Monday, 3 September 2018 - Monthly Climate Summary for Remote Islands and Antarctica - Product code IDCKGC1RR0
Remote Islands and Antarctica in August 2018
Jump to a map of the areas covered in this summary
Australia's Indian Ocean islands
- A relatively cool month on both Christmas and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, with most days cooler than the August average
- Both Christmas Island Airport and Cocos Island Airport had their lowest August mean daily maximum temperature since 1997
- Christmas Island Airport's mean minimum temperature was 1.4 °C below average, equalling the record for its lowest August mean daily minimum temperature on record
- As a result, Christmas Island Airport's overall mean temperature equalled the record for its lowest August mean temperature on record
- Minimum temperatures at Cocos Island Airport were close to average
- Christmas Island Airport recorded 20.8 mm of rain and Cocos Island Airport 59.0 mm, both about half their August average
Australia's Pacific Ocean islands
- Days on both Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island were mostly warmer than average for August, with mean maximum temperatures 0.3 °C and 0.7 °C above average respectively
- There were many cooler than average nights on Lord Howe Island, giving a mean minimum temperature 0.7 °C below the August average
- Lore Howe Island recorded 65.4 mm of rain, 60 % of the August average
- Norfolk Island recorded 54.0 mm of rain, 43 % of the August average
Australia's Antarctic and sub-Antarctic territories
- It was an exceptionally warm August at Mawson and Davis, broadly consistent with the Southern Annular Mode being negative
- Mawson recorded its highest August mean daily maximum temperature, mean daily minimum temperature and mean temperature on record
- Mawson's mean temperature was 5.8 °C above the long-term average, and 1.2 °C above the previous record from 1996
- Davis recorded its highest August mean daily maximum temperature since 1981, and its highest August mean daily minimum temperature and overall August mean temperature since 1998
- Davis' mean temperature was 4.8 °C above the long-term average
- This continues a spell of relatively mild weather that began in the middle of July
- Temperatures at Casey were almost five degrees below average, with cold weather dominant up to the 19th and again at the end of the month
- Macquarie Island had a string of relatively mild weather in the first half of the month, with the mean for the month a degree above average
- Rainfall on Macquarie Island was close to average with 59.8 mm
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
- Enquiries
- helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
Record highest August mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
Mawson | -10.2 | -10.7 | in 1996 | 64 | -15.5 |
Highest August mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for August |
|||
Davis | -9.6 | -9.3 | in 1981 | -14.2 |
Lowest August mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for August |
|||
Christmas Island Aero | 25.0 | =25.0 | in 1997 | 26.1 | |
Cocos Island Airport | 27.5 | 27.1 | in 1997 | 28.1 |
Record highest August mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
Mawson | -15.3 | -17.2 | in 1996 | 64 | -21.7 |
Highest August mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for August |
|||
Davis | -15.7 | =-15.7 | in 1998 | -20.8 |
Record lowest August mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
Christmas Island Aero | 20.8 | = 20.8 | in 1997 | 43 | 22.2 |
Record highest August mean temperature | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
