Tuesday, 2 April 2013 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0

Tasmania in March 2013: exceptionally warm

March 2013 was the warmest recorded in Tasmania, with an unprecedented run of hot days to start, almost no cold weather, and another warm burst in the final week (before a cool final day). There was some heavy rain in the central north.

• Tasmania's warmest March
• Record warm daytime temperatures
• Record warm overnight temperatures
• Some heavy rain in the central north

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Prolonged heatwave ensures Tasmania's warmest March

A prolonged heatwave affected Tasmania and the rest of southeast Australia between 2 and 13 March, helping create the warmest March ever recorded in Tasmania. Many sites had their highest March mean temperature on record or their highest for many years. In several cases the March record was set in 2010, with 1974 and 1971 also very warm for Tasmania. Averaged across the state, the mean temperature was a March record of 15.7 °C, which is 2.2 °C above normal and 0.3 °C warmer than the previous record from 1974. The state average maximum temperature was a March record of 21.0 (2.9 °C above normal and 0.9 °C above the previous record from 1974), and minimum temperatures were the 3rd-warmest for March at 10.3 °C (1.6 °C above normal).

A near-stationary high over the Tasman Sea directed warm air across the state from the 2nd to the 13th, and coincided with exceptionally high sea surface temperatures. The heatwave was characterised by prolonged sequences of days and nights above threshold temperatures, and was accompanied by high humidity and generally light winds. Launceston reached 30 °C on 8 consecutive days from the 5th to the 12th, double the previous record for such a warm spell (28 to 31 January 2009). Lake St Clair and Sheffield both had an unprecedented 9 consecutive days reaching 25 °C, whilst Hobart Airport and Orford had 7 consecutive nights above 15 °C. With the heatwave affecting Victoria and SA as well, a Special Climate Statement was prepared.

Record warm days

The heatwave included several particularly warm days; the hottest day was the 12th with 37.4 °C at Bushy Park, and 37.3 °C at Grove. Some sites (including Launceston) had their highest March temperature on record, either on the 7th or the 12th. Although the second half of the month was not as warm as the first half, the 27th saw an approaching cold front push temperatures into the 30s at many sites. The 32.8 °C at Bushy Park that day was within a whisker of the highest late-season temperature ever recorded in Tasmania (33.0 °C at Scamander on 27 March 1990), whilst Launceston (30.0 °C), Strathgordon (28.5 °C) and Lake Leake (27.0 °C) were among sites that had their highest late-season maximum.

The warm weather at the start of the month, and a shortage of cold weather, meant almost all sites had their highest March mean daily maximum temperature on record (the main exceptions were on the east and south coasts, where 2010 was warmer). Many sites broke their previous records by a wide margin, and in several cases were more than 3 °C above the March average.

There was some cold weather: on the 16th and 17th temperatures in the low to mid-teens were common, some snow fell on the highest peaks, and Mount Wellington reached just 5.3 °C. For most sites the coolest day was the 31st in the wake of a cold front.

Record warm nights

Overnight temperatures were also persistently high through the first part of the month, peaking on the 12th or 13th when some sites (including Hobart, Bicheno and Devonport) had their warmest March night on record. With little in the way of cold nights it was not surprising that many sites had their highest March mean daily minimum temperature on record.

The coldest morning for most places was the 17th (when Mount Wellington fell to -1.7 °C and Liawenee and Mount Read also dropped below zero), or at the very start of the month: Liawenee dipped to -1.4 °C on the 1st.

Heavy rain in the central north

The 21st was easily the wettest day of the month as a cold front and complex area of low pressure near the state brought rain statewide, heavy in the north with some thunderstorms. Several sites saw daily totals over 60 mm, with Targa (Mountain Views) receiving 92.0 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 22nd, and both Barrington and Westbury having their highest March daily rainfall on record. More fronts brought more rain through to the 24th, and this was enough to ensure the March totals were above average in the central north. In most of the rest of the state, rainfall was close to average.

Despite the heavy falls in the north, westerly winds brought rain to the west coast on most days from the 10th to the 24th and Mount Read with 324.8 mm was the wettest single spot. The westerlies also meant the driest areas were on the east coast, with Maria Island (Point Lesueur) getting only 17.0 mm.

Hobart's warmest March

March 2013 was exceptionally warm in Hobart, with temperatures almost three degrees above normal.

