Tasmanian Monthly Climate Summary: September 2006
Wild and Windy

Monday 2 October, 2006

In Brief

A good soaking toward the end of the month associated with some intense weather was welcome relief for most areas of the state, however long-term rainfall deficiencies continue. Overall it was warmer than average during the day, with overnight temperatures a mixed bag. The wild weather in the third week also brought damaging winds to some parts.

Details

Wet weather to end month: A front on the 20th brought rain across the state and was the first in a series that continued to the end of the month, bringing widespread rain over most parts. Most districts received average rainfall for September apart from the north coast, Bass Strait Islands and the southeast coast. Only the upper Derwent Valley and the Fingal Valley received above average rainfall for the month. King Island Airport had its lowest total rainfall since 1985, with only 43.6 mm for the month.

Rainfall deficiencies continue: The rainfall this month has not brought long-term relief to the state, which has been markedly drier than normal for most of the year. Indeed many sites (including Hobart, Launceston and Burnie) have had their lowest January-to-September rainfall on record.

Wild winds lash the state: Winds lashed the state as an intense low pressure system approached on the 21st. Damage was mainly confined to trees and powerlines, with power outages to about ten thousand homes in the east and southeast, boats breaking their moorings and a few roofs being blown away. On the 21st and 22nd, strong winds with gusts over 90 km/h (storm force) were common; Hobart had a gust of 98 km/h, Mt. Wellington 150 km/h and around 5am on the 21st, Maatsuyker Island recorded a gust of 174 km/h - the fourth highest wind gust ever recorded in the state. On the same day, the waverider buoy off Cape Sorell recorded a peak wave height of around 15 metres.

Mild days and mixed nights: Averaged over the month, days were generally above average across the state. Most of the state was about half a degree above normal, but the east, southeast and Derwent Valley districts were about 1.5°C above average, and a small area in the central north experienced slightly cooler than average days.
Overnight temperatures were about half a degree warmer than average inland and in the southeast and east, but cooler by the same amount in northern regions and the west.  A few stations south of Hobart were slightly warmer with temperatures about 1.5°C above average for the month. Grove's average daily minimum temperature for the month was 5.8°C, its warmest since 1981.

Further information

Ian Barnes-Keoghan
Meteorologist
Tasmania and Antarctica Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au

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Extremes
Hottest day
Highest temperature		 27.8°C at Campania on the 19th
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 17.6°C at Campania and at Swansea
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		  6.0°C at Mount Read
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 −0.5°C at Mount Wellington on the 9th
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 −6.7°C at Liawenee on the 13th
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 −0.8°C at Liawenee
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 9.2°C at Hogan Island
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 15.0°C at Friendly Beaches on the 1st
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 345.4 mm at Cradle Valley (Waldheim)
Mount Read failed to report on several days during
the month; its total was probably over 360 mm
Driest overall
Lowest total rainfall		 20.0 mm at Fort Direction
Wettest day
Highest daily rainfall		 41.6 mm at Mount Read on the 24th
Highest wind gust
 174 km/h at Maatsuyker Island on the 21st

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Summaries

Summary statistics for September 2006


 Maximum temperatures
for September
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for September
(°C)		 Rainfall
for September
(mm)
Mean for
September
2006		 Diff
from
normal		 Highest for
September
2006		 Mean for
September
2006		 Diff
from
normal		 Lowest for
September
2006		 Total for
September
2006		 Normal
for
September		 Ranking for
September
2006		 Percentage
of
normal
Northern (district 91)
Bridport 14.8 0 20.2 19th 6.1 −0.8 0.6 4th 44.2 77.8 low 57
Burnie 14.8 +0.6 20.0 18th 7.2 +0.5 3.4 25th 57.4 87.5 low 66
Cape Grim
 13.7 +0.4 18.1 19th 8.2 −0.3 4.3 11th 52.8 73.4 normal 72
Cressy
 15.3
21.2 18th 3.1
−3.8 11th 44.0


Devonport
 13.9 −0.1 16.7 19th 5.8 −0.2 1.2 12th 40.6 74.9 low 54
Launceston 15.8 +0.3 21.0 19th 5.3 +0.1 −0.4 11th 57.2 66.2 normal 86
Launceston Airport 15.3
20.2 19th 3.9
−0.9 11th 58.8


Launceston Airport comparison 14.0 −0.1 19.5 18th 4.1 −0.1 −0.9 11th 61.4 64.0 normal 96
Low Head 14.0
15.8 19th 7.9
3.2 12th 33.6