Mawson | -12.8 | -14.0 | in 1996 | 64 | -18.6 |
Highest August mean temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for August |
|||
Davis | -12.7 | =-12.7 | in 1998 | -17.5 |
Record lowest August mean temperature | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
Christmas Island Aero | 22.9 | = 22.9 | in 1997 | 43 | 24.2 |
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
Summary statistics for August 2018 | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Precipitation (millimetres) |
||||||||||
Mean for August 2018 |
Diff from average |
Highest for August 2018 |
Mean for August 2018 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for August 2018 |
Total for August 2018 |
Average for August |
Rank of August 2018 |
Fraction of August average |
|||
Offshore Islands (district 200) | ||||||||||||
Christmas Island Aero | 25.0 | -1.1 | 25.7 | 15th | 20.8 | -1.4 | 18.4 | 4th | 20.8 | 41.7 | average | 50% |
Cocos Island Airport | 27.5 | -0.6 | 28.6 | 26th | 23.8 | -0.1 | 22.0 | 7th | 59.0 | 119.4 | low | 49% |
Lord Howe Island Aero | 19.3 | +0.3 | 21.9 | 6th | 12.8 | -0.7 | 8.1 | 3rd | 65.4 | 109.7 | low | 60% |
Norfolk Island Aero | 19.0 | +0.7 | 20.8 | 19th | 13.5 | +0.3 | 11.7 | 27th | 54.0 | 125.8 | v low | 43% |
Antarctica and Macquarie Island (district 300) | ||||||||||||
Casey | -15.5 | -4.9 | -4.4 | 20th | -23.2 | -4.8 | -33.0 | 28th | 10.8 | 20.0 | low | 54% |
Davis | -9.6 | +4.6 | -2.3 | 6th | -15.7 | +5.1 | -26.2 | 30th | 0.2 | 6.7 | v low | 3% |
Macquarie Island | 5.9 | +0.8 | 8.2 | 10th | 2.8 | +1.2 | -1.4 | 20th | 59.8 | 74.3 | average | 80% |
Mawson | -10.2 | +5.3 | -5.2 | 5th | -15.3 | +6.4 | -24.7 | 29th | ||||
Note: Precipitation values from Casey and Davis should be used with caution. |
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
Daily maximum temperatures for August 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Offshore Islands (200) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Christmas Island Aero | 25.6 | 24.1 | 24.0 | 24.5 | 24.9 | 24.9 | 24.2 | 25.5 | 25.5 | 25.1 | 24.7 | 25.7 | 24.8 | 25.5 | 25.7 | 25.1 | 24.8 | 24.6 | 24.9 | 25.4 | 25.2 | 25.5 | 24.6 | 25.2 | 25.4 | 25.5 | 24.6 | 24.8 | 24.8 | 25.1 | |
Cocos Island Airport | 27.4 | 27.7 | 27.4 | 27.2 | 27.3 | 27.3 | 27.3 | 27.2 | 27.6 | 27.4 | 27.4 | 27.7 | 28.3 | 27.2 | 28.0 | 27.7 | 26.3 | 27.5 | 27.6 | 27.7 | 27.3 | 27.8 | 27.7 | 27.7 | 27.8 | 28.6 | 28.3 | 27.8 | 27.2 | 26.9 | 27.1 |
Lord Howe Island Aero | 20.3 | 19.3 | 19.5 | 20.2 | 19.5 | 21.9 | 19.5 | 19.1 | 20.1 | 19.8 | 20.3 | 21.1 | 18.0 | 18.7 | 20.1 | 21.6 | 19.9 | 20.1 | 18.8 | 15.9 | 18.1 | 18.4 | 17.5 | 18.4 | 18.8 | 19.6 | 20.3 | 17.6 | 17.9 | 18.1 | 20.2 |
Norfolk Island Aero | 18.9 | 19.2 | 18.9 | 17.9 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 19.6 | 18.1 | 18.6 | 18.4 | 18.1 | 18.5 | 19.2 | 19.2 | 19.8 | 20.0 | 20.8 | 19.3 | 20.8 | 17.8 | 17.7 | 19.4 | 18.7 | 18.3 | 18.1 | 17.8 | 18.8 | 20.6 | 19.2 | 19.2 | 19.2 |
Antarctica and Macquarie Island (300) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Casey | -17.6 | -13.5 | -15.0 | -18.9 | -17.9 | -17.9 | -19.7 | -14.1 | -10.7 | -9.9 | -14.1 | -13.7 | -16.4 | -19.9 | -22.1 | -18.5 | -19.3 | -10.8 | -4.5 | -4.4 | -8.2 | -10.5 | -9.7 | -11.3 | -16.3 | -19.3 | -22.2 | -17.9 | -19.5 | -24.3 | -21.8 |
Davis | -9.4 | -15.2 | -5.5 | -5.5 | -3.8 | -2.3 | -7.3 | -13.5 | -3.7 | -4.3 | -4.0 | -10.8 | -9.9 | -9.4 | -12.4 | -10.4 | -8.7 | -6.5 | -5.8 | -5.8 | -8.6 | -8.5 | -13.6 | -13.6 | -15.4 | -19.2 | -11.8 | -16.0 | -21.4 | -8.5 | -8.2 |