Hobart's mean daily maximum of 22.9 °C was a record, although just 0.02 °C above March 1940 (which had 3 days over 35 °C). Although there were some very high temperatures this year (it reached 36.6 °C on the 12th and 31.8 °C on the 27th), more noticeable was the lack of especially low temperatures: the coldest was 16.2 °C on the 31st.

The lack of cold nights (the coldest morning was 8.4 °C on the 19th) and several very mild ones (there were 4 mornings when it didn't drop below 17 °C) meant the average minimum temperature was 13.5 °C, 2.8 °C warmer than normal and just 0.02 °C cooler than the record from 2010.

There were 3 main rain events for Hobart: a trough brought 6.6 mm on the 10th, a front on the 17th brought 14.4 mm, and a low near the state on the 21st gave 20.2 mm. Together these helped give a March total of 48.6 mm, slightly above the long-term average of 45 mm.

The Bureau of Meteorology's climate archive includes some warm months for Hobart in the early part of the record, but those from before a standard "Stevenson screen" was installed in mid-1895 are not directly comparable to the more recent observations.

---

Extremes in March 2013
Hottest day	37.4 °C at Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates) on the 12th
Warmest days on average	25.3 °C at Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates) and Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)
Coolest days on average	14.5 °C at Mount Wellington
Coldest day	5.3 °C at Mount Wellington on the 17th
Coldest night	-1.7 °C at Mount Wellington on the 17th
Coolest nights on average	5.5 °C at Liawenee
Warmest nights on average	15.5 °C at Swan Island
Warmest night	21.2 °C at Burnie (Round Hill) on the 12th
Warmest on average overall	19.2 °C at Flinders Island Airport
Coolest on average overall	10.5 °C at Mount Wellington
Wettest overall	324.8 mm at Mount Read
Driest overall	17.0 mm at Maria Island (Point Lesueur)
Wettest day	92.0 mm at Targa (Mountain Views) on the 22nd
Highest wind gust	143 km/h at Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse on the 31st

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

---

Record highest March daily rainfall
	Highest daily rainfall in March 2013 (mm)		Previous wettest for March		Years of record
Barrington Post Office	64.2	on the 22nd	61.4	on the 19th in 1975	46
Westbury (Birralee Road)	69.8	on the 22nd	64.4	on the 17th in 2001	36

---

Record highest March temperature
	Highest temperature in March 2013 (°C)		Previous warmest for March		Years of record	Average for March
Marrawah	29.8	on the 6th	= 29.8	on the 12th in 1998	43	19.3
Strathgordon Village	33.1	on the 12th	31.5	on the 14th in 1985	32	17.3
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	33.0	on the 7th	32.9	on the 17th in 2008	30	22.5
Wynyard Airport	30.3	on the 7th	28.9	on the 10th in 2008	28	20.1
Geeveston (Cemetery Road)	36.8	on the 12th	36.4	on the 1st in 1989	26	20.1
Dover	37.0	on the 12th	36.5	on the 13th in 1998	24	19.1
Strahan Aerodrome	35.4	on the 12th	34.3	on the 17th in 2008	22	19.4
Maydena Post Office	35.7	on the 12th	35.2	on the 17th in 2008	21	19.4

---

Record highest March mean daily maximum temperature
	Mean daily maximum temperature for March 2013 (°C)	Previous warmest for March		Years of record	Average for March
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	22.9	= 22.9	in 1940	118	20.1
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)	25.3	24.4	in 2010	78	21.8
Cape Sorell	20.9	20.2	in 1956	72	17.5
Burnie (Round Hill)	22.3	= 22.3	in 1971	64	20.0
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	23.5	23.2	in 2010	55	20.4
Hobart Airport	23.1	23.0	in 2010	54	20.7
Butlers Gorge	19.7	19.3	in 1971	50	16.5
Flinders Island Airport	23.9	23.4	in 2008	50	21.2
Marrawah	22.0	21.5	in 1974	42	19.3
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road)	23.7	23.6	in 1990	41	21.3
Mount Wellington	14.5	14.2	in 1992	33	11.3
Strathgordon Village	20.0	= 20.0	in 1974	31	17.3
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	25.3	24.5	in 1992	29	22.5
Wynyard Airport	22.1	22.0	in 2010	27	20.1
Fingal (Legge Street)	24.0	23.7	in 2010	26	21.5
Dover	21.7	20.5	in 2010	23	19.1
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River)	20.1	19.3	in 2008	23	17.4
Bull Bay (Lauriston)	21.9	= 21.9	in 2010	21	19.7
Devonport Airport	22.0	21.8	in 2010	21	20.3
Lake St Clair National Park	19.6	18.4	in 2008	21	16.6
Strahan Aerodrome	22.2	21.5	in 1982	21	19.4
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	20.7	19.8	in 2000	20	18.4
Maydena Post Office	22.9	21.1	in 2001	20	19.4

