Friday, 5 January 2024 - Monthly Climate Summary for Remote Islands and Antarctica - Product code IDCKGC1RR0
Remote Islands and Antarctica in December 2023
Jump to a map of the areas covered in this summary
Australia's Indian Ocean islands
- Christmas Island Aero had a monthly rainfall total of 25.6 mm in December, which is very much below the December long-term average of 224.3 mm.
- At Christmas Island Aero, most days during December were warmer than average and both the mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures for December were above average.
- On the 27th, Christmas Island Aero recorded its highest December temperature on record at 31.5 °C.
- At Cocos Island Airport, the December rainfall total was below average at 13.0 mm, compared to the long-term average for December of 115.6 mm.
- At Cocos Island Airport, both the mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were 0.8 °C above average.
Australia's Pacific Ocean islands
- Norfolk Island Aero recorded 68.2 mm of rainfall in December, this was 80% of the December long-term average of 68.2 mm.
- At Norfolk Island Aero, mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were 1.5 °C and 1.7 °C above average for December respectively.
- The December rainfall total at Lord Howe Island Aero was close to average at 88.2 mm, which was 88% of the December long-term average of 100.3 mm.
- At Lord Howe Island Aero, most days during December were warmer than average, particularly during the second half of the month, and the mean maximum temperature was 2.1 °C above average and the mean minimum temperature was 1.7 °C above average.
- Lord Howe Island Aero had its highest December temperature on record at 28.5 °C on the 28th and its equal highest December mean daily maximum temperature on record at 26.2 °C.
Australia's Antarctic and sub-Antarctic territories
- The strongest wind gust recorded at the Australian Antarctic stations during December was 152 km/h at Casey on the 4th.
- Both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures for December were below average at Casey and Davis.
- At Mawson, the mean maximum temperature was 0.2 °C above average and mean minimum temperature was 0.5 °C below average.
- December precipitation at Macquarie Island was close to average, with the total precipitation for December at 92.8 mm, compared to the long-term average for December at 80.9 mm.
- The mean maximum temperature at Macquarie Island was close to average and the mean minimum temperature was 0.2 °C below the December average.
- The strongest wind gust recorded in December at Macquarie Island was 109 km/h in the early morning on the 15th as a vigorous cold front cross the island and brought a daily precipitation total of 26.6 mm, the wettest day this month.
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
| Record highest December temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for December |
|||
| Christmas Island Aero | 31.5 | on the 27th | 31.2 | on the 1st in 1982 | 51 | 27.8 |
| Lord Howe Island Aero | 28.5 | on the 28th | 28.4 | on the 25th in 2017 | 36 | 24.1 |
| Record highest December mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for December |
||
| Lord Howe Island Aero | 26.2 | = 26.2 | in 2009 | 35 | 24.1 |
| Highest December mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for December |
|||
| Christmas Island Aero | 29.3 | 29.7 | in 1982* | 27.8 | |
| Norfolk Island Aero | 25.0 | 25.2 | in 1997 | 23.5 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported
| Highest December mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for December |
|||
| Lord Howe Island Aero | 21.0 | 21.1 | in 1997 | 19.3 | |
| Record highest December mean temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for December |
||
| Lord Howe Island Aero | 23.6 | 23.5 | in 2009 | 35 | 21.7 |
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for December 2023 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Precipitation (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for December 2023 |
Diff from average |