Luncheon Hill 12.9 +0.7 19.0 19th 5.1 −0.4 1.0 9th 125.8 177.1 low 71
Marrawah 13.9 +0.2 18.5 19th 7.4 0 3.5 10th 86.2 104.4 normal 83
Powranna 15.0 +0.7 20.8 18th 3.7 −0.3 −0.7 12th 51.8 61.7 low 84
Scottsdale 14.2 0 19.5 19th 3.7 −1.1 0.3 12th 80.4 99.7 normal 81
Sheffield13.5
17.8 18th 4.0
0.5 10th 83.4


Smithton
 15.0
19.3 19th 5.3
−0.3 12th 69.6 109.1 low 64
Wynyard
 14.9 +0.8 19.0 18th 3.8 −1.1 −0.5 10th 65.6 94.6 low 69
East Coast (district 92)
Bicheno 17.5 +1.5 24.0 19th 6.9 −0.4 2.4 12th 21.8 43.5 low 50
Eddystone Point 16.0 +1.3 22.8 19th 7.8 −0.1 4.3 25th 50.2 63.2 normal 79
Fingal 16.5 +1.2 25.7 19th 2.8 −0.4 −3.1 5th 40.6 49.1 normal 83
Friendly Beaches 17.2
23.1 18th 7.4
1.4 12th 26.4


Lake Leake 12.2 +1.0 18.2 19th 2.4 +0.4 −3.6 12th 74.2 70.2 normal 106
Maria Island 16.2
21.6 18th 8.4
4.4 25th 26.0


Orford 16.6 +1.0 24.5 19th 6.2 +0.7 0.7 12th 46.2 50.8 normal 91
Scamander 17.0 +0.8 26.0 19th 6.8 +0.2 0.7 5th 45.0 52.7 normal 85
St Helens
 16.4
23.5 19th 6.7
1.5 11th 33.6


Swan Island 14.6
19.3 19th 9.0
5.8 30th 47.2


Swansea17.6 +1.7 25.6 19th 6.6 +0.9 0.4 12th 22.2 40.6 low 55
Midlands (district 93)
Ross 15.7 +1.4 22.2 18th 4.0 +0.3 −2.8 7th 50.0 52.8 normal 95
Southeast (district 94)
Bull Bay 16.3 +1.7 20.5 27th 7.0 +0.1 1.8 25th 24.4 52.4 very low 47
Campania 17.6
27.8 19th 5.9
0.8 12th 36.4


Cape Bruny
 14.0 +0.8 21.1 19th 7.5 +0.6 3.0 25th 61.4 80.4 normal 76
Dover 14.9 +0.3 22.1 19th 6.0 +1.2 1.8 7th 72.6 82.7 normal 88
Geeveston 15.0 +0.3 23.1 19th 5.9 +1.6 1.5 13th 104.6 89.7 normal 117
Grove
 16.0 +1.2 23.8 19th 5.7 +1.7 0.5 13th 65.4 73.3 normal 89
Hobart 16.0 +1.0 24.6 19th 7.2 +0.8 2.7 25th 43.8 52.7 normal 83
Hobart Airport 16.8 +1.6 25.8 19th 6.9 +0.9 0.8 12th 27.8 41.3 low 67
Maatsuyker Island 12.0 −0.2 18.3 19th 7.1 +0.3 3.4 25th 98.6 109.7 normal 90
Melton Mowbray 15.7
25.9 19th 4.9
−0.6 12th 37.4 51.6 normal 72
Mount Wellington 6.6 +2.4 14.9 19th −0.7 +0.7 −5.4 25th



Tasman Island 13.4
19.8 19th 7.0
3.4 25th 44.6


Tunnack 13.3
19.9 19th 3.3
−1.8 7th 50.6


Derwent Valley (district 95)
Bushy Park 17.0 +1.6 25.4 19th 3.7 −0.2 −1.3 13th 59.6 53.7 normal 111
Maydena13.8 +0.1 22.2 19th 3.7 +0.3 −2.0 13th 161.8 136.9 normal 118
Moogara 12.1 +1.0 21.0 19th 3.2 0 −0.7 25th 93.6 92.2 normal 102
Ouse16.2
24.2 19th 3.6
−2.5 12th 69.0


Tarraleah
 12.4 +1.3 20.3 19th 1.9 +0.2 −3.3 12th 143.4 118.4 high 121
Central Plateau (district 96)
Lake St Clair10.9 +0.9 18.0 19th 0.8 0 −4.1 12th 221.2 205.9 normal 107
Liawenee 10.0
16.4 19th −0.8
−6.7 13th 114.2