Highest March mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
	Mean daily maximum temperature for March 2013 (°C)	Most recent March at least this warm		Years since warmer	Average for March
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	19.8	= 19.8	in 1974	39	17.6
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse	18.5	18.7	in 1974	39	16.3
Geeveston (Cemetery Road)	22.2	22.3	in 1989*	23	20.1

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

---

Record highest March daily minimum temperature
	Highest daily minimum temperature in March 2013 (°C)		Previous warmest for March		Years of record	Average for March
Hobart Airport	20.4	on the 13th	19.8	on the 18th in 1967	55	10.8
Burnie (Round Hill)	21.2	on the 12th	20.7	on the 11th in 1974	49	12.0
Marrawah	20.0	on the 12th	19.2	on the 3rd in 1974	43	11.6
Scamander	20.0	on the 13th	= 20.0	on the 12th in 1974	31	11.8
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	19.1	on the 10th	19.0	on the 21st in 2012	30	10.1
Wynyard Airport	21.0	on the 12th	18.9	on the 10th in 2001	28	9.5
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	19.8	on the 12th	19.0	on the 10th in 2001	21	12.8

---

Record highest March mean daily minimum temperature
	Mean daily minimum temperature for March 2013 (°C)	Previous warmest for March		Years of record	Average for March
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	13.5	= 13.5	in 2010	118	10.9
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	13.2	13.0	in 1974	89	11.1
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse	12.7	= 12.7	in 1974	76	10.6
Mount Wellington	6.5	6.0	in 1971	33	4.0
Strathgordon Village	10.8	10.6	in 1974	31	8.5
Wynyard Airport	11.4	11.1	in 1962	27	9.5
Geeveston (Cemetery Road)	10.7	10.1	in 1989	25	8.4
Dover	10.7	10.6	in 2001	23	9.0
Devonport Airport	12.5	= 12.5	in 2010	21	10.7
Lake St Clair National Park	6.7	6.1	in 2001	21	4.2
Strahan Aerodrome	11.4	11.0	in 2001	21	9.7
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	14.8	13.6	in 2001	20	12.8

Highest March mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
	Mean daily minimum temperature for March 2013 (°C)	Most recent March at least this warm		Years since warmer	Average for March
Marrawah	13.6	14.1	in 1974	39	11.6
Scamander	13.7	14.5	in 1974*	30	11.8
Flinders Island Airport	14.5	14.6	in 1983*	29	12.5
Burnie (Round Hill)	13.9	= 13.9	in 1985	28	12.0
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	14.6	= 14.6	in 1989	24	13.3
Butlers Gorge	6.9	7.2	in 1974*	21	5.1

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

---

Record highest March mean temperature
	Mean daily temperature for March 2013 (°C)	Previous warmest for March		Years of record	Average for March
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	18.2	18.1	in 2010	118	15.5
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)	17.5	17.2	in 2010	78	15.1
Cape Sorell	17.3	17.1	in 1956	72	14.5
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	19.1	18.8	in 2010	55	16.9
Butlers Gorge	13.3	13.1	in 1974	50	10.8
Flinders Island Airport	19.2	19.0	in 1974	50	16.9
Marrawah	17.8	= 17.8	in 1974	42	15.5
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road)	17.4	17.3	in 1990	41	15.6
Mount Wellington	10.5	9.9	in 1992	33	7.6
Strathgordon Village	15.4	15.3	in 1974	31	12.9
Scamander	18.1	18.0	in 2010	30	16.2
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	18.4	18.3	in 2010	29	16.3
Wynyard Airport	16.8	16.5	in 2010	27	14.8
Fingal (Legge Street)	16.5	16.4	in 2010	26	14.7
Geeveston (Cemetery Road)	16.4	16.2	in 1989	25	14.3
Dover	16.2	15.3	in 2010	23	14.0
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River)	13.7	13.2	in 2010	23	11.7
Devonport Airport	17.3	17.2	in 2010	21	15.5
Lake St Clair National Park	13.1	11.8	in 2010	21	10.4
Strahan Aerodrome	16.8	16.0	in 1982	21	14.5
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	17.8	16.6	in 2000	20	15.6
Maydena Post Office	15.6	15.0	in 2001	20	13.2

Highest March mean temperature for at least 20 years
	Mean daily temperature for March 2013 (°C)	Most recent March at least this warm		Years since warmer	Average for March
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	16.5	16.6	in 1971	42	14.3
Burnie (Round Hill)	18.1	18.9	in 1974	39	16.0
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse	15.6	15.7	in 1974	39	13.4

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

---

Summary statistics for March 2013
	Maximum temperatures for March (°C)				Minimum temperatures for March (°C)				Rainfall for March (millimetres)
	Mean for March 2013	Diff from average	Highest for March 2013		Mean for March 2013	Diff from average	Lowest for March 2013		Total for March 2013	Average for March	Rank of March 2013	Fraction of March average
Northern (district 91)
Bridport (Sea View Villas)	22.3	+1.4	27.1	12th	12.8	+1.2	6.4	29th	64.2	45.9	high	140%
Burnie (Round Hill)	22.3	+2.3	26.5	7th	13.9	+1.9	7.4	1st	67.6	51.5	high	131%
Cape Grim	20.4		25.5	10th	14.7		8.3	29th	49.2
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	20.7	+2.3	25.7	10th	14.8	+2.0	9.5	17th	45.2	46.0	average	98%
Cressy Research Station	25.2	+2.6	34.3	7th	9.3	+1.2	2.2	14th	79.0	46.5	average	170%
Devonport Airport	22.0	+1.7	26.6	12th	12.5	+1.8	3.1	17th	72.2	47.6	high	152%
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	25.3	+2.8	33.0	7th	11.4	+1.3	4.2	29th	68.0	37.7	high	180%
Launceston Airport	25.0		33.9	7th	10.3		2.9	29th	63.4
Low Head	21.4	+1.5	25.8	10th	14.5	+1.4	7.7	17th	86.0	46.3	high	186%
Luncheon Hill (Forestry)	21.9	+3.2	31.7	10th	11.9	+2.3	4.9	17th	99.0	85.8	average	115%
Marrawah	22.0	+2.7	29.8	6th	13.6	+2.0	8.0	17th	47.0	66.2	average	71%
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road)	23.7	+2.4	32.0	7th	11.1	+1.2	4.4	29th	102.6	55.7	high	184%
Sheffield School Farm	22.5	+2.7	31.0	7th	10.6	+1.4	5.8	1st
Smithton Aerodrome	22.4	+2.2	32.5	7th	11.5	+2.0	5.3	2nd	57.2	50.1	average	114%
Wynyard Airport	22.1	+2.0	30.3	7th	11.4	+1.9	4.8	18th	54.6	47.6	average	115%
East Coast (district 92)
Bicheno (Council Depot)	21.9	+1.4	28.5	13th	13.5	+1.5	6.5	29th	30.9	57.0	average	54%
Fingal (Legge Street)	24.0	+2.5	32.6	6th	8.9	+0.9	2.8	1st	53.2	45.1	high	118%
Friendly Beaches	22.9	+1.5	28.9	12th	13.4	+1.5	7.7	17th	48.6	58.1	average	84%
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River)	20.1	+2.7	28.9	12th	7.4	+1.4	1.2	18th	58.4	62.7	average	93%
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	23.5	+3.1	27.8	12th	14.6	+1.3	8.0	29th	31.2	57.7	average	54%
Maria Island (Point Lesueur)	21.4		27.7	27th	14.4		10.2	17th	17.0
Orford (Aubin Court)	22.0	+1.5	31.0	27th	12.1	+1.4	6.8	17th	38.2	46.1	average	83%
Scamander	22.7	+2.0	29.6	6th	13.7	+1.9	9.0	17th	35.6	65.7	average	54%
St Helens Aerodrome	22.8	+2.0	32.7	6th	12.9	+1.4	5.7	29th	65.4	64.2	average	102%
Swan Island	22.1	+1.9	27.1	27th	15.5	+1.3	10.5	17th	36.4	57.0	average	64%
Swansea (Francis Street)	23.5		32.8	27th	12.3		6.8	14th	26.9
Midlands (district 93)
