Monday, 1 December 2008 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0
Tasmania in November 2008: Wet and cool
The synoptic pattern in November was dominated by low pressure systems, which lead to above average rainfall across most of the state (except in the west), cooler than normal days and near average nights.
An archive of previous monthly summaries for Tasmania is also available, as are summaries for other states and many other climate summaries and diagnostics.
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Details
Low pressure systems bring rain: Three significant rain events during November helped ensure totals for the month were average or even above average across most of the state. A rain band associated with a low pressure system which passed near the west coast on the 7th and 8th delivered 84.2 mm to Preolenna, and over 50 mm to many other northern locations. Then between the 20th and 22nd several low centres passed near the state, bringing another 50 mm to central and eastern areas and over 90 mm to Gray, and on the 28th thunderstorms in the north brought more locally heavy falls of up to 50 mm. It was the wettest November for at least 20 years at a number of sites in the east, and some sites had their highest monthly rainfall in about 3 years. Because most of the rain was associated with low pressure systems rather than the more typical cold fronts and westerly winds, monthly rainfall totals were surprisingly evenly distributed across the state. Unusually, the far northwest tip and King Island had some of the lowest totals for the month, and Cape Grim was the driest location with a total of 48.0 mm.
Not enough to compensate for dry months: Despite good falls in November, many locations around the state are still around 200 mm below the long term average for January to November, and a few locations have had their driest January to November on record. In parts of the southeast, the year's rain will be well below average even if rainfall in December is well above average.Cold southerly winds: Winds during November were mostly light and variable or southerly, leading to average or below temperatures on most days, especially in the south. Southerly winds brought cold weather and periods of highland snow between the 3rd and 6th, 15th and 17th, from the 22nd to the 25th and on the 29th - although the over land trajectory was sometimes sufficient to bring warmer than normal temperatures to the north. The only period of above average temperatures started on the 9th and culminated on the 13th, with some sites in the southeast reaching the low 30s. Over the whole month daytime temperatures were about half to one degree below average in most areas, and many parts of the east were cooler in November than they were in October.
Near average nights, though very cold at first: There were a number of cold mornings at the start of the month, especially the 5th when clear skies and light winds saw a number of locations fall below −2°C and Liawenee dropped to −6.8°C, the coldest ever temperature recorded in Tasmania in November. Bushy Park and Butlers Gorge had their lowest November temperature on record on this morning. The 16th and 17th were also cold, but otherwise night-time temperatures were generally near or above average. Averaged over the whole month, minima were within half a degree of the November average.
Further information
Ian Barnes-KeoghanMeteorologist
Tasmania and Antarctica Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au
Extremes
| Hottest day Highest temperature |
31.2°C at Hobart Airport and Ouse on the 13th |
|---|---|
| Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature |
20.6°C at Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) |
| Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature |
8.9°C at Mount Wellington |
| Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature |
2.1°C at Mount Wellington on the 24th |
| Coldest night Lowest temperature |
−6.8°C at Liawenee on the 5th |
| Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature |
1.0°C at Mount Wellington |
| Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature |
11.3°C at Hogan Island |
| Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature |
16.3°C at St Helens Aerodrome on the 14th |
| Wettest overall Highest total rainfall |
264.0 mm at Mount Read |
| Driest overall Lowest total rainfall |
48.0 mm at Cape Grim |
| Wettest day Highest daily rainfall |
84.2 mm at Preolenna on the 8th |
| Highest wind gust |
135 km/h at Mount Wellington on the 8th |
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Records
| Highest total November rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for November 2008 (mm) |
Most recent higher for November |
Years since higher |
Average for November |
||
| Gladstone (Old Post Office)* | 147.2 | 154.2 | in 1929 | 69 | 63.6 |
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 87.6 | 92.4 | in 1975 | 33 | 50.1 |
