Monday, 4 September 2023 - Monthly Climate Summary for Remote Islands and Antarctica - Product code IDCKGC1RR0
Remote Islands and Antarctica in August 2023
Jump to a map of the areas covered in this summary
Australia's Indian Ocean islands
- Christmas Island Aero was wetter than average in August, with a monthly rainfall total of 61.4 mm, compared to the long-term August rainfall average of 42.2 mm.
- At Christmas Island Aero, the mean maximum temperature equalled the long-term average, while the mean minimum temperature was 0.2 °C warmer than average.
- Rainfall at Cocos Island Aero was 21.8 mm, which was very much below the site's August average rainfall of 119.8 mm.
- At Cocos Island Aero, both the mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were 0.1 °C cooler than average.
Australia's Pacific Ocean islands
- Total August rainfall for Lord Howe Island Aero was 93.0 mm, which was close to the August average rainfall of 110.2 mm.
- The mean maximum temperature at Lord Howe Island Aero was 0.2 °C above average, while the mean minimum temperature equalled the long-term average.
- On the 7th, Lord Howe Island had its lowest August temperature on record of 6.4 °C, this was the coldest minimum temperature since 2011 at 6.6 °C. The average minimum temperature for August is 13.5 °C.
- Total August rainfall for Norfolk Island Aero was 63.4 mm, which was 51% of the August long-term average of 124.8 mm.
Australia's Antarctic and sub-Antarctic territories
- The strongest wind gust recorded at Australia's Antarctic stations in August was 165 km/h at Casey on the 25th.
- Both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were below average at Australian Antarctic stations.
- During the first ten days of August, Davis recorded mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures close to 10 °C lower than the long-term average for August.
- Davis had its lowest August mean daily maximum temperature for since 1982, at -20.4 °C. The average for August is -13.9 °C.
- Davis equalled its lowest August mean daily minimum temperature on record, -27.7 °C, the equal lowest since 1982. The average for August is -20.5 °C.
- At Macquarie Island, both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were less than 1.0 °C above average.
- The monthly rainfall total Macquarie Island was 126.4 mm, above the long-term August average of 77.2 mm.
- The strongest wind gust at Macquarie Island was recorded on 31st at 115 km/h.
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
Lowest August mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for August |
|||
Davis | -20.4 | -22.4 | in 1982 | -13.9 |
Record lowest August temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
|||
Lord Howe Island Aero | 6.4 | on the 7th | 6.6 | on the 5th in 2011 | 35 | 13.5 |
Record lowest August mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
Davis | -27.7 | = -27.7 | in 1982 | 62 | -20.5 |
Lowest August mean temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for August |
|||
Davis | -24.0 | -25.1 | in 1982 | -17.2 |
Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
Summary statistics for August 2023 | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Precipitation (millimetres) |
||||||||||
Mean for August 2023 |
Diff from average |
Highest for August 2023 |
Mean for August 2023 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for August 2023 |
Total for August 2023 |
Average for August |
Rank of August 2023 |
Fraction of August average |
|||
Offshore Islands | ||||||||||||
Christmas Island Aero | 26.1 | 0.0 | 27.1 | 15th | 22.4 | +0.2 | 20.3 | 17th | 61.4 | 42.2 | high | 145% |
