Monday, 2 November 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0
Tasmania in October 2009: Cool at the start, warm at the end and drier than recent months
Tasmania's weather in October was mostly controlled by high pressure systems, resulting in few windy days and drier than usual conditions in all but the east. Most sites in the west received only half their usual October rain. There were several cold days and nights in the first two weeks, but the second half with warmer and temperatures climbed into the mid to high twenties on a few days. The last day of the month was the warmest at most sites.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
Much drier than recent months
Because high pressure systems controlled the weather for most of the month, rainfall was below average except for a few parts of the east. Rain fell statewide with a complex area of low pressure that persisted near the state between the 12th and 15th, but most fronts that crossed the state were weak and had little effect. In the Midlands several sites received only around 25 mm - much less that the 100 mm or so of August and September. Only a few sites places over 100 mm, including Lake Margaret Power Station, Warra and Mount Barrow. Some sites in the west had their driest October on record or their driest October in around 30 years, and several had their driest month in nearly two years.
Several cold days, and no hot days until near the end
During the first two weeks of October nearly every day was cooler than usual in Tasmania. There were several days when southerly winds kept temperatures around five degrees below average, including on the 3rd, between the 6th and 9th, and in the north on the 13th. Mount Wellington had several days when it didn't rise much above 0°C, and on the 6th and 7th the temperature didn't exceed −1.2°C. The first warm to hot day was the 20th as northerly winds ahead of a weakening cold front pushed temperatures into the mid−20s at several sites. Some parts of the state were warm between the 27th and 29th, but the heat increased on the 30th and 31st as a north to northeast airflow and slow moving trough pushed temperatures higher. Strahan reached 27.5°C on the 30th, then Swansea, Scamander and Ouse all exceeded 30°C on the 31st. Some sites had their warmest October day in over 10 years.
Overall, maximum temperature ranged from half a degree above average in the west to around a degree below average in the east. Orford and Swansea had their lowest October mean daily maximum temperature since 1976.
Many cold nights
Nearly every night until the 11th was cooler than usual due to a combination of light winds and cold airmasses. After that, several cloudy nights and warmer airmasses kept minima near or above average most of the time. Exceptions were the 25th and 26th, when temperatures plummeted as cloud cleared and winds dropped; Liawenee fell to −5.3°C on the morning of the 26th, the coldest temperature recorded in Tasmania during the month. Just a few nights later, the 30th and 31st were the warmest of the month, with overnight temperatures five of more degrees warmer than usual across the state. A number of sites didn't fall below 15°C, including Burnie and Orford which had their warmest October night on record.
Overall, there were more cool nights than warm ones so mean minima for the month were slightly below normal at most sites.
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 |
30.9°C at Swansea Post Office on the 31st |
|---|---|
| Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature |
18.0°C at Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) |
| Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature |
6.6°C at Mount Wellington |
| Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature |
−1.2°C at Mount Wellington on the 6th and 7th |
| Coldest night Lowest temperature |
−5.3°C at Liawenee on the 26th |
| Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature |
−0.3°C at Mount Wellington |
| Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature |
10.1°C at Hogan Island |
| Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature |
16.3°C at Orford (Aubin Court) on the 31st |
| Wettest overall Highest total rainfall |
over 122 mm * at Lake Margaret Power Station and Mount Read |
| Driest overall Lowest total rainfall |
17.8 mm at Flinders Island Airport |
| Wettest day Highest daily rainfall |
41.4 mm at Mount Barrow (South Barrow) on the 14th |
| Highest wind gust |
126 km/h at Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse on the 20th |
* Both Lake Margaret and Mount Read are missing some days during the month, but the available values sum to at least 122 mm.