Ross (The Boulevards)	24.6	+3.0	33.6	7th	9.4	+1.5	2.0	14th	62.8	35.5	high	177%
Southeast (district 94)
Bull Bay (Lauriston)	21.9	+2.2	33.5	12th	12.6	+1.2	8.0	17th	46.6	44.4	average	105%
Campania (Kincora)	24.4	+2.3	35.7	12th	11.7	+1.8	5.9	1st	44.2	36.5	average	121%
Cape Bruny (Cape Bruny)	20.4	+2.0	35.5	12th	13.0	+1.5	7.0	31st	56.2	55.8	average	101%
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	19.8	+2.2	33.8	12th	13.2	+2.1	7.5	31st	56.8	68.3	average	83%
Dennes Point	22.0		33.5	12th	13.5		8.9	17th	46.8
Dover	21.7	+2.6	37.0	12th	10.7	+1.7	3.2	17th	54.2	63.9	average	85%
Dunalley (Stroud Point)	22.2		31.3	27th	14.2		9.9	29th	28.4
Geeveston (Cemetery Road)	22.2	+2.1	36.8	12th	10.7	+2.3	4.4	17th	58.8	54.6	average	108%
Grove (Research Station)	23.7		37.3	12th	9.7		2.7	19th
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	22.9	+2.8	36.6	12th	13.5	+2.6	8.4	19th	48.6	45.5	average	107%
Hobart Airport	23.1	+2.4	36.1	12th	12.5	+1.7	8.3	17th	41.2	36.4	average	113%
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse	18.5	+2.2	30.2	12th	12.7	+2.1	7.8	31st	74.8	85.9	average	87%
Melton Mowbray (North Stockman)	23.5	+2.7	34.6	12th	9.8	+1.6	3.6	1st	42.6	33.5	average	127%
Mount Wellington	14.5	+3.2	26.1	12th	6.5	+2.5	-1.7	17th	87.6	76.4	average	115%
Tasman Island	19.2	+2.4	26.2	5th	12.6	+1.5	6.6	31st	37.4	67.5	v low	55%
Tunnack Fire Station	21.7	+2.8	31.2	6th	8.8	+1.3	0.6	1st	42.0	53.6	average	78%
Derwent Valley (district 95)
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)	25.3	+3.5	37.4	12th	9.7	+1.3	2.6	1st	39.4	39.6	average	99%
Maydena Post Office	22.9	+3.5	35.7	12th	8.5	+1.4	0.4	1st	85.4	71.7	average	119%
Ouse Fire Station	25.0	+2.8	36.4	12th	9.6	+1.7	3.6	19th	43.8	30.9	high	142%
Central Plateau (district 96)
Butlers Gorge	19.7	+3.2	28.9	4th	6.9	+1.8	0.4	5th	101.8	100.6	average	101%
Lake St Clair National Park	19.6	+3.0	28.7	8th	6.7	+2.5	0.5	1st	143.4	110.4	high	130%
Liawenee	18.6	+2.7	27.7	5th	5.5	+1.9	-1.4	1st	142.2	66.7	v high	213%
West Coast (district 97)
Cape Sorell	20.9	+3.4	28.8	12th	13.7	+2.2	8.5	17th	92.0	83.7	average	110%
Hartz Mountain (Keoghs Pimple)	17.4	+3.0	31.0	12th	8.6	+2.5	1.0	31st	80.4	69.6	average	116%
Low Rocky Point	20.3		31.2	12th	13.2		8.9	1st	93.6	94.1	average	99%
Mount Read	14.7	+3.0	24.4	12th	7.5	+2.7	-0.1	17th	324.8	267.4	high	121%
Scotts Peak Dam	21.3	+3.1	35.4	12th	10.6	+2.3	4.5	17th	138.6	120.7	average	115%
Strahan Aerodrome	22.2	+2.8	35.4	12th	11.4	+1.7	3.6	1st	120.8	103.6	high	117%
Strathgordon Village	20.0	+2.7	33.1	12th	10.8	+2.3	4.5	17th	156.0	148.4	average	105%
Warra	19.8		32.3	12th	9.2		1.4	1st	104.0
King Island (district 98)
King Island Airport	23.3	+3.4	36.8	12th	14.2	+2.2	8.2	2nd	48.6	51.1	average	95%
Flinders Island (district 99)
Flinders Island Airport	23.9	+2.7	31.9	27th	14.5	+2.0	5.9	19th
Antarctica and Macquarie Island (district 300)
Macquarie Island	8.5	+0.5	10.3	27th	5.2	+0.5	2.1	6th	136.0	99.9	v high	136%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

---

---