| Eddystone Point** | 123.2 | 127.4 | in 1978 | 28 | 59.1 |
| Lewis Hill (St Pauls River) | 90.8 | 102.6 | in 1988 | 20 | 51.1 |
** Eddystone point may have had just as much rain, or more, in November 2001 (this value is missing from the records).
| Record lowest November temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lowest temperature in November 2008 (°C) |
Previous lowest for November |
Years of record |
Average for November |
|||
| Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates) | −1.3 | on the 5th | −1.0 | on the 16th in 1981 | 48 | 7.4 |
| Butlers Gorge*** | −5.5 | on the 5th | −4.2 | on the 6th in 1974 | 35 | 3.8 |
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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 November 2008 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for November (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for November (°C) |
Rainfall for November (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for November 2008 |
Diff from average |
Highest for November 2008 |
Mean for November 2008 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for November 2008 |
Total for November 2008 |
Average for November |
Rank of November 2008 |
Fraction of November average |
|||
| Northern (district 91) | ||||||||||||
| Bridport | 18.2 | 0.0 | 23.5 | 12th | 9.7 | −0.1 | 2.5 | 4th | 77.6 | 49.5 | high | 157% |
| Burnie | 17.9 | +0.2 | 22.6 | 28th | 10.2 | +0.6 | 4.4 | 16th | 72.0 | 68.1 | average | 106% |
| Cape Grim BAPS | 15.4 | −0.4 | 21.1 | 13th | 10.0 | −0.5 | 4.1 | 5th | 48.0 | 49.7 | average | 97% |
| Cressy Research Station | 20.0 | 28.4 | 12th | 6.4 | −1.3 | 5th | 88.8 | 47.1 | high | 189% | ||
| Devonport Airport | 17.8 | +0.3 | 22.5 | 20th | 9.0 | +0.1 | 2.2 | 4th | 74.8 | 56.2 | high | 133% |
| Launceston | 20.6 | +0.2 | 28.5 | 12th | 8.9 | +0.1 | 2.5 | 4th | 75.4 | 48.8 | very high | 155% |
| Launceston Airport | 19.6 | 27.1 | 13th | 7.0 | 0.5 | 16th | 79.4 | |||||
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 18.8 | +0.1 | 26.3 | 12th | 7.3 | +0.2 | 0.3 | 4th | 87.6 | 50.1 | very high | 175% |
| Low Head | 17.1 | −0.2 | 20.8 | 12th | 10.6 | −0.5 | 5.2 | 4th | 69.6 | 38.0 | high | 183% |
| Luncheon Hill | 14.8 | −2.4 | 24.9 | 12th | 5.8 | −1.6 | −0.5 | 4th | 119.8 | 89.1 | high | 134% |
| Marrawah | 16.5 | −0.1 | 24.0 | 12th | 9.4 | +0.2 | 3.5 | 5th | 60.8 | 68.0 | average | 89% |
| Powranna | 20.0 | +0.2 | 27.0 | 12th | −1.0 | 4th | 73.4 | 51.9 | high | 141% | ||
| Scottsdale | 18.0 | −0.8 | 26.2 | 12th | 7.8 | +0.1 | 0.7 | 16th | 106.0 | 69.9 | high | 152% |
| Sheffield School Farm | 17.5 | −0.4 | 24.5 | 12th | 6.7 | −0.7 | 1.0 | 4th | 149.6 | 86.6 | high | 173% |
