Wednesday, 1 April 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0
Tasmania in March 2009: autumn arrives
A number of rainfall events during March meant it was a wetter than average month. This, combined with temperatures that ranged widely (but were never exceptionally hot nor exceptionally cold) and the inevitable lessening of hours of daylight at this time of year, meant the month had a definite a "start of autumn" feel in Tasmania.
An archive of previous monthly summaries for Tasmania is also available, as are summaries for other states and many other climate summaries and diagnostics.Jump to: Extremes Records Summaries Notes the top
Details
Rain from the 14th to the 16th: A complex area of low pressure near Tasmania brought rainfalls across the state from the 14th to the 16th. Almost the whole state received over 20 mm, and totals in excess of 50 mm were common in the west, the southeast and parts of the north. Some places received more rain over these three days than is usually expected for all of March. Along with the general rain, a line of thunderstorms resulted in many locally heavy falls as they moved across the state on the 14th. Hobart Airport's rainfall of 22 mm in the 30 minutes to 3 pm reached an intensity expected only once every 50 years. Cape Grim recorded 29.6 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 16th, which is its highest March daily rainfall on record. Flash flooding and other water damage resulted in dozens of insurance claims being lodged.
Above average rainfall: There were a number of other rainfall events during the month which led to a wetter than usual March for nearly all of the state. A cold front on the 3rd and associated low pressure system near southern Tasmania on the 4th spread rain across the state with totals exceeding 30 mm near the Great Western Tiers and nearing 100 mm in the western highlands. This was followed by the statewide rain around the 14th, and then moderate totals in the west and south with a trough on the 22nd, and in the north and west with a trough and cold front on the 25th and 26th. Some sites received twice their usual March rain, and Cape Grim had its wettest March on record. In the north, most sites had their wettest March since 2001, and some sites had their wettest March in over 20 years. Most of the southeast had its wettest March since 2003. February was also wet (except in the north); for many sites in the southeast this is the first time they have had two consecutive "wet" months since the end of 2005.
Warm nights: There was cloud, rain or high humidity on most nights in March so minimum temperatures were generally warmer than usual, especially in the eastern half of the state and on the northwest coast. In the north, nights were quite cool from the 5th to the 8th, but these were more than balanced by several runs of very warm nights. Mean minima for the month were slightly warmer than usual in the west, but one or two degrees warmer than usual for most of the the east. Only two nights at Ross fell below their long term March average, leading to a mean monthly minimum over 3 degrees above normal. Fingal had its highest March mean daily minimum temperature on record, and some other sites in the east had their highest March mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years. There were no extremely cold nights, and the coldest temperature recorded at most eastern locations was two or three degrees warmer than is typical for this time of the year. The only reports of sub-zero temperatures during the month were from the mountain-top sites of Mount Wellington and Mount Read; it is unusual for there to be so few especially cold nights in Tasmania during March.
Warm and cool days: There were alternating runs of warm and cool days in March with the passage of high pressure systems and cold fronts. The coldest periods were from the 4th to 7th (in a southerly airflow behind a cold front which brought snow to the highest peaks), on the 15th (in a cold airmass with areas of rain) and on the 30th and 31st (in easterlies). Both Dover and Ouse almost had their coldest March day on record: Dover with 11.9 °C on the 5th and Ouse with 13.0°C on the 30th. Ouse also recorded the hottest days of the month, reaching 30.4°C on the 13th and 30.5°C on the 21st, both days when high pressure systems over the Tasman Sea and approaching cold fronts directed a northerly airflow over the state. There were no extremely hot days, and monthly mean maxima were mostly below average by a few tenths of a degree, but slightly above average at a few sites in the north and east. Many sites had their coolest March since 2005, and at Marrawah it was the coolest March since 1997.
