Tuesday, 1 December 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0

Tasmania in November 2009: Warm and mostly dry - but a cool, wet finish

Heavy rain fell across the state on the 27th and 28th, bringing a cool and wet end to what was otherwise a warm and mostly dry month. There were record high November temperatures earlier in the month, but not to the same extent as in other states. Although the final few days were quite cool, Tasmania as a whole had its warmest mean maximum temperature and mean daily temperature on record for November.

Details Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

A record warm November across Tasmania

Although the month ended generally cool, there was little in the way of cold weather and plenty of warm to hot days during November. As a result, the mean temperature across Tasmania was 2.5 °C above average, making it the warmest November on record for the state. This was part of pattern seen across southern Australia during the month, with NSW, Victoria, SA and Australia as a whole all having their highest mean November temperature on record. In Tasmania, daytime temperatures were particularly high, with the mean daily maximum temperature across the state 3.2 °C above average — also a record. Nights were warm, with the state mean daily minimum temperature 1.7 °C above average, the second-warmest for November. The Bureau of Meteorology has prepared a Special Climate Statement discussing the prolonged heatwave in central and south-eastern Australia.

Apart from the statewide average temperature records, many individual sites also had their highest November mean daily maximum or minimum temperature on record or their highest for many years.

Many hot days

There were several bursts of warm to hot days in Tasmania during November, as the mass of very hot air that had developed over the mainland affected the state. The first of these peaked on the 8th and 9th, when some sites had their highest November temperature on record. Temperatures eased a little after that, but mostly warm days continued (except in the southeast) until a second peak occurred on the 19th and 20th. Bicheno reached 35.1 °C on the 20th, the state's highest temperature for this month and a new record for the site (but still short of the state record of 38.5 °C at Hobart Airport in 1966).

Examples of persistent high temperatures abound. Hobart had four days over 28 °C: 28.3 °C on the 8th and 31.6 °C on the 9th, then 31.3 °C on the 19th and 32.6 °C on the 20th. In the years since 1895, Hobart has averaged just one day above 28 °C each November, has had a November with four days above 28 °C just three times before, and has had two consecutive November days over 31 °C only once before.

In the north of the state, the longevity of the warm weather was notable. For example, Launceston's temperatures from the 7th to the 12th were 25.7 °C, 28.6 °C, 30.0 °C, 27.8 °C, 24.3 °C and 26.8  °C; the first recorded run (since 1980) of six November days over 24 °C. Launceston had the warmest days on average in Tasmania and several sites, mainly in the north and east, had their highest November mean daily maximum temperature on record or their highest for many years.

The coldest days were at the end of the month for many sites, as rain from a low pressure system and the subsequent cold southerly winds kept temperatures down. In Hobart, the temperature didn't exceed 14 °C for the last four days. Mount Wellington only reached 3.3 °C on the 29th, but this wasn't quite the coldest temperature for the month: Mount Read reached just 3.0 °C on the 4th after a cold front crossed the state. Overall, maximum temperatures were one to two degrees warmer than usual in the east and around three degrees warmer than usual in the west and on the Bass Strait islands. 

Many mild nights

There were a few cold nights between the 4th and 6th (Mount Wellington fell to -2.5 °C on the 4th), but otherwise overnight temperatures were above average almost the entire time. Mean monthly minima were around two degrees warmer than usual and a handful of sites (including Launceston) had their warmest mean mean minimum temperature on record for November. Most other sites were their warmest since 2000. On the 10th neither Luncheon Hill (in the northwest) nor Hogan Island (in Bass Strait) fell below 17 °C, and most sites were five to ten degrees warmer than usual. Several other nights were much warmer than usual, including the 14th, 20th, 25th and 27th. The persistence of mild temperatures is illustrated by the number of nights when the temperature stayed above 10 °C; Hobart, Launceston and Devonport all had over twenty such nights, almost double the November average of twelve.

Heavy rain at the end but mostly dry otherwise

A complex low pressure trough moved near Tasmania between the 27th and 29th bringing heavy rain to the east and moderate totals elsewhere. Most areas received 20 to 40 mm but over 60 mm drenched the East Coast and over 100 mm fell in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 29th at Eaglehawk Neck and Mount Wellington; these two sites were amongst those to have their wettest November day on record. There was also statewide rain with a front on the 3rd and a low on the 22nd, though totals were not so impressive. Another low crossed on the afternoon of the 16th, triggering thunderstorms in the north and northeast that were locally severe: Tunnack and Launceston Airport had almost 30 mm in 30 minutes, an intensity expected about once every 50 years on average. 