Cocos Island Airport | 28.0 | -0.1 | 29.9 | 29th | 23.9 | -0.1 | 21.7 | 15th | 21.8 | 119.8 | v low | 18% |
Lord Howe Island Aero | 19.3 | +0.2 | 21.8 | 23rd | 13.5 | 0.0 | 6.4 | 7th | 93.0 | 110.2 | average | 84% |
Norfolk Island Aero | 17.8 | -0.6 | 20.1 | 13th | 12.5 | -0.8 | 9.7 | 18th | 63.4 | 124.8 | low | 51% |
Antarctica and Macquarie Island | ||||||||||||
Casey | -12.7 | -1.9 | -2.2 | 15th | -20.4 | -1.8 | -30.8 | 3rd | 9.1 | 18.7 | low | 49% |
Davis | -20.4 | -6.5 | -10.7 | 16th | -27.7 | -7.2 | -39.3 | 8th | 4.1 | 6.6 | average | 62% |
Macquarie Island | 5.8 | +0.7 | 7.6 | 3rd | 2.1 | +0.5 | -1.9 | 2nd | 126.4 | 77.2 | v high | 164% |
Mawson | -16.9 | -1.7 | -7.5 | 23rd | -24.3 | -2.9 | -32.3 | 8th | ||||
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 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 | 26.0 | 26.7 | 23.8 | 25.4 | 26.2 | 25.9 | 26.5 | 26.9 | 26.3 | 26.6 | 26.6 | 26.1 | 26.2 | 26.8 | 27.1 | 24.8 | 24.5 | 25.3 | 25.8 | 26.0 | 26.7 | 25.5 | 26.3 | 26.8 | 25.8 | 26.5 | 26.4 | 26.2 | 26.4 | 26.1 | 26.6 |
Cocos Island Airport | 28.1 | 28.1 | 26.5 | 27.3 | 27.9 | 27.8 | 28.5 | 28.5 | 28.4 | 28.7 | 28.6 | 28.3 | 27.1 | 28.2 | 27.3 | 27.2 | 26.8 | 26.9 | 27.4 | 28.7 | 28.3 | 28.3 | 28.3 | 27.9 | 28.7 | 28.3 | 28.4 | 29.9 | 28.1 | 28.9 | |
Lord Howe Island Aero | 19.3 | 18.9 | 18.3 | 18.9 | 18.7 | 19.1 | 18.5 | 17.5 | 19.1 | 19.7 | 20.1 | 19.8 | 19.6 | 18.4 | 19.6 | 20.6 | 17.9 | 19.0 | 19.6 | 20.7 | 21.8 | 20.0 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 19.4 | 18.6 | 18.3 | 19.7 | 20.7 | ||
Norfolk Island Aero | 19.4 | 18.6 | 16.5 | 17.0 | 17.3 | 17.3 | 17.5 | 17.7 | 16.9 | 16.7 | 17.6 | 19.4 | 20.1 | 18.6 | 19.8 | 17.3 | 16.9 | 18.5 | 19.0 | 18.6 | 18.8 | 16.2 | 16.0 | 16.5 | 16.4 | 17.2 | 17.7 | 17.4 | 18.4 | 18.8 | 19.0 |
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 | -17.7 | -24.8 | -16.9 | -14.4 | -13.0 | -13.3 | -14.0 | -11.8 | -14.7 | -13.7 | -10.7 | -9.4 | -6.2 | -2.2 | -2.2 | -3.1 | -7.0 | -5.1 | -8.6 | -13.3 | -18.9 | -17.5 | -20.8 | -15.5 | -10.2 | -12.6 | -15.8 | -13.8 | -16.1 | -16.9 | -12.0 |
Davis | -17.0 | -12.8 | -22.7 | -27.5 | -28.6 | -30.4 | -31.7 | -29.5 | -25.5 | -23.3 | -19.1 | -12.9 | -12.7 | -13.9 | -14.5 | -10.7 | -11.4 | -15.4 | -19.3 | -17.9 | -19.2 | -20.8 | -20.7 | -23.1 | -22.5 | -22.1 | -22.6 | -20.5 | -21.4 | -22.1 | -21.2 |
Macquarie Island | 3.3 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 5.8 | 6.8 | 3.5 | 5.8 | 4.1 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 6.6 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 7.1 | 6.4 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 5.8 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.2 |
Mawson | -12.4 | -11.3 | -11.3 | -12.4 | -23.1 | -26.9 | -27.2 | -14.8 | -17.7 | -14.9 | -17.7 | -22.1 | -23.8 | -20.4 | -15.6 | -11.5 | -10.2 | -17.0 | -19.5 | -20.9 | -20.2 | -9.4 | -7.5 | -9.5 | -18.8 | -16.2 | -13.1 | -15.2 | -19.5 | -20.4 | -22.5 |
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 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 | 22.7 | 22.6 | 23.0 | 21.7 | 23.3 | 22.4 | 23.1 | 23.0 | 23.1 | 22.8 | 22.7 | 23.1 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 23.1 | 21.5 | 20.3 | 21.0 | 20.6 | 22.3 | 22.7 | 23.1 | 22.8 | 22.8 | 22.7 | 22.6 | 22.3 | 22.2 | 22.4 | 22.4 | 22.5 |
Cocos Island Airport | 23.4 | 23.1 | 22.6 | 23.2 | 23.8 | 24.4 | 25.2 | 25.1 | 24.9 | 24.8 | 24.7 | 24.5 | 23.6 | 23.3 | 21.7 | 22.5 | 22.2 | 22.5 | 22.9 | 23.7 | 23.4 | 24.6 | 25.1 | 24.3 | 24.6 | 24.3 | 24.5 | 23.8 | 24.4 | 24.6 | 24.9 |