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 |
30.5°C at Ouse Fire Station on the 21st |
|---|---|
| Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature |
22.7°C at Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) |
| Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature |
10.9°C at Mount Wellington |
| Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature |
2.1°C at Mount Wellington on the 5th |
| Coldest night Lowest temperature |
−0.7°C at Mount Wellington on the 6th |
| Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature |
4.0°C at Mount Wellington |
| Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature |
14.1°C at Swan Island |
| Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature |
19.7°C at Flinders Island Airport on the 22nd |
| Wettest overall Highest total rainfall |
312.0 mm at Mount Read |
| Driest overall Lowest total rainfall |
26.0 mm at Ross (Macquarie River) |
| Wettest day Highest daily rainfall |
82.4 mm at Mount Read on the 16th |
| Highest wind gust |
135 km/h at Cape Grim BAPS on the 4th |
Jump to: Extremes Records Summaries Notes the top
Records
| Record highest March daily rainfall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest daily rainfall in March 2009 (mm) |
Previous highest for March |
Years of record |
||||
| Cape Grim BAPS | 29.6 | on the 16th | 25.0 | on the 16th in 2006 | 22 | |
| Record highest total March rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for March 2009 (mm) |
Previous highest for March |
Years of record |
Average for March |
||
| Cape Grim BAPS | 72.0 | 68.8 | in 1991 | 22 | 38.8 |
Note that although this site has 21 years of record, the rain gauge was moved in late 2005 and is now likely to record more rain than at its previous location.
| Highest total March rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for March 2009 (mm) |
Most recent higher for March |
Years since higher |
Average for March |
||
| Irishtown | 113.2 | 143.4 | in 1977 | 27 | 63.6 |
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 70.0 | 87.6 | in 1984 | 25 | 38.1 |
| Pioneer (Main Road) | 98.8 | 138.2 | in 1984 | 25 | 57.2 |
| Ringarooma (Fry Street) | 118.2 | 169.0 | in 1984 | 25 | 64.0 |
| Scottsdale (West Minstone Road) | 100.6 | 135.0 | in 1984 | 25 | 51.9 |
| Record highest March mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily minimum temperature for March 2009 (°C) |
Previous highest for March |
Years of record |
Average for March |
||
| Fingal (Legge Street) | 9.8 | 9.3 | in 1999 | 22 | 7.8 |
| Highest March mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily minimum temperature for March 2009 (°C) |
Most recent higher for March |
Years since higher |
Average for March |
||
| Grove (Comparison) | 9.4 | 9.6 | in 1977 | 29 | 7.9 |
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 10.6 | 10.7 | in 1985 | 24 | 8.9 |
| Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) | 11.7 | 12.1 | in 1985 | 21 | 10.0 |
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 March 2009 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for March (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for March (°C) |
Rainfall for March (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for March 2009 |
Diff from average |
Highest for March 2009 |
Mean for March 2009 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for March 2009 |
Total for March 2009 |
Average for March |
Rank of March 2009 |
Fraction of March average |
|||
| Northern (district 91) | ||||||||||||
| Bridport | 20.5 | −0.5 | 25.0 | 22nd | 12.2 | +0.8 | 6.1 | 6th | 78.0 | 38.4 | high | 203% |
| Burnie | 20.1 | +0.1 | 24.6 | 1st | 12.9 | +1.0 | 7.6 | 5th | 60.2 | 49.7 | average | 121% |
| Cape Grim BAPS | 17.6 | −0.9 | 21.1 | 10th | 12.6 | −0.2 | 8.9 | 5th | 72.0 | 38.8 | highest | 186% |
| Cressy Research Station | 22.5 | 28.1 | 21st | 10.6 | 2.7 | 6th | 31.6 | |||||
| Devonport Airport | 20.5 | +0.2 | 25.3 | 22nd | 12.1 | +1.5 | 4.3 | 6th | 31.2 | 45.5 | average | 69% |
| Launceston | 22.7 | +0.3 | 27.2 | 22nd | 11.7 | +1.7 | 5.0 | 8th | 50.6 | 33.4 | high | 151% |
| Launceston Airport | 21.9 | 27.3 | 21st | 10.4 | 4.0 | 27th | 71.4 | |||||
| Launceston Airport Comparison | 21.0 | −0.1 | 26.4 | 21st | 10.6 | +1.7 | 4.2 | 8th | 70.0 | 38.1 | high | 184% |
| Low Head | 19.6 | −0.2 | 23.8 | 22nd | 13.7 | +0.7 | 8.4 | 6th | 55.6 | 33.5 | high | 166% |
| Luncheon Hill | 18.1 | −0.6 | 25.0 | 21st | 9.8 | +0.3 | 5.2 | 5th | 109.0 | 80.5 | high | 135% |
| Marrawah | 18.3 | −1.1 | 22.7 | 21st | 11.6 | 0.0 | 8.5 | 24th | 85.0 | 63.2 | high | 134% |
| Scottsdale | 21.0 | −0.3 | 25.8 | 13th | 10.7 | +0.9 | 4.6 | 27th | 100.6 | 51.9 | high | 194% |
| Sheffield School Farm | 20.1 | +0.2 | 25.1 | 21st | 9.6 | +0.4 | 2.9 | 29th | 73.8 | 40.4 | high | 183% |
| Smithton Aerodrome | 19.5 | −0.8 | 22.7 | 1st | 10.2 | +1.0 | 3.0 | 29th | 71.2 | 41.8 | high | 170% |
| Wynyard Airport | 20.1 | +0.1 | 24.3 | 22nd | 10.6 | +1.3 | 3.7 | 6th | 76.4 | 43.0 | high | 178% |
| East Coast (district 92) | ||||||||||||
| Bicheno | 20.6 | +0.1 | 27.7 | 19th | 13.0 | +1.0 | 8.5 | 27th | 35.0 | 56.2 | average | 62% |
| Eddystone Point | 20.9 | +0.6 | 24.5 | 19th | 13.2 | −0.1 | 7.6 | 5th | 56.0 | 57.4 | average | 98% |
| Fingal | 21.3 | −0.2 | 30.2 | 21st | 9.8 | +2.0 | 2.7 | 27th | 38.6 | 44.1 | average | 88% |
| Friendly Beaches | 21.0 | −0.5 | 28.1 | 19th | 12.5 | +0.7 | 9.1 | 7th | 39.0 | 53.7 | average | 73% |
| Lake Leake | 17.4 | 0.0 | 25.6 | 21st | 7.3 | +1.4 | 3.2 | 27th | 50.6 | 62.1 | average | 81% |
| Maria Island | 19.7 | 24.2 | 13th | 13.0 | 9.7 | 5th | 34.4 | |||||
| Orford | 20.3 | −0.3 | 25.7 | 28th | 12.2 | +1.6 | 9.1 | 27th | 42.7 | 44.7 | average | 96% |
| Scamander | 20.7 | 0.0 | 27.9 | 29th | 12.3 | +0.5 | 7.3 | 8th | 34.2 | 63.2 | average | 54% |
| St Helens Aerodrome | 20.5 | 26.3 | 29th | 12.1 | 6.3 | 27th | 42.8 | |||||
| Swan Island | 19.5 | 22.2 | 21st | 14.1 | 9.9 | 6th | 70.2 | |||||
| Swansea Post Office | 20.7 | −0.2 | 30.0 | 21st | 11.4 | +1.1 | 6.0 | 8th | 32.0 | 50.4 | average | 63% |
| Midlands (district 93) | ||||||||||||
| Ross | 21.7 | +0.1 | 28.7 | 13th | 10.8 | +3.1 | 5.5 | 27th | 28.8 | 30.7 | average | 94% |
| Southeast (district 94) | ||||||||||||
| Bull Bay | 19.7 | 0.0 | 25.0 | 19th | 11.8 | +0.5 | 8.8 | 5th | 108.6 | 44.7 | very high | 243% |
| Campania | 21.4 | 30.1 | 21st | 11.3 | 7.6 | 9th | 47.4 | |||||
| Cape Bruny | 18.5 | +0.1 | 24.3 | 21st | 11.7 | +0.2 | 8.7 | 5th | 95.6 | 56.0 | high | 171% |
| Cape Bruny Lighthouse | 17.8 | +0.3 | 23.5 | 3rd | 11.6 | +0.5 | 7.1 | 27th | 99.4 | 68.6 | high | 145% |
