Monday, 2 April 2007 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0

Tasmania in March 2007
Near-average rain, temperatures up a little

Summary

Rainfall was about average across much of Tasmania during March, although there were some patches drier than average and some wetter, mostly the result of cold fronts toward the end of the month. Temperatures were generally above average, although not by nearly as much as in February.

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Details

Average rainfall across most of the state: In contrast to the persistent pattern of easterlies seen in February, March saw more autumn-like conditions with westerlies and cold fronts bringing rain and showers, especially to western districts. Consequently, rainfall was about average across most of the state. It was drier than average in parts of the southeast, including the lower Derwent Valley and the southern Midlands. Cold fronts, particularly systems that crossed on the 23rd and the 29th, brought above-average falls to the western highlands. A low near the state at the start of March brought rain to the eastern half, ensuring that the central east coast had above-average rain for the month.

A few hot days: Although there were more cool days than warm ones during the month, there were a few especially hot days, particularly on the 3rd, 15th, 22nd and 23rd. Wynyard had its highest March temperature on record on the 23rd, the same day that Flinders Island Airport reached 33.4°C. Over the month, daytime temperatures were above average across the state, typically by about half to one degree. The far northwest, the central north and the northern east coast were a little warmer still: Wynyard and Eddystone Point had their highest March mean daily maximum temperature on record.

Several cool nights: Cold nights were more common than warm ones during the month, but some especially warm mornings (the first three mornings, on the 16th, and again on the 23rd) ensured minimum temperatures for the month were slightly above average overall, although generally by less than half a degree. Especially cold nights occurred on the 6th, the 18th (when Liawenee dropped to −2.8°C), the 25th and the 26th.

Further information

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

Extremes

Hottest day
Highest temperature		 33.4°C at Flinders Island Airport on the 23rd
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 23.4°C at Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		11.6°C at Mount Wellington
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 4.4°C at Mount Read on the 24th
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 −2.8°C at Liawenee on the 18th
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 3.9°C at Liawenee
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 14.5°C at Hogan Island
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 20.0°C at Burnie (Round Hill) on the 3rd
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 373.6 mm at Mount Read
Driest overall
Lowest total rainfall		 15.2 mm at Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)
Wettest day
Highest daily rainfall		 83.8 mm at Mount Read on the 30th
Highest wind gust
 133 km/h at Mount Wellington on the 11th

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Records


Record highest March temperature
Highest temperature
in March 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for March		 Years of
record		 Normal for
March
Wynyard Airport 27.8 on the 23rd 27.5 on the 7th in 1992 22 19.9


Record highest March mean daily maximum temperature
Mean daily maximum
temperature
for March 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for March		 Years of
record		 Normal for
March
Eddystone Point 22.4 22.0 in 2006 50 20.2
Wynyard Airport 21.4 21.0 in 2000 23 19.9


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Summaries

In this table, key sites have been highlighted to make them easier to find. This table is very wide and may not fit if printed.

