Wednesday, 4 January 2012 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC27R0

Tasmania in December 2011: Warm and dry

December was warmer than average overall, with many warm days and nights in the latter half of the month. It was also drier than usual in most areas, except in the east, southeast and southern Midlands.

• Warm December days and nights
• Well below average rainfall in most areas
• Thunderstorms ensure average rainfall in the south and east
  

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Warm December days

Conditions were cool for most of the first half of December, and especially in the first week. On the 4th, Lake Leake had its equal-coldest December day on record, the temperature only reaching 8.6 °C. Daytime temperatures were warmer than normal around the 9th and particularly in the latter half of the month, which resulted in above average maximum temperatures overall: by up to one degree in the eastern half and by up to two degrees in the west.

Warm December nights

Night time temperatures were also warmer than average, by up to one degree. The coldest temperatures were in the first week of the month when a high to the west directed cold southerly air across Tasmania, the temperature dropping to -3.7 °C at Liawenee on the 2nd. On the 5th, Cape Grim recorded its lowest December temperature on record with 6.6 °C. Much of the rest of the month was warmer than usual, except the 12th to 14th.

Average to below average rainfall

Monthly rainfall totals were below average across most of Tasmania, except the east, southeast and the southern Midlands where thunderstorms helped deliver close to average rainfall. Some sites had their lowest total December rainfall for at least 20 years.
The most significant rainfall event of the month was on the 18th and 19th when 10 to 50 mm of rain was recorded in the north on the 18th in moist northerly winds, and with thunderstorms in the southeast the next day. There were further thunderstorms around the 24th and 25th which delivered up to 40 mm in the east, southeast, and Midlands.

Hobart: Heavy rain with flash flooding

December rainfall ended up close to average in Hobart. Prior to the 19th, only about 22 mm of rain had fallen, but wet conditions on the 19th doubled that amount. A thunderstorm that afternoon delivered heavy rain (the CBD received 10 mm in 30 minutes and the Airport 16 mm in 10 minutes) causing flash flooding in the Hobart area.
Day time temperatures were spot on average, with only 3 days where the temperature exceeded 25 °C, the warmest of which was 26.9 °C on the 9th. Night time temperatures were close to one degree above average.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

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* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported.

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top