Macquarie Island | 6.3 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 8.2 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 5.6 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6.8 |
Mawson | -6.4 | -11.5 | -8.3 | -6.5 | -5.2 | -7.0 | -7.5 | -8.7 | -10.7 | -7.1 | -6.5 | -9.3 | -8.4 | -8.6 | -11.7 | -11.5 | -11.0 | -8.6 | -8.4 | -8.7 | -8.5 | -11.8 | -12.2 | -13.1 | -15.7 | -16.0 | -14.4 | -14.8 | -14.3 | -12.8 | -11.6 |
Values are the maximum temperature, usually in the 24 hours from 9 am on the day indicated, and typically occurred in the afternoon of that day. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Temperatures coloured according to their difference from the long-term average for the period |
-10.0 | -9.0 | -8.0 | -7.0 | -6.0 | -5.0 | -4.0 | -3.0 | -2.0 | -1.0 | 0.0 | +1.0 | +2.0 | +3.0 | +4.0 | +5.0 | +6.0 | +7.0 | +8.0 | +9.0 | +10.0 | °C | Grey outline marks highest and lowest for the period |
Daily minimum temperatures for August 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Offshore Islands (200) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Christmas Island Aero | 21.3 | 19.8 | 19.2 | 18.4 | 20.9 | 19.6 | 21.2 | 20.6 | 21.5 | 21.0 | 20.4 | 21.1 | 21.8 | 21.7 | 21.5 | 21.3 | 20.8 | 20.6 | 21.0 | 21.2 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.5 | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.8 | 21.1 | 20.9 | 20.1 | 20.2 | |
Cocos Island Airport | 23.6 | 24.1 | 23.0 | 23.5 | 22.5 | 23.0 | 22.0 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 23.2 | 23.7 | 23.8 | 24.9 | 23.6 | 23.3 | 24.7 | 23.2 | 22.7 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 24.5 | 23.6 | 24.7 | 24.5 | 24.0 | 24.7 | 25.1 | 25.0 | 23.5 | 22.3 | 22.3 |
Lord Howe Island Aero | 8.8 | 15.1 | 8.1 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 9.8 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 8.2 | 9.3 | 9.7 | 16.6 | 13.2 | 14.2 | 15.6 | 17.2 | 10.6 | 13.4 | 13.9 | 9.8 | 10.8 | 13.2 | 13.0 | 10.0 | 13.3 | 13.9 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 12.8 | 13.9 | 14.9 |
Norfolk Island Aero | 14.5 | 13.5 | 13.7 | 13.0 | 12.4 | 14.8 | 12.7 | 14.5 | 12.9 | 13.4 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 11.8 | 14.6 | 14.8 | 13.0 | 16.9 | 14.3 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 12.3 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 13.9 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 15.3 | 13.6 | 12.5 | 12.3 |
Antarctica and Macquarie Island (300) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Casey | -23.6 | -23.6 | -20.4 | -23.6 | -24.3 | -23.5 | -24.7 | -27.9 | -24.2 | -21.4 | -18.6 | -18.2 | -22.0 | -24.3 | -26.8 | -28.1 | -24.1 | -24.3 | -22.3 | -13.0 | -13.4 | -14.0 | -19.9 | -17.8 | -20.1 | -26.7 | -26.8 | -33.0 | -26.0 | -32.5 | -31.3 |
Davis | -12.2 | -19.0 | -18.4 | -18.5 | -9.0 | -8.4 | -8.0 | -14.5 | -17.4 | -14.4 | -6.1 | -12.2 | -14.3 | -14.1 | -13.8 | -15.5 | -13.4 | -13.5 | -10.1 | -9.6 | -9.3 | -13.7 | -16.9 | -20.5 | -20.5 | -21.1 | -26.0 | -23.1 | -22.5 | -26.2 | -24.9 |
Macquarie Island | 3.7 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 4.1 | 4.6 | -0.4 | 1.0 | -0.2 | -1.4 | -1.2 | -0.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.7 | -0.5 | -0.9 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
Mawson | -10.5 | -13.6 | -18.0 | -15.6 | -11.1 | -11.0 | -8.6 | -9.7 | -14.7 | -15.2 | -10.8 | -9.5 | -13.5 | -13.5 | -12.4 | -14.4 | -14.5 | -19.2 | -18.5 | -16.0 | -15.0 | -15.1 | -16.0 | -15.3 | -16.0 | -22.8 | -22.8 | -17.2 | -24.7 | -24.2 | -16.1 |