For the whole month, rainfall was fairly uniform across the state with 60 to 80 mm falling in most areas. A few sites on the East Coast and in the western highlands had over 100 mm and the wettest location was Mount Wellington with 201.8 mm (its highest November rainfall on record). Swansea and Scamander had their highest total November rainfall for at least 20 years. King Island was the driest area, with only 33.4 mm recorded at the airport. Elsewhere in the state, only parts of the northern Midlands and Derwent Valley had less than 50 mm. 

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Extremes in November 2009
Hottest day	35.1 °C at Bicheno (Council Depot) on the 20th
Warmest days on average	22.3 °C at Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)
Coolest days on average	12.8 °C at Mount Wellington
Coldest day	3.0 °C at Mount Read on the 4th
Coldest night	-2.5 °C at Mount Wellington on the 4th
Coolest nights on average	4.4 °C at Mount Wellington
Warmest nights on average	13.6 °C at Hogan Island
Warmest night	17.8 °C at Luncheon Hill (Forestry) on the 10th
Wettest overall	201.8 mm at Mount Wellington
Driest overall	33.4 mm at King Island Airport
Wettest day	113.6 mm at Eaglehawk Neck (Jetty Road) on the 29th
Highest wind gust	133 km/h at Hogan Island on the 3rd

Details Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Record highest November daily rainfall
	Highest daily rainfall in November 2009 (mm)		Previous highest for November		Years of record
Eaglehawk Neck (Jetty Road)	113.6	on the 29th	85.3	on the 21st in 1954	84
Bicheno (Council Depot)	82.8	on the 29th	79.2	on the 21st in 1954	83
Risdon Vale (Poplar Road)	33.0	on the 29th	32.0	on the 18th in 1969	30
Mount Wellington	101.2	on the 29th	69.0	on the 24th in 2001	28
Bull Bay (Lauriston)	44.0	on the 29th	32.6	on the 6th in 2004	27
Nugent (Twilight Valley)	55.4	on the 29th	44.0	on the 9th in 1989	26

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Record highest total November rainfall
	Total rainfall for November 2009 (mm)	Previous highest for November		Years of record	Average for November
Mount Wellington	201.8	175.4	in 2001	28	86.0

Highest total November rainfall for at least 20 years
	Total rainfall for November 2009 (mm)	Most recent higher for November		Years since higher	Average for November
Swansea Post Office	139.0	156.0	in 1943	66	51.6
Scamander	111.2	134.2	in 1978	20	63.4

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Record highest November temperature
	Highest temperature in November 2009 (°C)		Previous highest for November		Years of record	Average for November
Marrawah	29.0	on the 9th	27.6	on the 13th in 1988	39	16.6
Bicheno (Council Depot)	35.1	on the 20th	33.9	on the 15th in 2003	35	18.3
Wynyard Airport	30.5	on the 19th	28.4	on the 18th in 2002	23	17.7
Lake St Clair National Park	28.0	on the 8th	27.7	on the 19th in 2007	20	15.3

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Record highest November mean daily maximum temperature
	Mean daily maximum temperature for November 2009 (°C)	Previous highest for November		Years of record	Average for November
Burnie (Round Hill)	20.1	20.0	in 2007	60	17.7
Eddystone Point	20.2	19.9	in 1959	50	17.8
Butlers Gorge	18.2	16.8	in 1958	46	14.5
Flinders Island Airport	21.5	20.2	in 2000	46	18.4
Marrawah	19.5	19.3	in 2000	38	16.6
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road)	20.9	20.8	in 1982	37	18.7
Mount Wellington	12.8	12.2	in 2007	25	9.0
Fingal (Legge Street)	21.6	21.5	in 2007	23	19.4
Geeveston (Cemetery Road)	20.2	20.0	in 2007	23	18.2
Wynyard Airport	20.9	19.7	in 2007	22	17.7

