.2 8.1 average 2%
Lower Carpentaria (district 29)
Burketown Airport 34.0 +0.4 37.9 22nd 18.5 -0.1 13.0 2nd 0.2 1.1 average 18%
Century Mine 34.8 -0.4 38.8 21st 17.1 -0.5 11.3 3rd 0 2.4 lowest 0%
Cloncurry Airport 33.5 +0.4 38.3 21st 16.4 -0.2 10.8 3rd 0 6.7 lowest 0%
Julia Creek Airport 34.5 +0.5 39.3 21st 12.6 -1.9 6.9 2nd 0 4.9 lowest 0%
Kowanyama Airport 35.0 +0.2 37.4 22nd 18.9 -0.2 13.4 2nd 2.4 2.4 high 100%
Lake Julius AWS 33.7 +0.4 38.1 21st 17.9 -0.1 12.8 2nd 0 14.1 v low 0%
Mornington Island Airport 31.0   33.2 23rd 21.1   17.0 16th 0.8 1.8 low 44%
Mount Isa Aero 33.0 +1.5 37.6 21st 13.5 -0.7 5.5 3rd 0 8.7 lowest 0%
Normanton Airport 35.0 +0.2 38.3 22nd 20.1 -0.2 15.2 2nd 0 4.5 lowest 0%
Sweers Island 29.6 0.0 32.8 9th 22.8 +0.6 18.5 16th 0.5 4.3 high 12%
Upper Carpentaria (district 30)
Georgetown Airport 33.4 -0.3 37.1 22nd 15.6 -1.5 7.7 2nd 0 4.3 v low 0%
Hughenden Airport 32.9 +0.6 37.2 22nd 15.2 -0.2 7.6 2nd 0.2 7.7 average 3%
Richmond Airport 34.1 +0.7 38.2 22nd 13.9 -1.0 7.9 2nd 0 4.0 lowest 0%
Barron North Coast (district 31)
Cairns Aero 28.6 +0.4 31.6 21st 19.2 +0.4 13.5 1st 36.4 32.8 average 111%
Cairns Racecourse 27.8 -1.0 31.1 22nd 18.5 +0.5 12.8 1st 60.2 43.6 average 138%
Cape Flattery 28.7 -0.3 29.7 30th 22.1 -0.2 15.1 1st 20.8 7.8 high 267%
Cooktown Airport 28.2 -0.7 30.3 8th 20.9 -0.1 14.0 1st 129.8 13.6 highest 954%
Low Isles Lighthouse 27.3 -1.3 31.0 21st 21.9 0.0 19.7 1st 68.6 36.3 high 189%
Mareeba Airport 27.9 -0.8 32.5 22nd 15.5 0.0 11.3 1st 2.8 5.9 average 47%
Walkamin Research Station 26.1 -1.1 30.6 22nd 14.8 0.0 10.3 1st 10.0 8.7 average 115%
Herbert North Coast (district 32)
Cardwell Marine Pde 27.5 -0.1 29.7 9th 18.0 +1.6 11.1 1st 18.6 37.9 average 49%
Cowley Beach (Defence) 26.4   27.7 30th 19.7   13.5 1st 114.6
Innisfail Aerodrome 27.1   30.1 21st 16.7   10.5 1st 205.2
Mount Stuart (Defence) 29.3   33.7 22nd 17.8   16.0 14th 0.4
South Johnstone Exp Stn 26.8 -0.3 30.4 21st 18.2 +1.4 12.6 1st 165.4 85.0 high 195%
Townsville Aero 28.8 +1.0 31.5 21st 17.1 -0.4 12.9 16th 1.0 10.1 average 10%
Townsville- Air Weapons Range (Defence) 29.8   35.6 21st 14.9   9.4 1st 0
East Central Coast (district 33)
Ayr DPI Research Stn 28.5 +0.3 32.6 21st 15.6 +0.4 12.9 14th 0.8 9.7 average 8%
Bowen Airport AWS 28.3   32.0 21st 17.5   13.6 3rd 1.6
Collinsville Post Office 30.8 +1.0 35.1 22nd 13.6 -0.1 10.1 18th 3.8 11.4 average 33%
Hamilton Island Airport 24.7 -0.6 27.4 1st 20.7 +0.6 18.8 24th 16.2 26.4 average 61%
Mackay Aero 26.5 +0.5 31.2 21st 16.2 +1.4 12.5 3rd 12.8 23.6 average 54%
Mackay M.O 26.0 +0.6 30.7 21st 18.1 +1.3 15.1 14th 8.2 19.6 average 42%
Ooralea Racecourse (Mackay Turf Club) 26.1   31.2 21st 16.0   12.2 14th 10.8