West Coast (district 97)
Hartz Mountain 9.1
17.1 19th 1.5
−2.4 25th 101.2 95.0 normal 107
Mount Read 6.0 +0.5 12.8 19th 0.3 −0.1 −3.9 25th 318.8 353.1 normal 90
Scotts Peak Dam 12.3
19.2 19th 4.4
0.1 25th 203.2


Strahan
 14.5 +0.3 22.6 19th 6.8 +0.6 −0.6 10th



Strathgordon
 12.3 +0.8 20.6 19th 3.8 −0.4 −1.0 17th 255.5 273.4 normal 93
Warra 11.7
20.5 19th 3.6
−0.5 25th 221.4


King Island (district 98)
King Island Airport 14.8 +0.4 20.4 18th 8.1 −0.1 0.2 11th 45.6 87.7 very low 52
Flinders Island (district 99)
Flinders Island Airport 16.6 +1.6 27.0 19th 7.0 −0.5 −1.1 12th



Hogan Island 15.6
24.6 19th 9.2
4.8 25th 25.4


Macquarie Island
Macquarie Island 5.1 −0.3 7.2 28th 0.9 −0.7 −5.2 17th 120.2 73.5 very high 164

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There were no significant records broken for September alone, but the dry conditions for most of the year so far have produced a large number of records for those nine months.

Record Lowest Total Rainfall for January to September

Total rainfall for
January to September
2006 (mm) 		Previous lowest for
January to September 		Years of
record
Hobart (Ellerslie Road) 261.2 272.6 in 1940 125
Frankford (Rossville) 507.0 536.7 in 1949 112
Sorell (Whitlea) 225.8 240.3 in 1940 112
Ulverstone (Knights Road) 428.2 488.2 in 1987 102
Pioneer (Main Road) 407.8 486.1 in 1948 99
Yolla (Sea View) 686.2 747.1 in 1967 99
St Marys (Clive Street) 369.2 375.9 in 1968 98
Eaglehawk Neck (Jetty Road) 411.8 421.9 in 1930 81
Elliott Research Station 570.0 608.5 in 1940 77
Bagdad Post Office 228.6 242.4 in 1936 73
Burnie (Round Hill) 353.8 467.0 in 1987 60
Levendale 347.0 368.6 in 1987 52
Fort Direction 168.7 246.0 in 1943 50
Hobart Airport 193.6 242.2 in 1980 48
Lorinna 667.0 728.6 in 1950 46
Devonport Airport 290.6 383.0 in 1994 42
Barrington Post Office 482.6 590.6 in 1972 38
Forthside Research Station 407.6 510.0 in 1987 37
Taroona (Taroona Crescent) 226.0 296.9 in 1979 37
Memana (Babel Farm) 375.5 408.0 in 1994 36
Rotherwood 303.2 308.8 in 2000 34
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road) 485.2 541.4 in 1987 34
Wynyard Airport 443.8 489.2 in 1949 33
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) 326.4 391.7 in 1994 26
Bull Bay (Lauriston) 247.6 336.0 in 1987 23
Risdon Vale (Poplar Road) 231.8 264.6 in 1968 23
Scamander 290.8 305.8 in 1982 22
Tea Tree (The Point) 251.6 276.8 in 1994 20

Lowest Total Rainfall for at least 20 years for January to September

Total rainfall for
January to September
2006 (mm) 		Most recent lower for
January to September
Deal Island 337.3 334.4 in 1930
Mangalore (Mangalore Farm) 228.4 221.5 in 1927
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates) 271.6 231.6 in 1934
Premaydena Hatchery 393.6 355.7 in 1950
Mole Creek 444.2 425.1 in 1950
Irishtown 658.2 615.5 in 1950
Gladstone (Old Post Office) 469.0 405.2 in 1961
Bothwell (Cluny) 246.0 231.9 in 1967
Latrobe (Coal Road) 465.2 445.9 in 1967
Lunawanna 464.2 420.8 in 1972
Woodbridge 462.8 445.4 in 1950
Yambacoona 517.4 496.4 in 1976

Note

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 11 am on Monday 2 October 2006 . Although every effort has been made to check them, it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

"Normals" are based on all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site . Sites without normals shown do no have sufficient record for them to be calculated reliably.

The "Ranking" indicates about where rainfall this time ranks in the climate record for the site.

Further information

Ian Barnes-Keoghan
Meteorologist
Tasmania and Antarctica Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au