Highest for December 2023 |
Mean for December 2023 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for December 2023 |
Total for December 2023 |
Average for December |
Rank of December 2023 |
Fraction of December average |
|||
| Offshore Islands | ||||||||||||
| Christmas Island Aero | 29.3 | +1.5 | 31.5 | 27th | 22.8 | +0.2 | 19.3 | 17th | 25.6 | 224.3 | v low | 11% |
| Cocos Island Airport | 30.4 | +1.0 | 31.3 | 29th | 25.4 | +0.8 | 23.5 | 22nd | 13.0 | 115.6 | low | 11% |
| Lord Howe Island Aero | 26.2 | +2.1 | 28.5 | 28th | 21.0 | +1.7 | 16.8 | 12th | 88.2 | 100.3 | average | 88% |
| Norfolk Island Aero | 25.0 | +1.5 | 27.8 | 26th | 19.6 | +1.7 | 15.9 | 8th | 68.2 | 85.5 | average | 80% |
| Antarctica and Macquarie Island | ||||||||||||
| Casey | 0.8 | -0.7 | 4.0 | 5th | -4.3 | -0.6 | -7.6 | 11th | 3.3 | 12.0 | low | 28% |
| Davis | 2.0 | -0.5 | 9.0 | 5th | -2.9 | -0.7 | -7.7 | 11th | 2.8 | 1.9 | high | 147% |
| Davis (Whoop Whoop) | -1.6 | 5.2 | 7th | -9.8 | -15.9 | 11th | ||||||
| Macquarie Island | 8.0 | 0.0 | 10.1 | 30th | 4.2 | -0.2 | -0.4 | 3rd | 92.8 | 80.9 | average | 115% |
| Mawson | 2.3 | +0.2 | 6.2 | 6th | -3.8 | -0.5 | -8.1 | 2nd | ||||
| Note: Precipitation values from Casey and Davis should be used with caution. | ||||||||||||
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
| Daily maximum temperatures for December 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore Islands | 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 | 28.9 | 28.9 | 28.4 | 28.6 | 27.7 | 29.0 | 29.6 | 29.0 | 28.8 | 29.5 | 28.8 | 29.5 | 29.3 | 29.7 | 29.4 | 28.7 | 28.2 | 29.5 | 29.4 | 29.4 | 29.4 | 30.3 | 29.6 | 31.0 | 30.7 | 30.4 | 31.5 | 29.7 | 27.8 | 28.9 | 29.5 |
| Cocos Island Airport | 29.8 | 30.0 | 29.7 | 29.9 | 30.1 | 30.5 | 30.1 | 29.9 | 30.5 | 30.2 | 30.1 | 30.0 | 30.3 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 31.1 | 30.2 | 31.1 | 30.6 | 30.4 | 30.6 | 28.9 | 29.7 | 30.3 | 30.4 | 30.8 | 30.7 | 31.2 | 31.3 | 31.1 | 30.6 |
| Lord Howe Island Aero | 26.9 | 25.3 | 25.0 | 24.0 | 24.1 | 24.9 | 26.8 | 25.3 | 25.0 | 25.2 | 25.5 | 25.7 | 24.3 | 26.6 | 28.1 | 27.8 | 28.0 | 27.0 | 26.7 | 26.5 | 26.4 | 25.7 | 25.4 | 26.7 | 27.2 | 25.9 | 27.2 | 28.5 | 27.7 | 28.0 | 25.5 |
| Norfolk Island Aero | 24.2 | 24.5 | 25.5 | 23.0 | 24.2 | 23.4 | 22.6 | 23.2 | 23.2 | 23.9 | 23.3 | 24.3 | 24.0 | 23.1 | 24.4 | 25.4 | 25.8 | 25.9 | 24.8 | 21.8 | 23.9 | 27.0 | 26.8 | 24.4 | 27.1 | 27.8 | 27.2 | 26.7 | 27.2 | 27.3 | 27.7 |
| Antarctica and Macquarie Island | 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 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | -1.5 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.2 | 1.6 | -0.3 | 0.6 | -0.5 | -0.6 | -0.6 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | -0.8 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Davis | 1.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 9.0 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | -0.3 | -1.2 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 1.4 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.8 |
| Davis (Whoop Whoop) | 2.3 | -1.5 | -2.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 5.2 | -1.2 | 1.8 | -3.6 | -0.1 | 2.0 | -3.4 | -6.0 | -6.5 | -5.8 | -6.4 | 0.4 | -4.9 | 2.3 | -2.6 | -1.7 | -0.1 | -1.0 | 1.9 | -2.2 | -0.7 | -4.6 | -3.7 | -2.8 | -5.6 | |
| Macquarie Island | 8.1 | 6.5 | 3.8 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.6 | 8.6 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 7.6 | 9.0 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 8.5 | 9.2 | 10.1 | 7.4 |
| Mawson | -0.3 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
|
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 December 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore Islands | 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 | 23.9 | 23.9 | 23.1 | 24.1 | 24.2 | 24.2 | 23.9 | 23.5 | 24.0 | 23.8 | 23.2 | 22.8 | 24.3 | 23.4 | 21.9 | 19.9 | 19.3 | 22.0 | 22.7 | 19.6 | 22.6 | 21.4 | 21.7 | 21.3 | 21.5 | 20.5 | 21.2 | 24.3 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 25.1 |
