Monday, 3 September 2007 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0

Tasmania in August 2007: A burst of flooding rain, some frosty nights, but mostly mild


Summary

Gale force winds and flooding rain battered much of Tasmania around the 10th of August, but there was almost no rain in the last 10 days of the month - until the very last day. Mild temperatures dominated over cool: although there were some cold and frosty nights, there were also days into the low 20s.

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Details

Flooding rains: A cold front was slowly dragged from west to east across the state on the 9th and 10th, bringing heavy rain to the west and north and showers to all areas. A few sites had their wettest August day on record in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 10th. Many rivers flooded: the Forth River below Wilmot and the Derwent below Meadowbank Dam reached major flood stage, with the Huon and upper reaches of the South Esk reaching moderate and several other rivers recording minor flooding. Several dozen homes and businesses across the state were evacuated, and many were damaged by flood waters. Roads were closed, including some major highways, either because of flood or because of landslides brought on by heavy rain. Abnormally high tides contributed to problems in several low-lying areas, notably in the southeast and the west.

Some areas still quite dry: There was another marked front on the 20th, but there was very little rain in most districts over the final 10 days of the month, except in the west and northwest. The central East Coast and the Tasman Peninsula also missed out on the heaviest falls even during the flood event. Overall, rainfall was above average for the month in the western highlands, the northeastern highlands, the south and central areas, but below average on the Tasman Peninsula, around York Plains, and on Flinders Island. August's heavy rain has also done little to turn around the long-term (12 months and more) rainfall deficit that exists in many parts of the state.

Warm days near the end: There were a few cool days during the month - notably in the south and west from the 10th to the 14th - but the final week had some especially warm weather. Several sites on the East Coast topped 22°C on the 27th. The southeast was also quite warm on the 30th, with temperatures at some sites higher than they had been since the middle of April, even though May was a warm month. The last day of August saw a switch back to cooler conditions as a cold change crossed the state. Overall, maximum (daytime) temperatures were above average, mostly by less than half a degree, but by about a degree on East Coast and Bass Strait islands.

Some cold nights, some warm nights: The nights were generally cold from the 11th to the 23rd, with local frosts common, but there were two periods of quite warm nights: the 7th to the 10th and the 25th to the 30th. Scamander and Fingal had their warmest August night on record, and the mean August minimum was a record (or nearly so) at Scamander and Eddystone Point.  Averaged across the month, minimum (overnight) temperatures were above normal: by about a degree in the northeast, central and Hobart areas, but by slightly less in the west, south and northwest.

Damaging winds: Along with the heavy rains, there were also gale force winds from the 8th to the 10th. Mount Read and Scotts Peak Dam registered gusts in excess of 150 km/h on the 9th, and many areas experienced gusts well over 100 km/h. Fallen trees and limbs blocked some roads, and there were reports of some houses losing their roofs in the northeast.

Further information

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

Extremes

Hottest day
Highest temperature		22.6 °C at Campania (Kincora) on the 30th
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 15.8°C at Scamander
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 3.7°C at Mount Wellington
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 −1.7°C at Mount Wellington on the 11th
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 −8.0°C at Liawenee on the 22nd
−7.1°C at Liawenee on the 14th
−6.2°C at Liawenee on the 23rd
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 −1.0°C at Mount Wellington
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 9.4°C at Hogan Island
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 14.0°C at Friendly Beaches on the 10th
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 429.6 mm at Strathgordon Village
Driest overall
Lowest total rainfall		 22.0 mm at Tunbridge (Austin-Vale)
Wettest day
Highest daily rainfall		 110.8 mm at Strathgordon Village on the 10th
Highest wind gust
 156 km/h at Mount Read on the 9th

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Records


Record highest August daily rainfall
Highest daily rainfall
in August 2007 (mm) 		Previous highest
for August		 Years of
record
Bagdad Post Office 46.2 on the 10th 45.4 on the 2nd in 1976 84
Port Davey (Melaleuca) 83.2 on the 10th 76.8 on the 25th in 2003 39
Geeveston (Cemetery Road)57.4on the 10th49.2on the 25th in 200337
Tea Tree (The Point)40.8on the 10th28.0on the 10th in 200422


Record highest August mean daily maximum temperature
Mean daily maximum
temperature
for August 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for August		 Years of
record		 Normal for
August
Eddystone Point 15.0 = 15.0 in 2006 50 13.5