Summary statistics for March 2007
Maximum temperatures
for March
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for March
(°C)		 Rainfall
for March
(millimetres)
Mean for
March
2007		 Diff
from
normal		 Highest for
March
2007		 Mean for
March
2007		 Diff
from
normal		 Lowest for
March
2007		 Total for
March
2007		 Normal
for
March		 Rank of
March
2007		 Fraction of
March
normal
Northern (district 91)
Bridport 21.5 +0.6 26.0 23rd 11.7 +0.3 4.8 25th 40.6 34.7 normal 117%
Burnie 20.8 +0.9 25.2 23rd 12.7 +0.8 6.0 26th 31.0 49.5 normal 63%
Cape Grim BAPS 19.1 +0.8 25.1 15th 13.0 +0.1 8.8 26th 35.4 37.1 normal 95%
Cressy Research Station 23.2 29.1 3rd 8.2 −0.4 18th 26.0
Devonport Airport 20.8 +0.6 25.2 23rd 11.1 +0.6 4.2 25th 28.2 46.0 normal 61%
Launceston 23.4 +1.1 28.9 2nd 10.7 +0.8 3.4 25th 30.6 32.5 normal 94%
Launceston Airport 23.2 29.4 3rd 9.1 2.3 25th 31.0
Launceston Airport Comparison 22.4 +1.4 28.4 3rd 9.3 +0.5 1.6 25th 33.8 37.6 normal 90%
Low Head 20.5 +0.7 25.8 2nd 13.5 +0.6 7.0 25th 34.8 30.5 high 114%
Luncheon Hill 19.4 +0.8 28.0 1st 9.7 +0.2 4.5 6th 88.0 79.2 normal 111%
Marrawah 19.9 +0.5 26.0 15th 11.8 +0.2 7.5 6th 57.8 62.7 normal 92%
Powranna 22.5 +0.7 28.7 15th 9.0 +0.8 1.8 25th 42.4 25.7 high 165%
Scottsdale 21.6 +0.3 27.4 15th 9.9 +0.1 3.2 25th 46.4 50.7 normal 92%
Sheffield School Farm 21.3 +1.7 28.2 2nd 9.3 +0.2 2.2 25th 23.8
Smithton Aerodrome 21.0 +1.0 28.8 1st 9.4 +0.2 0.3 25th 41.6 37.7 high 110%
Wynyard Airport 21.4 +1.5 27.8 23rd 9.6 +0.2 0.8 25th 30.8 43.2 normal 71%
East Coast (district 92)
Bicheno 21.7 +1.3 29.0 11th 12.5 +0.6 5.7 25th 66.8 56.7 high 118%
Eddystone Point 22.4 +2.1 27.0 16th 13.3 0 8.0 25th 50.0 57.7 normal 87%
Fingal 21.7 +0.3 30.9 23rd 8.3 +0.6 1.5 25th 62.4 44.2 high 141%
Friendly Beaches 21.9 +0.6 30.3 23rd 12.0 +0.3 6.2 26th 101.8 56.3 high 181%
Lake Leake 17.8 +0.6 26.4 23rd 6.5 +0.6 −1.7 25th 68.6 62.5 high 110%
Maria Island 20.4 27.6 23rd 13.0 8.2 25th 50.8
Orford 20.3 −0.3 27.4 3rd 11.3 +0.8 5.1 18th 53.8 45.1 high 119%
Scamander 21.8 +1.3 32.2 23rd 12.0 +0.3 6.2 25th 51.4 65.6 normal 78%
St Helens Aerodrome 21.7 29.3 15th 11.7 4.9 25th 50.8
Swan Island 21.0 27.0 23rd 14.3 9.9 25th 65.2
Swansea Post Office 22.0 +1.1 31.7 23rd 10.7 +0.4 4.8 18th 65.6 50.8 high 129%
Midlands (district 93)
Ross 22.4 +1.0 29.9 3rd 8.4 +1.0 0.5 18th 32.6 30.2 normal 108%
Southeast (district 94)
Bull Bay 19.9 +0.3 30.0 23rd 11.2 0 6.4 25th 30.4 41.7 normal 73%
Campania 21.9 32.3 23rd 10.2 3.1 25th 23.8
Cape Bruny 18.8 +0.6 28.3 3rd 11.9 +0.5 9.1 26th 48.4 53.9 normal 90%
Cape Bruny Lighthouse 18.1 +0.5 27.0 3rd 11.8 +0.7 5.8 31st 59.0 68.6 normal 86%
Dover 19.5 +0.5 27.8 23rd 9.2 +0.3 2.9 25th 27.6 64.4 low 43%
Geeveston 20.0 +0.1 28.6 22nd 8.8 +0.5 2.3 25th 40.2 54.3 normal 74%
Grove 20.9 +0.5 30.2 23rd 8.2 +0.3 0.3 25th 23.6 47.6 low 50%
Grove 21.0 30.3 23rd 7.7 −0.6 25th 23.0
Hobart 20.5 +0.4 30.7 23rd 11.4 +0.5 5.8 25th 24.8 45.2 normal 55%
Hobart Airport 21.3 +0.6 31.6 23rd 11.5 +0.8 6.0 25th 19.6 36.1 low 54%
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse 16.3 0 27.1 3rd 11.4 +0.9 7.7 25th 45.6 85.1 low 54%
Melton Mowbray 21.1 +0.5 30.6 23rd 8.4 +0.6 1.7 25th 16.6 32.6 normal 51%
Mount Wellington 11.6 +0.4 19.4 23rd 4.4 +0.4 −0.9 6th 144.4 72.6 high 199%
Tasman Island 17.1 26.5 23rd 11.4 8.5 25th 55.8
Tunnack Fire Station 19.0 +0.2 27.9 15th 7.7 +0.6 −0.5 25th 52.8 52.0 normal 102%
Derwent Valley (district 95)
Bushy Park 22.6 +0.9 31.0 22nd 7.9 −0.5 1.7 25th 15.2 39.4 low 39%
Maydena Post Office 19.9 +0.5 29.0 22nd 7.3 +0.5 0.9 25th 48.0 70.0 low 69%
Moogara 18.1 +1.2 26.2 22nd 7.5 +0.5 2.0 6th 33.0 49.8 normal 66%
Ouse Fire Station 22.3 30.6 22nd 7.5 0.8 26th 17.4
Tarraleah Village 17.5 +0.2 26.6 3rd 5.4 −0.3 −1.2 6th 105.0 70.5 high 149%
Central Plateau (district 96)
Lake St Clair National Park 16.6 +0.3 26.0 10th 5.2 +1.2 −1.8 6th 138.6 105.1 high 132%
Liawenee 16.2 23.6 15th 3.9 −2.8 18th
West Coast (district 97)
Hartz Mountain 14.3 0 22.9 3rd 6.3 +0.3 1.6 6th 77.0 66.9 normal 115%
Mount Read 11.8 +0.3 20.4 15th 4.8 +0.2 0.3 6th 373.6 253.9 very high 147%
Scotts Peak Dam 18.1 27.0 22nd 8.9 3.6 6th 128.8
Strahan Aerodrome 19.7 +0.5 28.6 3rd 10.0 +0.3 4.0 6th 138.0 99.2 high 139%
Strathgordon Village 18.1 +0.9 27.0 3rd 3.6 6th 162.4 146.5 normal 111%
Warra 16.5 24.9 3rd 8.1 1.5 6th 92.8
King Island (district 98)
King Island Airport 20.6 +0.9 30.9 15th 11.8 −0.1 4.4 25th 30.8 48.4 low 64%
Flinders Island (district 99)
Flinders Island Airport 22.1 +0.9 33.4 23rd 12.2 −0.3 3.6 26th 36.4 49.9 normal 73%
Hogan Island 20.8 31.9 23rd 14.5 9.6 30th 56.2
Macquarie Island (district 300)
Macquarie Island 7.7 −0.3 10.6 3rd 4.8 +0.1 1.6 14th 121.8 98.9 high 123%

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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Monday 2 April 2007. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Normals 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 "normal" 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, normal in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9 and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of normal shows how much rain has fallen this time as a percentage of the long-term mean.

Further information

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