Lord Howe Island Aero | 14.4 | 16.0 | 13.9 | 14.1 | 15.1 | 13.7 | 6.4 | 12.3 | 10.8 | 7.1 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 13.0 | 11.4 | 12.6 | 6.4 | 16.5 | 15.5 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 17.3 | 17.1 | 16.4 | 15.8 | 14.3 | 14.0 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.9 | |
Norfolk Island Aero | 12.0 | 12.5 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 13.9 | 12.9 | 12.8 | 13.0 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 12.6 | 13.4 | 15.2 | 12.3 | 14.1 | 11.4 | 9.7 | 14.9 | 12.2 | 14.7 | 13.0 | 11.2 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 12.3 | 12.6 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 15.4 |
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 | -22.4 | -30.1 | -30.8 | -30.4 | -24.7 | -23.2 | -23.4 | -21.7 | -19.7 | -23.1 | -19.3 | -20.4 | -14.9 | -13.8 | -10.8 | -8.1 | -9.8 | -11.2 | -12.5 | -16.8 | -23.0 | -24.1 | -25.9 | -27.3 | -24.4 | -17.8 | -18.0 | -19.8 | -19.0 | -23.5 | -23.0 |
Davis | -36.1 | -26.7 | -23.7 | -28.7 | -34.6 | -33.9 | -37.7 | -39.3 | -38.6 | -34.6 | -30.9 | -27.1 | -19.2 | -15.0 | -19.9 | -27.9 | -23.2 | -18.2 | -22.5 | -24.7 | -24.8 | -22.7 | -27.1 | -26.7 | -29.3 | -28.6 | -26.7 | -27.7 | -27.3 | -27.9 | -26.6 |
Macquarie Island | 1.6 | -1.9 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 0.6 | -0.5 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
Mawson | -28.7 | -15.3 | -16.4 | -19.0 | -24.3 | -29.0 | -30.7 | -32.3 | -31.8 | -26.3 | -22.3 | -26.5 | -27.7 | -28.4 | -26.5 | -22.3 | -16.3 | -20.3 | -24.1 | -25.2 | -24.2 | -27.4 | -26.5 | -18.8 | -18.9 | -26.6 | -26.0 | -17.4 | -22.6 | -24.9 | -26.4 |
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 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 | - | - | 1.2 | 23.8 | - | 1.8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.6 | - | 3.0 | 18.4 | 0.4 | 10.2 | - | - | 0.2 | 1.6 | - | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
Cocos Island Airport | 4.4 | - | - | 0.4 | 3.2 | 0.4 | - | - | - | - | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 4.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | - | 0.4 | 3.8 | - | 0.6 | - | - | - | 0.6 | 0.2 | - | - | |||
Lord Howe Island (Milky Way) | 1.6 | - | 0.6 | 0.4 | - | - | - | 5.8 | 12.0 | - | - | 6.4 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 10.8 | 0.4 | - | 4.2 | 40.6 | 1.4 | - | - | - | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.2 | - | |
Lord Howe Island Aero | 2.4 | - | 0.4 | - | - | - | - | 4.2 | 4.0 | 0.2 | 9.2 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 9.6 | - | 2.8 | 38.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | - | 0.6 | - | 0.8 | 8.0 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.2 | - | ||
Norfolk Island Aero | 0.2 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | - | - | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | - | 4.6 | 10.0 | 8.6 | - | 0.4 | - | 30.0 | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | |
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 | - | - | - | - | - | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.8 | - | - | - | - | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.7 | - | - | 0.7 | - | 0.4 | - | - | |||
Davis | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
Macquarie Island | - | 1.0 | 0.6 | 8.0 | 0.2 | 17.8 | - | 1.6 | 0.2 | 5.4 | 7.6 | 13.4 | 8.0 | - | - | - | 4.6 | 0.6 | 10.6 | 14.2 | 1.6 | 7.4 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 2.4 | - | |
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 12 pm on Monday 4 September 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 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