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Records
| Record lowest total October rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for October 2009 (mm) |
Previous lowest for October |
Years of record |
Average for October |
||
| Savage River Mine | 64.6 | 69.4 | in 1969 | 42 | 169.6 |
| Strathgordon Village | 84.3 | 114.3 | in 1972 | 42 | 251.0 |
| Zeehan (West Coast Pioneers Museum) | 74.2 | 88.1 | in 1969 | 41 | 210.6 |
| Lake St Clair National Park | 73.5 | 85.0 | in 2008 | 21 | 178.3 |
| Lowest total October rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for October 2009 (mm) |
Most recent lower for October |
Years since lower |
Average for October |
||
| Butlers Gorge | 71.6 | 66.2 | in 1969 | 30 | 160.0 |
| Waratah (Mount Road) | 61.8 | 42.7 | in 1963 | 27 | 200.0 |
| Lowest October mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily maximum temperature for October 2009 (°C) |
Most recent lower for October |
Years since lower |
Average for October |
||
| Orford (Aubin Court) | 15.7 | 15.0 | in 1976 | 33 | 17.4 |
| Swansea Post Office | 16.5 | 14.1 | in 1976 | 33 | 17.8 |
| Record highest October daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest daily minimum temperature in October 2009 (°C) |
Previous highest for October |
Years of record |
Average for October |
|||
| Burnie (Round Hill) | 15.9 | on the 31st | 15.6 | on the 30th in 1992 | 45 | 8.0 |
| Orford (Aubin Court) | 16.3 | on the 31st | 15.8 | on the 1st in 1993 | 42 | 7.2 |
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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 October 2009 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for October (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for October (°C) |
Rainfall for October (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for October 2009 |
Diff from average |
Highest for October 2009 |
Mean for October 2009 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for October 2009 |
Total for October 2009 |
Average for October |
Rank of October 2009 |
Fraction of October average |
|||
| Northern (district 91) | ||||||||||||
| Bridport | 16.0 | −0.4 | 21.6 | 31st | 7.2 | −0.7 | 3.1 | 7th | 46.5 | 59.5 | average | 78% |
| Burnie | 16.8 | +0.9 | 21.8 | 31st | 8.6 | +0.6 | 4.6 | 7th | 38.0 | 85.5 | low | 44% |
| Cape Grim BAPS | 14.7 | +0.5 | 19.4 | 31st | 9.1 | −0.1 | 5.0 | 7th | 35.2 | 60.1 | low | 59% |
| Cressy Research Station | 16.8 | −0.3 | 26.1 | 31st | 4.9 | −0.1 | 0.6 | 26th | 41.0 | 49.3 | average | 83% |
| Devonport Airport | 16.1 | +0.4 | 21.2 | 23rd | 6.8 | −0.4 | 1.7 | 7th | 34.2 | 64.5 | low | 53% |
| Launceston | 18.0 | 0.0 | 26.4 | 31st | 6.2 | −0.7 | 0.9 | 10th | 32.6 | 51.1 | low | 64% |