Values are the minimum temperature, usually in the 24 hours to 9 am on the day indicated, and typically occurred that morning. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Temperatures coloured according to their difference from the long-term average for the period |
-10.0 | -9.0 | -8.0 | -7.0 | -6.0 | -5.0 | -4.0 | -3.0 | -2.0 | -1.0 | 0.0 | +1.0 | +2.0 | +3.0 | +4.0 | +5.0 | +6.0 | +7.0 | +8.0 | +9.0 | +10.0 | °C | Grey outline marks highest and lowest for the period |
Daily precipitation for August 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Offshore Islands (200) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
Christmas Island Aero | - | 10.0 | 3.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | - | - | 0.2 | - | - | 5.0 | - | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.0 | - | - | - | - | 0.4 | ||
Cocos Island Airport | 3.8 | 4.6 | 0.4 | - | 8.4 | - | 0.8 | 0.2 | - | 1.8 | 1.0 | 8.6 | - | - | 4.6 | - | 3.4 | 13.6 | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | 0.4 | 3.2 | 4.0 | |
Lord Howe Island (Milky Way) | - | 0.4 | 0.4 | - | 1.2 | - | 8.0 | 1.0 | - | 0.2 | - | - | 14.0 | 1.0 | 1.6 | - | - | - | 4.4 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 7.2 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 1.0 | ||
Lord Howe Island Aero | 1.4 | 8.0 | - | - | 1.2 | - | 9.0 | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | 12.4 | 2.2 | - | 0.2 | - | - | 4.0 | 7.2 | 4.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.8 | - | 0.4 | 10.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.2 | - | |
Norfolk Island Aero | - | - | - | - | - | 2.2 | 0.2 | - | 3.0 | 0.2 | - | - | - | 1.4 | - | 0.4 | - | 5.4 | 0.2 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 0.6 | 2.0 | - | - | 0.2 | - | 21.8 | - | - | 5.0 | |
Antarctica and Macquarie Island (300) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
Casey | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7.0 | 1.4 | - | 0.8 | 0.2 | - | - | - | 0.6 | - | - | |
Davis | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
Macquarie Island | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 8.4 | - | 0.4 | 1.0 | - | 0.2 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | - | 1.0 | |
Most values are the precipitation in the 24 hours to 9 am on the day indicated.
Days marked with → are part of a longer accumulation, which is shown on the final day. Values over 100 mm have been rounded to the nearest whole millimetre. Days marked with - have a precipitation report of zero; days left blank have no precipitation report (which often indicates no precipitation fell). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Precipitations coloured according to the amount |
0 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 25.0 | 50.0 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 600 | millimetres |
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Notes
The Monthly climate summary, generally published on the first working day of each month, lists the main features of the weather in Remote Islands and Antarctica using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Monday 3 September 2018. 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 precipitation 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 precipitation.
The Rank indicates how precipitation this time compares with the climate record for the site,
based on the
decile ranking
(very low precipitation 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 precipitation 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.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
- Enquiries
- helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence