Thursday, 3 January - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0
Tasmania in December 2007: very warm, some heavy rain
The last day of 2007 was hot across Tasmania, and served as a fitting end to another very warm month (and a warm year). December was also notable for several heavy rainfall events (including thunderstorms) that made it a rather wet month, at least in some parts of the state. A low pressure system close to the state on the 21st and 22nd brought statewide rain with some heavy falls, along with anomalously high tides.
A separate summary of the whole of 2007 has also been prepared.
Jump to: Extremes Records Summaries Notes the top
Details
Wet in the northwest: Quite unlike the
very dry November, much of Tasmania had
average rain during December, and in some parts rainfall was above
average. Wynyard had its highest
total December rainfall on record whilst Cape Bruny and City
of Melbourne Bay had their highest
total December rainfall in over 20 years.
The central East Coast, however, had below-average rain for the month,
with several sites reporting less than 20 mm for the whole
month.
Thunderstorms and heavy falls: One of the sources of rainfall during December was thunderstorms, with marked outbreaks around the 3rd, 7th and 20th bringing lightning, thunder and sometimes hail to many parts of the state. There were also some other heavy rainfalls: many sites in the northwest of the state had more than 50 mm (and several sites more than 70 mm) in the 24 hours to 9am on the 22nd.
Warm days: Temperatures into the high 30s on the 31st (with Strathgordon and Tarraleah having their hottest December day on record) rounded off a very warm December. There were many other very warm days, in particular the 2nd, 20th, 28th and 29th when temperatures reached into the low 30s. There were very few especially cold days (the main exceptions being in the south and west on the 10th and 24th). As a result, a few sites had their highest December mean daily maximum temperature on record.
Mild nights: Just as the days were warmer
than normal, so
were most of the nights. There were a few quite cool mornings, notably
the 5th, 10th, 11th and 23rd to 26th, but these were more than balanced
by many very
mild nights. Several sites (including Burnie) had their highest
December mean daily minimum temperature on record.
Further information
Ian Barnes-KeoghanTasmania and Antarctica Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au
Extremes
| Hottest day Highest temperature |
38.0°C at Ouse Fire
Station on the 31st |
|---|---|
| Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature |
24.2°C at Ouse Fire Station |
| Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature |
13.0°C at Mount
Wellington |
| Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature |
3.4°C at Mount Read on the 24th |
| Coldest night Lowest temperature |
−1.4°C at Liawenee on
the 11th |
| Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature |
3.6°C at Mount
Wellington |
| Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature |
14.3°C at Swan Island |
| Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature |
19.1°C at Flinders
Island Airport on the 7th |
| Wettest overall Highest total rainfall |
306.8 mm at Mount Read |
| Driest overall Lowest total rainfall |
14.2 mm at Swansea Post Office |
| Wettest day Highest daily rainfall |
76.0 mm at Erriba (Jubb Road) to
9am on
the 22nd |
| Highest wind gust |
120 km/h at Scotts Peak Dam on
the 7th |
Jump to: Extremes Records Summaries Notes the top
Records
| Record highest total December rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total rainfall for December 2007 (mm) |
Previous highest for December |
Years of record |
Normal for December |
||
| Wynyard Airport | 164.2 | 154.2 | in 1993 | 36 | 64.2 |
| Highest total December rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total rainfall for December 2007 (mm) |
Most recent higher for December |
Years since higher |
Normal for December |
||
| Cape Bruny Lighthouse | 146.2 | 166.0 | in 1985 | 22 | 77.2 |
| City of Melbourne Bay | 120.8 | 131.8 | in 1986 | 21 | 59.6 |
| Record highest December temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest temperature in December 2007 (°C) |
Previous highest for December |
Years of record |
Normal for December |
|||
| Strathgordon Village | 35.0 | on the 31st | 33.9 | on the 22nd in 1971 | 27 | 17.2 |
| Tarraleah Village | 35.1 | on the 31st | 32.6 | on the 11th in 1998 | 25 | 17.7 |
Tarraleah's 35.1°C is the highest temperature recorded there in anymonth in its 26 years of reporting, surpassing the 35.0°C of 24 January 1982.
| Record highest December mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum temperature for December 2007 (°C) |
Previous highest for December |
Years of record |
Normal for December |
||
| Eddystone Point | 22.2 | 21.6 | in 2002 | 49 | 19.3 |
| Flinders Island Airport | 22.8 | 22.0 | in 2003 | 45 | 20.1 |
| Highest December mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum temperature for December 2007 (°C) |
Most recent higher for December |
Years since higher |
Normal for December |
||
| Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse | 17.4 | 18.5 | in 1973 | 34 | 15.7 |
| Record highest December mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily minimum temperature for December 2007 (°C) |
Previous highest for December |
Years of record |
Normal for December |
||
| Burnie (Round Hill) | 13.1 | 13.0 | in 1973 | 54 | 11.0 |
| Flinders Island Airport | 13.7 | 13.6 | in 1985 | 45 | 11.7 |
| Orford (Aubin Court) | 12.2 | 12.1 | in 1998 | 40 | 10.5 |
| Marrawah | 11.9 | = 11.9 | in 1985 | 37 | 10.5 |
| Tarraleah Village | 7.6 | 7.4 | in 1985 | 25 | 6.1 |
| Scamander | 12.4 | = 12.4 | in 1985 | 24 | 11.3 |
| Highest December mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily minimum temperature for December 2007 (°C) |
Most recent higher for December |
Years since higher |
Normal for December |
||
| Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse | 11.2 | 11.4 | in 1985 | 22 | 9.6 |
| Marrawah | 11.9 | 11.9 | in 1985 | 22 | 10.5 |
| Eddystone Point | 13.4 | 13.7 | in 1985 | 21 | 12.2 |
Jump to: Extremes Records Summaries Notes the top
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 December 2007 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for December (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for December (°C) |
Rainfall for December (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for December 2007 |
Diff from normal |
Highest for December 2007 |
Mean for December 2007 |
Diff from normal |
Lowest for December 2007 |
Total for December 2007 |
Normal for December |
Rank of December 2007 |
Fraction of December normal |
|||
| Northern (district 91) | ||||||||||||
| Bridport | 20.7 | +0.6 | 27.8 | 29th | 12.0 | +0.9 | 5.6 | 6th | 64.4 | 39.7 | high | 162% |
| Burnie | 20.0 | +0.6 | 24.4 | 29th | 13.1 | +2.1 | 8.2 | 23rd | 129.4 | 65.1 | very high | 199% |
| Cape Grim BAPS | 18.4 | +1.2 | 22.1 | 28th | 12.9 | +1.1 | 9.3 | 5th | 79.0 | 42.5 | very high | 186% |
| Cressy Research Station | 23.9 | 31.5 | 29th | 10.2 | 3.4 | 11th | 69.6 | |||||
| Devonport Airport | 20.4 | +1.0 | 23.5 | 22nd | 11.9 | +1.5 | 6.7 | 5th | 87.2 | 53.5 | high | 163% |
| Launceston | 23.0 | +0.6 | 29.3 | 31st | 12.1 | +1.5 | 6.5 | 5th | 47.2 | 45.8 | normal | 103% |
| Launceston Airport | 23.4 | 29.6 | 31st | 10.0 | 3.8 | 5th | 54.0 | |||||