Record highest August daily minimum temperature
Highest daily minimum
temperature
in August 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for August		 Years of
record		 Normal for
August
Scamander 12.7 on the 9th 12.6 on the 19th in 2005 24 5.1
Fingal (Legge Street) 11.1 on the 10th 11.0 on the 17th in 1995 22 1.0
Geeveston (Cemetery Road) 12.3 on the 30th 12.1 on the 3rd in 2005 21 2.8

Record highest August mean daily minimum temperature
Mean daily minimum
temperature
for August 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for August		 Years of
record		 Normal for
August
Scamander 6.2  6.0 in 2005 24 5.1

Highest August mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
Mean daily minimum
temperature
for August 2007 (°C) 		Most recent higher
for August		 Years since
higher		 Normal for
August
Eddystone Point 8.3 8.2 in 1982 25 7.1


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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 August 2007
Maximum temperatures
for August
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for August
(°C)		 Rainfall
for August
(millimetres)
Mean for
August
2007		 Diff
from
normal		 Highest for
August
2007		 Mean for
August
2007		 Diff
from
normal		 Lowest for
August
2007		 Total for
August
2007		 Normal
for
August		 Rank of
August
2007		 Fraction of
August
normal
Northern (district 91)
Bridport 13.7 −0.1 15.8 30th 6.5 +0.8 1.5 12th 81.4 78.9 normal 103%
Burnie 13.6 +0.5 17.0 30th 7.3 +1.3 2.8 12th 113.4 110.5 normal 103%
Cape Grim BAPS 13.1 +0.4 18.3 30th 8.6 +0.2 3.0 14th 132.2 86.1 high 154%
Cressy Research Station 13.4 16.6 25th 3.0 −3.1 22nd 59.4
Devonport Airport 13.4 +0.3 16.4 17th 5.7 +0.7 1.0 12th 73.4 89.6 normal 82%
Launceston 14.1 +0.4 17.7 28th 4.6 +1.0 −0.9 22nd 110.2 84.3 normal 131%
Launceston Airport 13.4 17.2 25th 3.7 −1.3 12th 64.6
Launceston Airport Comparison 12.8 +0.8 16.6 25th 4.0 +1.0 −1.4 12th 73.8 78.3 normal 94%
Low Head 13.2 +0.1 15.8 30th 8.0 +1.0 3.0 12th 80.0 70.4 normal 114%
Luncheon Hill 11.7 +0.3 16.6 24th 5.4 +0.4 0.0 15th 216.8 190.7 normal 114%
Marrawah 13.3 +0.6 17.4 30th 7.7 +0.8 3.0 13th 103.8 127.7 normal 81%
Powranna 13.0 +0.5 16.7 25th 3.9 +1.1 −2.1 22nd 65.5 62.7 normal 104%
Scottsdale 12.8 +0.3 15.4 27th 5.1 +1.3 −0.2 4th 153.2 119.0 high 129%
Sheffield School Farm 12.0 +0.3 15.2 29th 4.0 +0.1 −0.9 13th 134.8
Smithton Aerodrome 14.1 +0.4 17.9 30th 6.1 +0.8 −0.5 14th 119.2 106.3 normal 112%
Wynyard Airport 13.8 +0.7 17.2 29th 4.5 +0.5 −1.9 14th 166.2 108.5 high 153%
East Coast (district 92)
Eddystone Point 15.0 +1.4 18.9 27th 8.3 +1.2 3.8 4th 60.6 71.6 normal 85%
Fingal 13.8 +0.5 18.6 31st 2.1 +1.1 −2.4 22nd 32.6 58.5 low 56%
Friendly Beaches 15.5 +0.8 22.1 27th 7.5 +1.5 3.1 20th 50.2
Lake Leake 10.2 +0.8 15.2 27th 1.3 +0.7 −5.8 22nd 58.6 76.4 normal 77%
Maria Island 14.1 19.4 28th 7.8 4.5 4th 28.4
Orford 14.5 +0.4 20.5 27th 4.4 +0.3 0.0 15th 38.4 60.1 normal 64%
Scamander 15.8 +1.1 22.0 27th 6.2 +1.1 −0.3 4th 46.4 57.5 normal 81%