| Cocos Island Airport | 25.0 | 24.8 | 25.1 | 25.4 | 25.7 | 25.8 | 25.2 | 25.8 | 26.3 | 26.0 | 25.2 | 25.1 | 25.5 | 25.7 | 25.5 | 25.5 | 25.3 | 25.4 | 24.5 | 25.8 | 25.3 | 23.5 | 23.8 | 24.3 | 26.0 | 25.7 | 26.4 | 26.5 | 26.7 | 25.0 | 26.7 |
| Lord Howe Island Aero | 21.3 | 21.6 | 19.6 | 20.9 | 17.2 | 18.8 | 18.4 | 19.0 | 21.7 | 21.3 | 21.0 | 16.8 | 20.5 | 20.8 | 23.0 | 23.7 | 23.9 | 22.6 | 23.0 | 22.1 | 21.6 | 21.9 | 20.7 | 22.1 | 22.8 | 19.1 | 21.7 | 23.2 | 20.5 | 20.2 | 21.3 |
| Norfolk Island Aero | 18.7 | 20.0 | 20.3 | 20.4 | 17.8 | 17.4 | 16.5 | 15.9 | 18.2 | 17.2 | 17.3 | 18.9 | 17.4 | 16.5 | 17.8 | 19.6 | 18.1 | 19.9 | 20.1 | 19.3 | 19.6 | 21.2 | 22.8 | 21.5 | 22.9 | 22.2 | 22.3 | 22.7 | 22.6 | 22.4 | |
| Antarctica and Macquarie Island | 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 | -7.3 | -4.7 | -1.7 | -3.0 | -2.4 | -4.4 | -4.8 | -6.0 | -5.1 | -3.2 | -7.6 | -6.1 | -5.8 | -6.5 | -3.8 | -4.3 | -5.7 | -6.0 | -3.8 | -3.0 | -2.9 | -5.1 | -4.8 | -6.1 | -2.5 | -2.1 | -1.9 | -2.6 | -2.4 | -3.1 | -5.2 |
| Davis | -7.1 | -3.9 | -0.7 | 0.1 | -0.4 | 1.9 | -1.6 | -1.9 | -2.9 | -5.8 | -7.7 | -5.8 | -4.0 | -3.2 | -3.4 | -3.8 | -3.5 | -1.5 | -2.8 | -2.7 | -0.9 | -1.3 | -3.5 | -3.8 | -4.1 | -2.1 | -2.4 | -3.8 | -3.5 | -3.4 | -1.7 |
| Davis (Whoop Whoop) | -10.6 | -11.5 | -7.8 | -4.0 | -5.2 | -7.5 | -7.1 | -11.8 | -14.8 | -15.9 | -10.9 | -13.0 | -12.0 | -9.8 | -9.3 | -12.3 | -8.9 | -10.8 | -10.5 | -9.2 | -5.7 | -10.1 | -10.8 | -11.6 | -8.1 | -8.5 | -13.3 | -8.2 | -7.8 | -7.9 | |
| Macquarie Island | 4.2 | 6.0 | -0.4 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 6.4 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 7.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 3.9 |
| Mawson | -6.1 | -8.1 | -4.0 | -1.9 | -1.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | -2.5 | -4.3 | -3.8 | -4.0 | -3.8 | -3.2 | -3.9 | -4.6 | -3.2 | -3.2 | -4.8 | -4.6 | -5.3 | -4.4 | -4.7 | -4.7 | -2.1 | -4.8 | -3.5 | -5.0 | -4.9 | -5.2 | -4.7 | -3.9 |
|
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 December 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore Islands | 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 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.8 | 2.6 | - | 0.2 | - | - | 0.2 | 1.4 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 0.2 | |
| Cocos Island Airport | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5.0 | 6.4 | 2.8 | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | 0.8 | 0.2 | |
| Lord Howe Island (Milky Way) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 13.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 0.4 | - | 20.6 | - | - | 14.6 | 11.2 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 19.8 | - | |
| Lord Howe Island Aero | 0.2 | - | 13.8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.6 | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.8 | 0.2 | 16.4 | 0.2 | - | 22.6 | 13.2 | 2.0 | - | 15.8 | 0.2 | |
| Norfolk Island Aero | - | - | - | 0.8 | 4.2 | 1.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | - | 6.0 | 20.6 | 13.4 | - | 0.8 | 18.0 | 0.4 | - | - | - | 2.6 | - | |
| Antarctica and Macquarie Island | 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 | 0.2 | - | 0.1 | 0.6 | - | - | 0.8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Davis | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.4 | 0.6 | - | - | - | - | - | 0.6 | - | - | |
| Macquarie Island | 0.4 | 1.8 | 4.6 | - | 2.6 | 1.0 | 15.6 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 25.2 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.2 | - | 2.0 | - | - | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | - | 1.6 | 11.4 | 6.0 | - | |
|
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, usually published in the first week of the following 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.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 11 am on Friday 5 January 2024. 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.
Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