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 22.6 | +1.4 | 28.8 | 31st | 10.0 | +1.3 | 4.4 | 5th | 76.4 | 50.7 | high | 151% |
| Low Head | 19.5 | +0.7 | 23.6 | 22nd | 13.8 | +1.1 | 10.1 | 26th | 53.8 | 43.8 | normal | 123% |
| Luncheon Hill | 18.5 | 0.0 | 26.8 | 31st | 9.8 | +1.4 | 5.5 | 10th | 109.4 | 92.2 | high | 119% |
| Marrawah | 19.2 | +1.0 | 24.0 | 28th | 11.9 | +1.3 | 8.2 | 5th | 79.8 | 64.0 | high | 125% |
| Powranna | 23.6 | +1.2 | 30.7 | 31st | 10.2 | +1.5 | 3.6 | 11th | 46.0 | 44.1 | normal | 104% |
| Scottsdale | 21.7 | +0.9 | 29.6 | 29th | 9.9 | +0.7 | 3.9 | 5th | 59.6 | 67.8 | normal | 88% |
| Sheffield School Farm | 19.5 | −0.1 | 25.2 | 31st | 9.8 | +0.8 | 4.2 | 10th | 139.8 | 61.8 | high | 226% |
| Smithton Aerodrome | 20.1 | +0.6 | 24.3 | 29th | 11.0 | +1.4 | 4.4 | 5th | 85.4 | 58.2 | high | 147% |
| Wynyard Airport | 19.8 | +0.4 | 26.5 | 29th | 11.2 | +1.8 | 4.5 | 10th | 164.2 | 64.2 | highest | 256% |
| East Coast (district 92) | ||||||||||||
| Bicheno | 21.8 | +1.8 | 27.3 | 29th | 12.5 | +1.1 | 7.2 | 10th | 19.2 | 68.7 | low | 28% |
| Eddystone Point | 22.2 | +2.9 | 32.0 | 29th | 13.4 | +1.2 | 7.8 | 25th | 31.6 | 59.7 | low | 53% |
| Fingal | 22.8 | +1.3 | 35.6 | 31st | 9.6 | +1.0 | 2.5 | 11th | 26.4 | 49.5 | normal | 53% |
| Friendly Beaches | 23.1 | +1.3 | 33.5 | 29th | 12.7 | +1.0 | 8.0 | 11th | 15.8 | 36.6 | low | 43% |
| Lake Leake | 18.8 | +1.3 | 30.4 | 31st | 7.8 | +0.9 | 2.6 | 11th | 40.4 | 73.1 | low | 55% |
| Maria Island | 21.4 | 25.4 | 4th | 13.0 | 9.3 | 11th | ||||||
| Orford | 22.3 | +2.0 | 28.0 | 28th | 12.2 | +1.7 | 7.2 | 10th | 27.4 | 63.7 | low | 43% |
| Scamander | 21.6 | +1.3 | 32.5 | 29th | 12.4 | +1.2 | 7.2 | 26th | 51.2 | 60.0 | normal | 85% |
| St Helens Aerodrome | 21.9 | 31.3 | 29th | 12.5 | 6.7 | 11th | 40.8 | |||||
| Swan Island | 20.3 | 25.9 | 31st | 14.3 | 9.4 | 23rd | 53.8 | |||||
| Swansea Post Office | 22.6 | +2.0 | 32.9 | 29th | 12.1 | +1.6 | 7.3 | 10th | 14.2 | 59.9 | very low | 24% |
| Midlands (district 93) | ||||||||||||
| Ross | 23.7 | +1.1 | 32.7 | 29th | 9.6 | +1.2 | 1.9 | 11th | 32.6 | 38.3 | normal | 85% |
| Southeast (district 94) | ||||||||||||
| Bull Bay | 21.2 | +1.4 | 30.0 | 28th | 11.5 | +0.9 | 6.0 | 10th | 74.8 | 64.8 | normal | 115% |
| Campania | 24.0 | 35.8 | 31st | 10.6 | 5.3 | 11th | 59.0 | |||||
| Cape Bruny | 19.9 | +1.9 | 28.9 | 20th | 11.6 | +1.0 | 5.4 | 25th | 128.8 | 64.0 | very high | 201% |
| Cape Bruny Lighthouse | 19.1 | +2.2 | 27.6 | 20th | 11.7 | +1.4 | 4.2 | 25th | 146.2 | 77.2 | very high | 189% |
| Dover | 20.2 | +1.3 | 28.1 | 28th | 8.9 | −0.1 | 4.9 | 11th | 97.4 | 74.7 | high | 130% |
| Geeveston | 21.7 | +1.8 | 34.7 | 31st | 9.1 | +0.5 | 4.5 | 11th | 104.2 | 73.5 | high | 142% |
| Grove | 22.3 | +2.1 | 36.2 | 31st | 9.5 | +0.9 | 3.7 | 16th | 77.4 | 62.9 | high | 123% |