Proserpine Airport 28.4 -0.1 34.0 21st 15.3 +0.9 10.4 3rd 17.4 18.3 average 95%
Samuel Hill Aero 25.9 -0.3 31.1 21st 13.7 +1.3 9.5 27th 8.6 39.6 low 22%
St Lawrence 28.3 +1.0 33.3 21st 14.5 -0.1 11.0 14th 0.4 21.6 low 2%
Townsville- Fanning River (Defence) 30.2   34.6 21st 14.2   10.8 2nd 0.2
Williamson 28.1 +0.8 32.8 21st 13.9 -0.1 10.1 27th 7.0 17.5 average 40%
Woolshed 26.3 +0.6 31.0 22nd 15.1 -0.2 11.8 16th 2.0 14.2 average 14%
Yeppoon The Esplanade 24.7 +0.3 28.6 21st 16.9 +1.0 14.0 3rd 3.8 33.0 low 12%
West Central Coast (district 34)
Charters Towers Airport 30.9 +0.6 35.3 22nd 13.9 -1.4 9.9 14th 0 8.8 lowest 0%
Moranbah Airport 30.9 +0.9 35.0 22nd 12.7 0.0 8.9 14th 1.2 14.5 average 8%
Central Highlands (district 35)
Blackwater Airport 30.4 +1.0 35.4 21st 13.4 0.0 8.2 10th 0 19.1 v low 0%
Clermont Airport 30.1 +0.8 34.6 21st 11.4 -0.3 5.4 1st 0 24.1 v low 0%
Emerald Airport 30.7 +1.6 36.3 21st 13.2 -0.4 10.2 16th 0 25.5 lowest 0%
Lochington 30.5 +1.5 36.1 21st 11.1 -0.3 4.0 11th 0 24.5 v low 0%
Rolleston Airport 30.0 +1.7 35.7 21st 10.5 -0.8 5.6 10th 0.2 34.5 low 1%
Springsure Comet St 29.6 +2.0 35.1 21st 12.7 +1.3 7.6 17th 0 29.7 lowest 0%
Tambo Post Office 30.0 +2.5 34.6 21st 10.4 +1.2 2.4 11th 0.6 21.5 low 3%
Taroom Post Office 30.1 +3.1 36.8 21st 11.2 +0.7 2.8 10th 0 31.9 lowest 0%
Central Lowlands (district 36)
Barcaldine Post Office 31.2 +2.4 35.5 21st 15.2 +1.7 10.5 11th 0 16.6 lowest 0%
Blackall Airport 31.4 +2.1 36.9 21st 12.8 +0.3 7.4 13th 0 26.3 lowest 0%
Isisford Post Office 31.7 +2.3 37.7 21st 12.9 +0.7 3.9 11th 0 15.6 lowest 0%
Longreach Aero 32.6 +2.3 38.6 21st 13.4 +0.6 6.9 3rd 0 11.8 lowest 0%
Upper Western (district 37)
Camooweal Township 34.0 +1.6 37.9 21st 15.3 +0.1 7.6 2nd 0 6.8 lowest 0%
Carters Bore 32.8   37.3 21st 17.4   8.0 1st 0 16.1 v low 0%
New May Downs     36.7 21st 17.1 0.0 10.3 1st 0 12.8 v low 0%
The Monument Airport 32.6 +1.0 36.7 20th 13.3 -0.6 6.9 2nd 0 10.0 lowest 0%
Trepell Airport 32.9 +1.1 37.9 21st 13.9 -0.6 9.1 3rd 0 7.2 lowest 0%
Urandangi Aerodrome 33.7 +1.0 37.9 20th 12.3 -0.8 5.7 2nd 0 10.3 v low 0%
Winton Airport 33.4 +1.4 39.1 21st 13.4 -0.9 8.3 3rd 0 11.6 lowest 0%
Lower Western (district 38)
Bedourie 32.1 +2.1 37.3 20th 11.9 -1.4 6.3 11th 0 9.5 lowest 0%
Birdsville Airport 31.8 +2.3 38.7 30th 14.1 +0.8 8.7 9th 1.0 8.9 average 11%
Windorah Airport 31.6   35.9 21st 14.9   7.4 2nd 0
Port Curtis South Coast (district 39)
Bundaberg Aero 27.1 +1.4 32.3 21st 13.8 +0.1 10.4 26th 2.6 34.1 low 8%
Gayndah Airport 29.3 +1.3 35.5 21st 10.9 -0.6 6.1 10th 0.4 27.1 v low 1%
Gladstone Airport 26.7 +0.5 30.2 1st 16.0 +0.4 13.6 2nd 19.2 27.2 average 71%