| Smithton Aerodrome | 17.9 | −0.4 | 22.2 | 23rd | 8.7 | +0.1 | 0.6 | 4th | 58.8 | 50.0 | average | 118% |
| Wynyard Airport | 17.9 | +0.2 | 23.4 | 28th | 8.5 | +0.7 | 2.5 | 4th | 78.4 | 74.2 | average | 106% |
| East Coast (district 92) | ||||||||||||
| Bicheno | 17.9 | −0.5 | 24.8 | 9th | 10.4 | +0.4 | 5.3 | 4th | 104.4 | 57.2 | high | 183% |
| Eddystone Point | 18.2 | +0.4 | 21.6 | 28th | 10.5 | −0.2 | 4.0 | 16th | 123.2 | 59.1 | very high | 208% |
| Fingal | 19.6 | +0.2 | 29.5 | 13th | 7.5 | +0.6 | 0.3 | 17th | 68.6 | 44.5 | high | 154% |
| Friendly Beaches | 18.6 | −1.0 | 25.7 | 9th | 9.9 | −0.2 | 5.3 | 4th | 73.0 | 58.8 | high | 124% |
| Lake Leake | 15.7 | +0.2 | 26.7 | 13th | 5.2 | 0.0 | −2.2 | 5th | 86.4 | 63.6 | high | 136% |
| Maria Island | 17.3 | 24.8 | 9th | 10.3 | 5.7 | 16th | 69.2 | |||||
| Orford | 18.1 | −0.5 | 27.7 | 13th | 9.3 | +0.2 | 3.7 | 5th | 71.2 | 64.5 | average | 110% |
| Scamander | 17.8 | −1.1 | 25.1 | 9th | 10.3 | +0.1 | 5.8 | 17th | 118.3 | 62.0 | high | 191% |
| St Helens Aerodrome | 18.0 | 22.6 | 10th | 9.9 | 4.5 | 17th | 109.4 | |||||
| Swan Island | 16.7 | 21.3 | 13th | 11.2 | 5.1 | 4th | 116.8 | |||||
| Swansea Post Office | 18.1 | −1.0 | 27.6 | 11th | 9.1 | +0.1 | 3.0 | 1st | 67.4 | 51.2 | high | 132% |
| Midlands (district 93) | ||||||||||||
| Ross | 19.4 | −0.5 | 27.1 | 13th | 7.0 | +0.4 | −1.6 | 5th | 84.8 | 44.7 | high | 190% |
| Southeast (district 94) | ||||||||||||
| Bull Bay | 16.9 | −1.0 | 29.5 | 13th | 9.1 | −0.1 | 3.0 | 16th | 83.8 | 50.4 | high | 166% |
| Campania | 19.4 | 31.0 | 13th | 8.1 | −0.3 | 5th | ||||||
| Cape Bruny | 16.1 | −0.6 | 29.9 | 13th | 9.1 | −0.5 | 3.6 | 16th | 64.0 | 49.1 | average | 130% |
| Cape Bruny Lighthouse | 15.3 | −0.2 | 28.2 | 13th | 9.3 | +0.2 | 4.6 | 5th | 76.6 | 75.4 | average | 102% |
| Dover | 16.6 | −0.9 | 30.4 | 13th | 7.7 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 11th | 80.2 | 71.6 | average | 112% |
| Geeveston | 17.4 | −0.8 | 29.9 | 13th | 7.7 | +0.2 | 2.7 | 11th | 65.2 | 69.4 | average | 94% |
| Grove | 18.0 | −0.6 | 30.6 | 13th | 7.4 | +0.3 | 2.4 | 4th | 72.8 | 66.1 | average | 110% |
| Grove | 17.4 | 23.1 | 11th | 6.7 | 1.1 | 11th | 71.8 | |||||
| Hobart | 18.2 | −0.5 | 30.5 | 13th | 9.5 | +0.2 | 4.3 | 5th | 74.2 | 53.9 | high | 138% |
| Hobart Airport | 18.2 | −0.7 | 31.2 | 13th | 9.3 | +0.2 | 3.0 | 1st | 65.2 | 43.3 | high | 151% |
| Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse | 13.8 | −0.6 | 26.3 | 13th | 8.3 | −0.1 | 4.2 | 16th | 70.4 | 91.8 | low | 77% |
| Melton Mowbray | 18.5 | −1.3 | 29.0 | 13th | 6.9 | −0.3 | −1.5 | 5th | 66.2 | 36.2 | high | 183% |
| Mount Wellington | 8.9 | −0.1 | 19.1 | 13th | 1.0 | −0.5 | −5.2 | 4th | 147.2 | 81.7 | high | 180% |
