Wednesday, 2 January 2013 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC27R0

Tasmania in December 2012: Wet in the north, but dry and warm in the east

December rainfall was above average in the north of Tasmania following heavy rain overnight on the 14th, but was below average in the east. Daytime temperatures were warmer than average in most areas, by up to 2 °C above average in the east. Minimum temperatures were generally within 1 °C of average.

• Wynyard and Ulverstone's wettest December day on record
• Dry in the east
• Warm days, especially in the east
• Bicheno's warmest December night on record

An Annual Climate Summary for Tasmania is also available, as is the Australian Annual Climate Statement 2012.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Heavy rain in the northwest

A low pressure system and associated cloud band crossed Tasmania overnight on the 14th, producing locally heavy rainfall in the northwest. Sites across the north recorded 20 to 40 mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on the 15th, and a few sites in the northwest received up to 80 mm, including Ulverstone with 78 mm and Wynyard with 68 mm, the highest December daily rainfall on record at both sites.

Other wet days include the 19th, when a cold front produced falls of up to 40 mm in the north and west, and around the 4th and 14th when cold fronts and troughs brought falls of 20 to 40 mm to the west. Daily totals were often less than 10 mm in other areas throughout December.

Overall, monthly rainfall totals were below average in the east, but were average to above average across the north and west. Fingal only recorded 11 mm for the whole month, the driest site in Tasmania, and Scamander had its driest December in 24 years with only 15 mm. Mount Read was the wettest site with at least 268 mm (although some recordings were lost). Queenstown was the next wettest site with 191 mm.

A mix of hot and cold days

Daytime temperatures were warmer than normal for most of the 7th to 15th, when northerly winds were common. The 8th was particularly warm, temperatures reaching into the mid-thirties in the southeast and west. Dover recorded a maximum of 33.7 °C on the 8th, the warmest day of the month.

In contrast, maximum temperatures were especially cold on the 4th and 5th in a cold southwesterly airstream. Temperatures didn't rise past the mid-teens, and remained below 10 degrees in the Central Plateau. Mount Wellington's maximum of only 2.4 °C on the 4th was the coldest day of the month, and Maydena's maximum of 9.4 °C was its coldest December day on record.

Overall, maximum temperatures were mostly warmer than average, rising up to around 2 degrees warmer than average in the east.

Mild nights in the southeast

Minimum temperatures were generally within one degree of average, but tending on the warm side in the southeast. The warmest nights were around the 1st, 13th to 15th and the 24th in mild northerly winds. Bicheno recorded a minimum of 18.8 °C on the morning of the 1st, its warmest December night on record.

The coldest nights were around the 5th, 10th and 17th when temperatures below 8 degrees were common. Mount Wellington's -2.7 °C on the morning of the 5th was the coldest temperature of the month.

Warm and dry conditions continue in Hobart

December was warmer and drier than average in Hobart, continuing a pattern seen in recent months. Maximum temperatures were 2.2 °C warmer than average and minimum temperatures 1.4 °C warmer than average. 22 mm of rain was well below the December average of 57 mm.

There were a few more hot days than usual, the temperature exceeding 25 degrees on 7 days (the average is 4), the warmest of which was 32.9 °C on the 8th. There were also less cold nights than usual; the temperature only fell below 10 degrees on 4 mornings, compared to an average of 11.

It rained on 10 days, which is just shy of average, but daily totals were mostly less than 5 mm. The 15th was the wettest day with only 9 mm.

* The true total at Mount Read is probably higher, as some data was lost during a power outage.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

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

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top