| Dover | 25.5 | 3rd | 9.0 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 8th | 92.4 | 64.6 | high | 143% | ||
| Geeveston | 19.6 | −0.5 | 28.2 | 21st | 9.4 | +1.1 | 5.1 | 9th | 87.8 | 54.8 | high | 160% |
| Grove | 20.2 | −0.2 | 29.7 | 21st | 9.4 | +1.5 | 5.7 | 9th | 78.0 | 48.0 | high | 163% |
| Grove | 20.0 | 29.2 | 21st | 9.0 | 4.8 | 9th | 84.0 | |||||
| Hobart | 20.0 | −0.1 | 26.5 | 19th | 12.1 | +1.2 | 8.2 | 9th | 70.2 | 45.2 | high | 155% |
| Hobart Airport | 20.5 | −0.2 | 26.1 | 28th | 12.1 | +1.4 | 8.0 | 9th | 59.6 | 36.6 | high | 163% |
| Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse | 15.9 | −0.4 | 23.5 | 3rd | 10.8 | +0.2 | 7.1 | 4th | 99.8 | 85.3 | average | 117% |
| Melton Mowbray | 20.3 | −0.5 | 30.3 | 21st | 9.7 | +1.8 | 5.7 | 9th | 52.6 | 33.5 | high | 157% |
| Mount Wellington | 10.9 | −0.4 | 19.8 | 21st | 4.0 | 0.0 | −0.7 | 6th | 130.2 | 74.2 | high | 175% |
| Tasman Island | 16.9 | 22.8 | 13th | 11.2 | 8.0 | 5th | 61.4 | |||||
| Tunnack Fire Station | 18.0 | −1.1 | 25.0 | 21st | 8.7 | +1.4 | 5.6 | 9th | 77.8 | 51.7 | average | 150% |
| Derwent Valley (district 95) | ||||||||||||
| Bushy Park | 21.5 | −0.2 | 29.8 | 13th | 8.9 | +0.5 | 4.3 | 10th | 54.6 | 39.3 | high | 139% |
| Maydena Post Office | 18.7 | −0.7 | 28.5 | 21st | 8.0 | +1.1 | 3.5 | 9th | 78.9 | 69.8 | average | 113% |
| Ouse Fire Station | 21.2 | −1.1 | 30.5 | 21st | 8.7 | +1.1 | 2.9 | 10th | 60.8 | 29.2 | very high | 208% |
| Tarraleah Village | 16.7 | −0.7 | 25.6 | 21st | 6.5 | +0.8 | 3.2 | 9th | 88.0 | 70.5 | average | 125% |
| Central Plateau (district 96) | ||||||||||||
| Butlers Gorge | 16.2 | −0.4 | 24.9 | 21st | 5.5 | +0.4 | 0.8 | 9th | 141.4 | 98.9 | high | 143% |
| Lake St Clair National Park | 16.0 | −0.5 | 24.2 | 21st | 4.9 | +0.9 | 1.3 | 9th | 138.0 | 106.2 | high | 130% |
| Liawenee | 15.7 | 22.6 | 21st | 4.8 | 0.0 | 18th | 63.6 | |||||
| West Coast (district 97) | ||||||||||||
| Hartz Mountain | 14.0 | −0.4 | 24.3 | 21st | 6.0 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 5th | 98.4 | 68.8 | high | 143% |
| Mount Read | 11.2 | −0.5 | 20.8 | 21st | 5.0 | +0.2 | −0.1 | 5th | 312.0 | 256.9 | high | 121% |
| Scotts Peak Dam | 17.7 | −0.6 | 28.1 | 13th | 8.1 | −0.1 | 5.2 | 2nd | 138.2 | |||
| Strahan Aerodrome | 18.7 | −0.6 | 27.8 | 21st | 9.6 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 10th | 145.2 | 102.9 | high | 141% |
| Strathgordon Village | 16.5 | −0.9 | 25.5 | 21st | 5.0 | 2nd | 153.0 | 146.5 | average | 104% | ||
| Warra | 16.1 | 25.5 | 21st | 7.5 | 3.0 | 9th | 122.0 | |||||
| King Island (district 98) | ||||||||||||
| King Island Airport | 19.4 | −0.6 | 29.8 | 21st | 11.9 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 24th | 68.4 | 49.6 | high | 138% |
| Flinders Island (district 99) | ||||||||||||
| Flinders Island Airport | 21.3 | +0.1 | 30.2 | 21st | 12.4 | −0.1 | 3.8 | 6th | 57.8 | 49.9 | high | 116% |
| Hogan Island | 19.7 | 25.8 | 22nd | 14.0 | 10.1 | 5th | 47.0 | |||||
| Antarctica and Macquarie Island (district 300) | ||||||||||||
| Macquarie Island | 8.0 | +0.1 | 9.7 | 3rd | 5.0 | +0.3 | 1.8 | 30th | 115.8 | 99.2 | high | 117% |
Jump to: Extremes Records Summaries Notes the top
Notes
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Wednesday 1 April 2009. 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