| Hobart | 22.7 | +2.5 | 33.4 | 31st | 12.2 | +1.4 | 8.5 | 10th | 83.4 | 57.0 | high | 146% |
| Hobart Airport | 22.8 | +2.3 | 36.1 | 31st | 11.7 | +1.0 | 7.4 | 5th | 67.2 | 54.1 | high | 124% |
| Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse | 17.4 | +1.7 | 27.8 | 31st | 11.2 | +1.6 | 6.4 | 25th | 102.8 | 90.7 | normal | 113% |
| Melton Mowbray | 23.0 | +1.1 | 37.2 | 31st | 9.8 | +0.8 | 4.4 | 11th | 67.4 | 38.4 | normal | 176% |
| Mount Wellington | 13.0 | +2.1 | 26.3 | 31st | 3.6 | +0.8 | −1.1 | 10th | 89.0 | 87.4 | normal | 102% |
| Tasman Island | 17.6 | 25.6 | 31st | 11.0 | 5.6 | 25th | 96.2 | |||||
| Tunnack Fire Station | 20.7 | +1.1 | 30.8 | 29th | 8.1 | +0.7 | 1.2 | 11th | 73.8 | 49.8 | high | 148% |
| Derwent Valley (district 95) | ||||||||||||
| Bushy Park | 23.8 | +1.9 | 32.2 | 28th | 9.4 | +0.3 | 4.2 | 18th | 60.2 | 50.9 | high | 118% |
| Maydena Post Office | 21.2 | +1.5 | 35.0 | 31st | 8.3 | +1.0 | 2.4 | 16th | 88.0 | 89.1 | normal | 99% |
| Moogara | 19.3 | +1.8 | 32.0 | 31st | 8.2 | +1.3 | 4.0 | 11th | 86.2 | 63.4 | high | 136% |
| Ouse Fire Station | 24.2 | +1.1 | 38.0 | 31st | 9.4 | +0.8 | 4.1 | 11th | ||||
| Tarraleah Village | 19.8 | +2.1 | 35.1 | 31st | 7.6 | +1.5 | 1.9 | 26th | 85.1 | 91.9 | normal | 93% |
| Central Plateau (district 96) | ||||||||||||
| Lake St Clair National Park | 18.5 | +1.2 | 32.6 | 31st | 6.3 | +1.3 | 0.4 | 26th | 111.8 | 134.3 | normal | 83% |
| Liawenee | 16.7 | 31.2 | 31st | 4.9 | −1.4 | 11th | 116.6 | |||||
| West Coast (district 97) | ||||||||||||
| Hartz Mountain | 16.5 | +1.7 | 34.0 | 31st | 6.1 | +1.0 | 0.3 | 25th | 101.4 | 79.4 | high | 128% |
| Mount Read | 13.1 | +1.4 | 27.0 | 31st | 4.7 | +0.9 | 0.0 | 25th | 306.8 | |||
| Scotts Peak Dam | 20.7 | +2.6 | 36.3 | 31st | 9.1 | +1.2 | 4.6 | 24th | 134.2 | |||
| Strahan Aerodrome | 20.8 | +1.0 | 36.7 | 31st | 10.8 | +1.2 | 6.3 | 30th | 129.8 | 92.3 | high | 141% |
| Strathgordon Village | 19.3 | +2.1 | 35.0 | 31st | 9.5 | +1.2 | 5.5 | 25th | 193.0 | 200.7 | normal | 96% |
| Warra | 18.5 | 34.1 | 31st | 7.7 | 3.1 | 17th | 162.0 | |||||
| King Island (district 98) | ||||||||||||
| King Island Airport | 20.4 | +1.9 | 29.3 | 2nd | 12.6 | +1.8 | 7.3 | 16th | 107.0 | 50.3 | very high | 213% |
| Flinders Island (district 99) | ||||||||||||
| Flinders Island Airport | 22.8 | +2.7 | 32.9 | 31st | 13.7 | +2.0 | 7.1 | 12th | 26.2 | 56.8 | low | 46% |
| Hogan Island | 20.7 | 30.1 | 31st | 14.1 | 11.0 | 23rd | 47.4 | |||||
| Macquarie Island (district 300) | ||||||||||||
| Macquarie Island | 8.4 | +0.6 | 10.3 | 15th | 5.0 | +0.7 | 1.9 | 1st | 78.6 | 77.3 | normal | 102% |
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Notes
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Thursday 3 January 2008. 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-KeoghanTasmania and Antarctica Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au