Gladstone Radar 27.7 +1.1 30.7 21st 17.2 +0.6 15.3 12th 14.6 26.9 average 54%
Lady Elliot Island 25.4 +1.5 27.2 29th 19.7 +0.9 16.0 6th 34.4 38.4 average 90%
Rockhampton Aero 28.8 +1.3 35.1 21st 15.2 +1.4 12.1 15th 3.2 23.9 low 13%
Rundle Island 22.8 -0.3 26.0 28th 19.5 +0.3 17.2 25th
Seventeen Seventy 25.3 +1.0 28.0 3rd 17.1 0.0 13.9 12th 40.3 35.3 average 114%
Thangool Airport 29.8 +1.7 34.6 21st 8.7 -1.2 5.1 17th 0 24.7 lowest 0%
Moreton South Coast (district 40)
Amberley AMO 27.7 +2.0 35.5 21st 9.6 +0.1 3.3 12th 35.6 33.3 average 107%
Archerfield Airport 26.9 +1.6 34.9 21st 12.3 +1.1 7.0 12th 29.6 34.8 average 85%
Beaudesert Drumley Street 26.8 +0.6 34.7 21st 10.5 +0.4 4.9 10th 30.0 35.0 average 86%
Beerburrum Forest Station 25.8 -0.1 34.0 21st 12.6 +0.6 8.7 26th 26.6 45.8 average 58%
Brisbane 25.9 +0.3 32.3 21st 14.4 +0.5 11.0 10th 27.4 29.2 average 94%
Brisbane Aero 24.4 +0.2 27.9 21st 14.0 +1.1 10.1 10th 21.4 31.8 average 67%
Canungra (Defence) 26.0   34.1 21st 8.8   3.0 10th 35.8
Cape Moreton Lighthouse 23.1 +1.5 25.4 19th 17.4 +1.4 14.2 12th 42.6 63.2 average 67%
Coolangatta 24.4 +1.0 33.9 21st 14.1 +0.8 9.1 10th 42.2 42.6 average 99%
Double Island Point Lighthouse 24.0 +1.2 28.4 6th 17.6 +0.9 13.3 14th 17.4 49.2 low 35%
Gold Coast Seaway 24.5 +0.5 32.5 21st 15.3 +0.5 12.9 17th 24.6 43.4 average 57%
Greenbank (Defence) 27.2   35.5 21st 9.9   4.4 12th 37.8
Gympie 26.8 +0.7 34.3 21st 11.5 +1.2 6.5 26th 17.0 44.6 low 38%
Hervey Bay Airport 25.2 +0.3 28.2 28th 14.2 +0.2 11.6 14th 19.8 34.3 average 58%
Kingaroy Airport 26.1 +1.1 32.4 21st 8.5 +0.4 3.6 10th 10.0 28.2 average 35%
Logan City Water Treatment Plant 26.0 +0.8 34.3 21st 12.0 -0.6 9.4 15th 31.7 40.2 average 79%
Maryborough 26.7 +1.0 33.4 21st 12.1 0.0 8.4 26th 20.6 41.7 average 49%
Nambour Daff - Hillside 25.1 -0.2 33.2 21st 13.6 +0.2 9.3 10th 41.8 51.4 average 81%
Point Lookout 25.0 +0.9 28.6 30th 17.3 +0.8 14.1 12th 34.8 54.4 average 64%
Rainbow Beach 24.2 -0.1 27.2 5th 14.6 +0.7 9.9 26th 35.6 55.6 average 64%
Redcliffe 24.1 0.0 27.7 21st 15.0 +0.5 11.7 10th 23.0 38.1 average 60%
Redland (Alexandra Hills) 24.3   29.7 21st 13.7   8.8 10th 14.6
Sunshine Coast Airport 24.1 -0.2 27.6 21st 13.4 +0.4 9.1 26th 26.4 52.6 average 50%
Tewantin RSL Park 24.7 +0.4 29.0 21st 15.3 +0.8 11.6 26th 56.8 58.6 average 97%
Tin Can Bay (Defence) 25.0   32.9 21st 14.0   8.8 26th 32.4
University of Queensland Gatton 27.1 +1.5 35.9 21st 10.2 +0.7 5.5 10th 32.4 34.7 average 93%
East Darling Downs (district 41)
Applethorpe 22.0 +2.8 28.9 21st 5.8 0.0 -0.9 9th 23.0 41.4 average 56%
Dalby Airport 27.5 +1.9 35.0 21st 7.8 -0.9 0.1 10th 6.0 28.0 low 21%