St Helens Aerodrome 14.7 20.0 27th 6.2 1.8 12th 57.2
Swan Island 13.7 17.9 30th 9.1 4.6 12th 51.8
Swansea Post Office 15.5 +1.3 22.2 27th 5.3 +1.0 0.7 18th 37.2 43.8 normal 85%
Midlands (district 93)
Ross 13.0 +0.5 16.7 28th 3.3 +1.2 −3.8 22nd 36.2 46.1 normal 79%
Southeast (district 94)
Bull Bay 13.4 0 21.5 30th 5.5 −0.5 1.4 13th 63.0 57.4 normal 110%
Campania 14.5 22.6 30th 4.6 −1.5 23rd 59.0
Cape Bruny 13.0 +0.1 20.4 30th 7.0 +0.5 2.4 14th 129.0 94.2 high 137%
Cape Bruny Lighthouse 12.6 +0.7 20.0 30th 7.1 +0.9 1.8 4th 160.0 92.9 very high 172%
Dover 13.0 −0.1 21.0 30th 4.6 +0.6 −1.8 14th 119.8 89.1 high 134%
Geeveston 13.1 +0.2 20.7 30th 3.6 +0.8 −3.9 14th 181.8 99.9 very high 182%
Grove 13.5 +0.5 22.0 30th 3.3 +0.6 −2.8 14th 84.6 76.9 normal 110%
Grove 13.4 21.7 30th 2.8 −3.4 14th 83.0
Hobart 13.7 +0.6 21.7 30th 6.1 +1.0 0.8 14th 59.0 52.9 normal 112%
Hobart Airport 14.2 +0.8 22.1 30th 5.5 +0.9 0.1 14th 31.4 46.8 low 67%
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse 11.4 +0.2 17.8 30th 7.2 +0.8 4.2 13th 171.0 123.8 high 138%
Melton Mowbray 12.7 −0.1 20.2 30th 3.8 +1.4 −2.6 14th 101.6 48.7 very high 209%
Mount Wellington 3.7 +1.1 11.5 30th −1.0 +0.8 −5.1 4th 61.2 76.2 normal 80%
Tasman Island 11.6 16.6 27th 6.7 2.9 13th 83.6
Tunnack Fire Station 10.8 +0.1 15.5 29th 2.4 +0.4 −4.1 22nd 71.4 57.6 normal 124%
Derwent Valley (district 95)
Bushy Park 14.5 +1.4 22.3 30th 2.6 +0.3 −3.0 22nd 69.4 53.5 high 130%
Maydena Post Office 11.9 −0.2 19.5 30th 2.9 +0.5 −2.5 13th 191.7 151.8 high 126%
Moogara 9.7 +0.1 18.0 30th 3.2 +1.0 −1.0 13th 115.8 102.4 normal 113%
Ouse Fire Station 13.7 0 21.8 27th 2.8 +1.0 −2.8 22nd 101.2 59.3 high 171%
Tarraleah Village 9.7 +0.3 17.9 27th 1.9 +1.2 −3.6 14th 175.4 123.8 high 142%
Central Plateau (district 96)
Lake St Clair National Park 8.8 +0.6 16.4 27th 1.2 +1.2 −5.5 14th 305.0 241.6 normal 126%
Liawenee 7.1 15.0 27th −0.6 −8.0 22nd 156.2
West Coast (district 97)
Hartz Mountain 6.3 −0.5 14.0 30th 1.3 −0.3 −2.4 13th 139.0
Mount Read 4.3 +0.2 11.9 27th 0.4 +0.2 −3.8 13th 256.4
Scotts Peak Dam 10.4 18.3 27th 3.8 −1.3 13th 254.6
Strahan Aerodrome 13.3 +0.1 20.5 27th 6.3 +0.5 −1.2 14th 214.2 170.4 high 126%
Strathgordon Village 10.3 +0.4 18.0 27th 4.1 +0.7 −1.2 15th 429.6 288.5 high 149%
Warra 9.4 16.8 30th 2.9 −2.5 22nd 275.0
King Island (district 98)
King Island Airport 14.4 +0.9 21.4 27th 8.3 +0.6 2.4 14th 112.4 113.4 normal 99%
Flinders Island (district 99)
Flinders Island Airport 14.7 +1.0 21.8 30th 8.0 +1.4 1.8 13th 38.4 74.5 low 52%
Hogan Island 13.8 20.0 30th 9.4 5.6 13th 58.6
Macquarie Island (district 300)
Macquarie Island 5.6 +0.6 7.5 16th 2.7 +1.2 −2.4 12th 87.2 71.9 high 121%

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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Monday, 3 September 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
Tasmania and Antarctica Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au