| Launceston Airport | 16.9 | 26.4 | 31st | 5.2 | 0.9 | 2nd | 44.0 | |||||
| Low Head | 15.4 | +0.2 | 19.1 | 31st | 9.0 | −0.5 | 5.5 | 7th | 33.4 | 52.6 | average | 63% |
| Luncheon Hill | 15.6 | +1.1 | 24.8 | 31st | 5.7 | −0.2 | 0.4 | 7th | 66.2 | 131.4 | low | 50% |
| Marrawah | 15.3 | +0.4 | 21.3 | 31st | 7.8 | −0.3 | 3.5 | 7th | 49.4 | 88.1 | very low | 56% |
| Scottsdale | 16.1 | −0.4 | 24.5 | 31st | 5.6 | −0.2 | −0.1 | 2nd | 49.6 | 84.0 | low | 59% |
| Sheffield School Farm | 15.0 | −0.1 | 22.2 | 31st | 5.0 | −0.7 | −0.1 | 8th | 57.0 | 78.0 | average | 73% |
| Smithton Aerodrome | 16.7 | +0.5 | 21.7 | 31st | 6.3 | −0.7 | 0.8 | 7th | 31.4 | 78.8 | very low | 40% |
| Wynyard Airport | 16.9 | +1.0 | 22.7 | 31st | 5.9 | −0.2 | 0.6 | 3rd | 44.0 | 98.0 | very low | 45% |
| East Coast (district 92) | ||||||||||||
| Bicheno | 16.2 | −1.3 | 26.6 | 20th | 8.3 | −0.2 | 4.4 | 26th | 68.6 | 56.0 | high | 123% |
| Eddystone Point | 16.9 | +0.6 | 21.2 | 31st | 9.0 | −0.1 | 4.2 | 2nd | 58.0 | 69.3 | average | 84% |
| Fingal | 16.4 | −1.0 | 29.1 | 31st | 5.0 | +0.2 | −0.6 | 2nd | 41.8 | 54.8 | average | 76% |
| Friendly Beaches | 17.0 | −1.0 | 27.4 | 31st | 8.0 | −0.7 | 4.2 | 11th | 29.0 | 62.2 | low | 47% |
| Lake Leake | 12.9 | −0.8 | 25.1 | 31st | 2.8 | −0.7 | −2.4 | 26th | 34.4 | 75.6 | low | 46% |
| Maria Island | 15.3 | 24.1 | 31st | 8.7 | 6.1 | 4th | 36.4 | |||||
| Orford | 15.7 | −1.7 | 24.9 | 31st | 7.4 | +0.2 | 3.1 | 11th | 58.8 | 60.0 | average | 98% |
| Scamander | 16.2 | −1.3 | 30.3 | 31st | 8.0 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 3rd | 36.9 | 62.6 | average | 59% |
| St Helens Aerodrome | 16.5 | 29.7 | 31st | 7.7 | 2.9 | 2nd | 62.6 | |||||
| Swan Island | 15.7 | 22.8 | 31st | 9.5 | 6.1 | 8th | 50.8 | |||||
| Swansea Post Office | 16.5 | −1.3 | 30.9 | 31st | 6.3 | −0.8 | 1.1 | 2nd | 42.4 | 53.3 | average | 80% |
| Midlands (district 93) | ||||||||||||
| Ross | 16.2 | −0.8 | 26.7 | 31st | 4.5 | −0.4 | −1.6 | 26th | 25.8 | 42.3 | low | 61% |
| Southeast (district 94) | ||||||||||||
| Campania | 16.5 | 24.5 | 20th | 5.9 | 0.5 | 10th | 42.4 | 41.4 | average | 102% | ||
| Cape Bruny | 14.7 | −0.5 | 20.2 | 20th | 8.1 | −0.2 | 4.2 | 10th | 53.0 | 67.8 | low | 78% |
| Cape Bruny Lighthouse | 13.9 | −0.5 | 19.5 | 20th | 8.1 | +0.2 | 4.0 | 25th | 67.6 | 83.6 | average | 81% |
| Dover | 14.8 | −1.4 | 21.1 | 20th | 6.0 | −0.5 | 0.5 | 4th | 75.4 | 86.8 | average | 87% |
| Geeveston | 16.0 | −0.3 | 20.9 | 20th | 6.1 | +0.1 | −0.6 | 4th | 75.2 | 92.2 | average | 82% |
| Grove | 16.1 | 25.7 | 30th | 5.5 | −1.0 | 4th | 74.8 | |||||
| Hobart | 16.3 | −0.7 | 24.9 | 20th | 7.6 | −0.1 | 3.1 | 10th | 62.4 | 61.8 | average | 101% |