Goondiwindi Airport 28.1   33.5 21st 10.2   2.4 10th 1.2
Oakey Aero 26.5 +2.4 33.8 21st 7.2 -0.1 -0.2 10th 5.6 29.0 low 19%
Stanthorpe Leslie Parade 22.8 +3.0 29.9 21st 5.6 +0.5 -0.6 9th 28.6 50.3 average 57%
Texas Post Office 27.6 +3.1 33.7 21st 8.4 +0.5 0.9 9th 12.8 39.6 low 32%
Toowoomba Airport 23.4 +1.1 31.1 21st 10.8 +0.3 6.1 10th 8.6 33.4 low 26%
Warwick 25.6 +2.0 33.0 21st 6.7 -0.4 0.2 9th 10.2 34.5 low 30%
West Darling Downs (district 42)
Miles Constance Street 28.5 +1.9 35.4 21st 9.7 -0.3 0.6 10th 0.6 27.5 v low 2%
Maranoa (district 43)
Injune Post Office 29.2 +2.9 36.7 21st 8.2 -0.1 0.3 10th 1.0 27.6 low 4%
Mitchell Post Office 30.1 +4.2 34.4 20th 8.5 +0.9 0.5 10th 0 27.4 lowest 0%
Roma Airport 29.4 +2.7 36.6 21st 10.2 +0.9 1.0 11th 0.2 27.0 v low 1%
St George Airport 29.1 +2.7 34.2 20th 12.2 +1.6 4.4 10th 0.6 25.2 low 2%
Surat 28.8 +3.0 35.0 21st 11.2 +1.7 2.4 11th 0 29.4 lowest 0%
Warrego (district 44)
Charleville Aero 30.1 +3.9 34.5 21st 11.8 +1.8 6.2 12th 0 24.4 lowest 0%
Cunnamulla Post Office 29.8 +4.1 36.1 20th 13.0 +2.2 6.0 11th 0.2 18.5 low 1%
Far Southwest (district 45)
Ballera Gas Field 30.7 +2.7 37.3 20th 14.9 +1.7 7.1 9th 7.6 12.8 average 59%
Thargomindah Airport 30.1 +2.6 36.7 30th 13.8 +1.1 7.9 6th 0 12.8 lowest 0%
Offshore Islands
Bougainville Reef 25.1   25.7 9th 23.1   20.2 16th
Cato Island 23.5   26.7 21st 20.3   17.5 13th
Lihou Reef Lighthouse 24.6   25.8 8th 22.6   19.1 2nd
Marion Reef 24.1   25.3 7th 22.2   19.0 15th
Middle Percy Island 24.1 +0.4 27.7 21st 18.9 +0.5 16.4 26th 11.8 27.1 average 44%
Willis Island 27.5 +0.1 29.0 20th 23.1 +0.4 20.4 16th 19.8 16.1 high 123%

Notes

The Monthly climate summary, usually published in the first week of the following month, lists the main features of the weather in Queensland using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 3 pm on Sunday 1 October 2023. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.

Averages for individual sites are long-term means based on observations from all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site. They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median is sometimes more representative than the mean of long-term average rain.

The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site, based on the decile ranking (very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3, average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9 and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a percentage of the long-term mean.

Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.

Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.


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