Highest November mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
	Mean daily maximum temperature for November 2009 (°C)	Most recent higher for November		Years since higher	Average for November
Bicheno (Council Depot)	19.7	19.8	in 1966	33	18.3
Orford (Aubin Court)	20.0	22.3	in 1982	27	18.6

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Record highest November mean daily minimum temperature
	Mean daily minimum temperature for November 2009 (°C)	Previous highest for November		Years of record	Average for November
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)	9.3	9.2	in 2000	73	7.5
Hobart Airport	11.2	= 11.2	in 2000	51	9.1
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	11.3	11.1	in 2000	26	8.8
Tarraleah Village	6.9	6.8	in 2000	26	4.7
Mount Wellington	4.4	= 4.4	in 2000	25	1.4

Details Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Summary statistics for November 2009
	Maximum temperatures for November (°C)				Minimum temperatures for November (°C)				Rainfall for November (millimetres)
	Mean for November 2009	Diff from average	Highest for November 2009		Mean for November 2009	Diff from average	Lowest for November 2009		Total for November 2009	Average for November	Rank of November 2009	Fraction of November average
Northern (district 91)
Bridport (Sea View Villas)	19.9	+1.6	27.0	19th	11.6	+1.8	5.2	5th	55.4	49.9	average	111%
Burnie (Round Hill)	20.1	+2.4	30.3	19th	12.6	+2.9	6.4	4th	61.9	68.0	average	91%
Cape Grim BAPS	18.1	+2.3	27.2	10th	12.2	+1.8	8.3	15th
Cressy Research Station	22.0	+1.5	31.6	19th	9.0	+2.1	1.5	5th	66.4	48.9	average	136%
Devonport Airport	19.5	+2.0	24.5	19th	11.6	+2.7	4.9	4th	67.8	56.6	average	120%
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	22.3	+1.9	30.0	9th	11.3	+2.5	4.4	5th	58.4	49.2	average	119%
Launceston Airport	21.4		29.5	9th	9.5		3.0	5th	72.8
Low Head	18.6	+1.3	24.6	19th	12.9	+1.8	8.0	6th	66.0	43.3	high	152%
Luncheon Hill (Forestry)	20.2	+3.1	30.8	9th	10.1	+2.7	4.1	6th	61.0	87.2	low	70%
Marrawah	19.5	+2.9	29.0	9th	11.3	+2.2	6.0	15th	73.4	68.2	average	108%
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road)	20.9	+2.2	29.3	19th	9.9	+2.2	1.4	5th	62.8	69.4	average	90%
Sheffield School Farm	19.7	+1.8	28.7	19th	9.3	+1.9	4.4	4th	94.2	86.9	average	108%
Smithton Aerodrome	20.5	+2.3	27.1	19th	10.2	+1.7	3.1	6th	82.4	52.5	high	157%
Wynyard Airport	20.9	+3.2	30.5	19th	9.8	+1.9	3.5	6th	71.6	74.3	average	96%
East Coast (district 92)
Bicheno (Council Depot)	19.7	+1.4	35.1	20th	11.6	+1.6	5.0	4th	129.8	58.1	v high	223%
Eddystone Point	20.2	+2.5	30.0	9th	12.4	+1.7	6.5	5th	99.4	59.5	high	167%
Fingal (Legge Street)	21.6	+2.2	31.8	20th	8.8	+1.8	0.9	5th	52.4	44.6	average	117%
Friendly Beaches	20.7	+1.2	33.2	20th	11.7	+1.6	6.5	6th	45.4	57.7	average	79%
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River)	18.3	+2.7	28.2	19th	7.1	+2.0	-1.1	6th	65.0	63.6	average	102%
Maria Island (Point Lesueur)	18.8		29.6	20th	11.7		7.8	4th	103.6
Orford (Aubin Court)	20.0	+1.4	31.4	20th	11.1	+2.0	6.4	5th	91.4	65.0	high	141%
Scamander	20.0	+1.1	32.8	20th	11.7	+1.4	5.7	5th	111.2	63.4	high	175%
St Helens Aerodrome	20.4		32.9	9th	11.5		5.3	5th	144.0
Swan Island	18.8		26.8	20th	13.0		8.7	5th	76.2
Swansea Post Office	20.2	+1.1	32.0	20th	10.7	+1.8	3.6	6th	139.0	51.6	v high	269%
Midlands (district 93)
Ross (The Boulevards)	21.6	+1.8	32.4	19th	9.0	+2.3	0.3	6th	61.6	45.6	high	135%
Southeast (district 94)
Campania (Kincora)	21.3		33.5	20th	9.5		2.5	6th	57.4
Cape Bruny (Cape Bruny)	17.8	+1.2	25.6	9th	10.6	+1.0	6.8	4th	53.2	49.5	average	107%
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	16.9	+1.3	24.7	9th	11.1	+2.1	9.0	6th	50.0	75.2	low	66%
Dover	18.7	+1.3	31.7	20th	8.8	+1.1	4.0	5th	71.6	71.5	average	100%
Geeveston (Cemetery Road)	20.2	+2.0	32.9	9th	9.4	+1.9	5.6	15th	70.0	69.5	average	101%
Grove (Research Station)	20.1		31.9	9th	8.5		1.4	6th	50.8
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	19.9	+1.3	32.6	20th	11.2	+2.0	5.8	6th	68.8	54.0	high	127%
Hobart Airport	20.1	+1.2	32.6	20th	11.2	+2.0	5.5	6th	55.4	43.6	high	127%
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse	15.4	+1.1	23.8	9th	9.8	+1.4	6.4	4th	41.4	91.9	v low	45%
Melton Mowbray (North Stockman)	20.5	+0.8	31.0	20th	8.8	+1.6	2.2	6th	54.4	37.5	high	145%
Mount Wellington	12.8	+3.7	23.7	9th	4.4	+2.9	-2.5	4th	201.8	86.0	highest	235%
Tasman Island	16.6		30.3	20th	9.6		5.7	4th	98.6
Tunnack Fire Station	18.2	+0.9	28.5	20th	7.8	+2.0	0.8	6th	117.8	55.5	v high	212%
Derwent Valley (district 95)
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)	22.1	+2.3	33.1	9th	9.3	+1.8	1.3	6th	39.8	52.7	average	76%
Maydena Post Office	19.7	+1.9	32.0	9th	7.9	+1.5	4.0	4th	100.7	91.5	average	110%
Ouse Fire Station	22.2	+1.2	33.6	9th	8.7	+1.9	1.3	6th	45.6	40.3	average	113%
Tarraleah Village	19.1	+2.9	28.5	9th	6.9	+2.2	0.0	8th	73.0	97.2	low	75%
Central Plateau (district 96)
Butlers Gorge	18.2	+3.7	28.0	8th	5.4	+1.5	-1.6	15th	81.6	139.9	low	58%
Lake St Clair National Park	18.5	+3.1	28.0	8th	5.2	+1.8	-1.0	15th	83.6	134.3	low	62%
Liawenee	18.4		27.4	9th	5.1		-1.6	4th	68.6
West Coast (district 97)
Hartz Mountain (Keoghs Pimple)	15.4	+1.7	26.9	9th	6.0	+1.8	0.2	4th	86.6	69.6	high	124%
Mount Read	14.0	+3.3	24.4	9th	5.9	+2.9	-0.9	4th	172.2	201.1	average	86%
Scotts Peak Dam	20.2	+2.7	31.4	9th	8.4	+1.7	3.8	4th	90.4	87.8	average	103%
Strahan Aerodrome	20.0	+2.4	30.2	8th	10.0	+1.8	4.7	7th	69.4	82.5	average	84%
Strathgordon Village	18.8	+2.7	30.0	9th	8.7	+1.7	4.6	4th	136.4	177.5	low	77%
Warra	17.3		29.4	9th	7.2		2.9	4th	124.6
King Island (district 98)
King Island Airport	19.9	+2.7	30.2	9th	12.1	+2.2	6.0	6th	33.4	55.6	low	60%
Flinders Island (district 99)
Flinders Island Airport	21.5	+3.1	33.0	19th	12.1	+2.0	3.6	6th	68.4	55.1	high	124%
Hogan Island	19.9		29.5	19th	13.6		9.7	4th	60.6
Antarctica and Macquarie Island (district 300)
Macquarie Island	5.8	-0.7	8.1	30th	1.6	-1.1	-0.7	15th	110.2	71.1	v high	155%

Details Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

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