| Hobart Airport | 16.0 | −1.3 | 25.2 | 20th | 7.7 | +0.2 | 3.2 | 4th | 37.6 | 46.8 | average | 80% |
| Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse | 12.9 | −0.4 | 19.8 | 29th | 7.8 | +0.4 | 4.8 | 6th | 62.0 | 106.2 | very low | 58% |
| Melton Mowbray | 15.5 | −1.1 | 27.1 | 31st | 5.5 | −0.1 | 0.0 | 26th | 38.8 | 42.7 | average | 91% |
| Mount Wellington | 6.6 | −0.4 | 18.8 | 31st | −0.3 | −0.4 | −4.7 | 10th | 74.4 | 77.5 | average | 96% |
| Tasman Island | 13.0 | 20.5 | 31st | 7.3 | 4.3 | 7th | 62.6 | |||||
| Tunnack Fire Station | 13.6 | −0.8 | 23.7 | 31st | 4.2 | −0.2 | −1.7 | 26th | 41.0 | 55.7 | average | 74% |
| Derwent Valley (district 95) | ||||||||||||
| Bushy Park | 17.2 | −0.4 | 28.7 | 31st | −0.1 | 4th | 38.0 | 57.4 | low | 66% | ||
| Maydena Post Office | 15.6 | 0.0 | 26.9 | 31st | 4.1 | −0.7 | −2.4 | 8th | 53.5 | 122.7 | very low | 44% |
| Ouse Fire Station | 17.6 | 0.0 | 30.1 | 31st | 4.8 | −0.6 | −1.9 | 8th | 24.0 | 54.7 | very low | 44% |
| Tarraleah Village | 13.6 | +0.1 | 25.6 | 31st | 3.4 | +0.2 | −1.5 | 7th | 51.9 | 111.1 | very low | 47% |
| Central Plateau (district 96) | ||||||||||||
| Butlers Gorge | 12.9 | +0.5 | 24.4 | 31st | 2.0 | −0.4 | −4.2 | 26th | 71.6 | 160.0 | very low | 45% |
| Lake St Clair National Park | 13.4 | +0.8 | 24.9 | 31st | 1.4 | −0.6 | −3.5 | 26th | 73.5 | 178.3 | lowest | 41% |
| Liawenee | 12.0 | 21.6 | 31st | 0.3 | −5.3 | 26th | 30.2 | |||||
| West Coast (district 97) | ||||||||||||
| Hartz Mountain | 10.4 | −0.3 | 22.8 | 30th | 2.5 | −0.1 | −1.1 | 8th | 98.6 | 93.1 | average | 106% |
| Mount Read | 8.8 | +1.4 | 19.3 | 31st | −3.0 | 8th | ||||||
| Scotts Peak Dam | 15.3 | +1.2 | 28.1 | 30th | 4.9 | −0.1 | 1.2 | 7th | 84.6 | 168.5 | very low | 50% |
| Strahan Aerodrome | 16.4 | +0.4 | 27.5 | 30th | 7.2 | −0.1 | 1.0 | 7th | 58.2 | 103.7 | low | 56% |
| Strathgordon Village | 14.2 | +0.7 | 23.5 | 30th | 5.1 | −0.3 | −0.2 | 8th | 84.3 | 251.0 | lowest | 34% |
| Warra | 13.0 | 22.9 | 31st | 4.2 | −1.1 | 8th | 116.4 | |||||
| King Island (district 98) | ||||||||||||
| King Island Airport | 15.9 | +0.3 | 24.9 | 30th | 8.6 | −0.1 | 3.5 | 9th | 49.0 | 74.3 | low | 66% |
| Flinders Island (district 99) | ||||||||||||
| Flinders Island Airport | 16.5 | −0.2 | 27.5 | 31st | 7.9 | −0.7 | 2.1 | 4th | 17.8 | 59.9 | very low | 30% |
| Hogan Island | 15.8 | 26.3 | 31st | 10.1 | 7.6 | 8th | 23.2 | |||||
| Antarctica and Macquarie Island (district 300) | ||||||||||||
| Macquarie Island | 5.8 | 0.0 | 7.9 | 16th | 1.9 | −0.1 | −0.9 | 28th | 58.4 | 75.4 | low | 77% |
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Notes
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Monday 2 November 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