| Tasman Island | 13.9 | 23.6 | 13th | 8.0 | 2.9 | 16th | 96.2 | |||||
| Tunnack Fire Station | 16.5 | −0.9 | 25.6 | 13th | 5.9 | +0.1 | −2.8 | 5th | 79.8 | 48.9 | high | 163% |
| Derwent Valley (district 95) | ||||||||||||
| Bushy Park | 20.0 | +0.2 | 30.7 | 13th | 7.4 | −0.1 | −1.3 | 5th | 54.0 | 53.1 | average | 102% |
| Maydena Post Office | 17.3 | −0.6 | 29.0 | 13th | 6.5 | +0.3 | 0.3 | 5th | 93.7 | 91.0 | average | 103% |
| Ouse Fire Station | 20.3 | −0.7 | 31.2 | 13th | 6.6 | −0.2 | −2.7 | 5th | 67.6 | 39.8 | very high | 170% |
| Tarraleah Village | 15.8 | −0.3 | 25.5 | 13th | 4.6 | −0.1 | −2.2 | 5th | 95.1 | 97.2 | average | 98% |
| Central Plateau (district 96) | ||||||||||||
| Butlers Gorge | 14.9 | +0.4 | 23.7 | 13th | 3.5 | −0.4 | −5.5 | 5th | 105.2 | 140.9 | average | 75% |
| Lake St Clair National Park | 15.2 | −0.2 | 23.5 | 12th | 3.6 | +0.2 | −2.0 | 5th | 123.8 | 136.8 | average | 90% |
| Liawenee | 13.4 | 20.2 | 13th | 1.7 | −6.8 | 5th | 128.4 | |||||
| West Coast (district 97) | ||||||||||||
| Hartz Mountain | 11.8 | −2.1 | 23.2 | 13th | 3.3 | −0.9 | −1.4 | 4th | 102.2 | 68.0 | very high | 150% |
| Mount Read | 9.9 | −0.8 | 19.0 | 12th | 2.8 | −0.2 | −3.3 | 4th | 264.0 | |||
| Scotts Peak Dam | 16.3 | −1.3 | 26.9 | 13th | 6.5 | −0.2 | 0.9 | 16th | ||||
| Strahan Aerodrome | 17.4 | −0.2 | 27.8 | 13th | 8.0 | −0.1 | 1.0 | 5th | 102.0 | 91.5 | average | 111% |
| Strathgordon Village | 15.6 | −0.5 | 27.5 | 13th | 6.9 | −0.1 | 2.0 | 16th | 159.9 | 178.5 | average | 90% |
| Warra | 14.6 | 26.6 | 13th | 5.4 | 0.4 | 16th | 127.0 | |||||
| King Island (district 98) | ||||||||||||
| King Island Airport | 17.4 | +0.3 | 29.6 | 13th | 10.1 | +0.2 | 2.7 | 5th | 52.4 | 56.1 | average | 93% |
| Flinders Island (district 99) | ||||||||||||
| Flinders Island Airport | 18.4 | 0.0 | 26.4 | 13th | 10.5 | +0.3 | 1.5 | 5th | 84.0 | 54.9 | high | 153% |
| Hogan Island | 17.5 | 28.0 | 13th | 11.3 | 7.3 | 5th | ||||||
| Antarctica and Macquarie Island (district 300) | ||||||||||||
| Macquarie Island | 5.5 | −1.0 | 7.6 | 30th | 1.6 | −1.1 | −2.6 | 4th | 83.8 | 70.5 | high | 119% |
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Notes
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Monday 1 December 2008. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
Averages 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 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,
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 rain has
fallen this time as a
percentage
of the long-term mean.
Further information
Ian Barnes-KeoghanMeteorologist
Tasmania and Antarctica Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 6221 2043
Email climate.tas@bom.gov.au