Monday, 1 July 2013 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC27R0

Tasmania in June 2013: A mild start before the cold set in

June temperatures started off on the mild side, before dropping significantly in the latter half of the month. Rainfall was below average in most areas, apart from the south and east where June totals were average to above average.

• A mild start to winter
• A run of cold days and very cold nights
• -11.2 °C on the 23rd at Liawenee
• Dry in the north and west
• Driest June on record in Marrawah
• Close to average rainfall in the south and east

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Mild days to start, before the cold set in

Maximum temperatures were much warmer than usual over the first 11 days of June. On the 3rd, Bicheno had its warmest June day in 11 years when the temperature reached 19.7 °C. That same day both St Helens (18.8 °C) and Fingal (17.3 °C) observed their warmest June day in 8 years, and Sheffield (15.4 °C), Scottsdale (16.7 °C) and Maria Island (17.1 °C) their warmest June day in 5 years. On the 4th, St Helens recorded its warmest June day since the station opened in 2001 with a maximum of 19.2 °C.

The warmth was followed by a period of cold days, which persisted through to the 25th. The 21st was particularly cold in the Derwent Valley due to persistent fog; Ouse observed its coldest day in 5 years (2.5 °C) and Bushy Park its coldest day in 6 years with 3.4 °C. Mount Wellington's maximum of only 0.1 °C on the 18th was the coldest day of the month.

Despite the run of cold days, maximum temperatures were generally up to one degree above average.

A run of very cold nights

Clear skies saw a winter cold snap affect west and northwest Tasmania from the 15th to the 25th, the cold extending to other areas of Tasmania from around the 21st as cloud cleared from the southeast of the state. Liawenee recorded the coldest temperatures, including a run of five nights below -9.0 °C between the 21st and 25th, a record for Liawenee. Liawenee also recorded its equal lowest temperature on recorded with -11.2 °C on the 23rd (also recorded on 23 July 2011). Smithton had a run of 10 days where the minimum temperature dropped below 2 °C between the 15th and 24th, which has never happened before in June.

The first half of June generally saw warmer than average minimum temperatures in most areas. The 1st was the warmest night for most sites, Cape Grim's minimum of 13.2 °C its warmest June night on record.

Overall, minimum temperatures were up to one degree above average, increasing to near two degrees above average in the south and east.

Average rain in the south and east, but dry elsewhere

June rainfall was below average across most of Tasmania, with the exception of the South East and East Coast districts where rainfall totals were average to above average. The latter was largely due to an east coast low over the Tasman Sea which directed a moist southeast flow across Tasmania between 12 and 19 June, maintaining showers in the south and east. Lewis Hill, north of Swansea, and Burnie (Park Grove) both observed the wettest day of the month with 47.4 mm. This occurred over the 24 hours to 9am on the 16th at Lewis Hill, and on the morning of the 27th at Burnie with a line of heavy showers.

Little rainfall fell across the west and north during the period of southeasterlies between 12 and 19 June. Smithton had 13 days in a row between the 13th and 25th when 0.2 mm or less was recorded each day. This has only occurred once before in June, at the Smithton (Grant St) site in 1950, when no rain fell in 13 days. Even though the north and west had several days of rain during the first 11 days of June and again over the last few days of month, overall monthly totals were still below average in those areas. A few sites in the northwest had their lowest total June rainfall on record, and others their lowest total June rainfall for at least 20 years.

The driest site overall was Westwood Bridge (Meander River) in the north with 8 mm, whilst Mount Read was the wettest with 273 mm.

Mild, then cold and wet in Hobart

Hobart had a very warm start to winter, observing its warmest first 11 days of June on record with a mean maximum of 15.9 °C. The 6th was particularly warm, Hobart and Hobart Airport observing their warmest June day since 2002 when 18.8 °C was reached at both sites. Minimum temperatures were also mild initially, remaining above average through to the 20th.

Hobart had a run of cold and wet days between the 12th and 19th when an east coast low maintained a southeast flow over Tasmania. The maximum temperature remained below 11 °C between the 12th and 22nd, which hasn't happened in June in 22 years. Night-time temperatures dropped significantly on the 21st, falling to 0.4 °C that morning and then 0.2 °C on the 22nd, Hobart's coldest morning in 6 years (since -0.4 °C on 18 June 2007). Minimum temperatures did not exceed 1.5 °C through to the 25th, the longest such run (5 days) since August 1960. The coldest day of the month was 7.9 °C on the 25th, Hobart's coldest June day in 6 years.

Overall, Hobart's mean maximum temperature of 13.0 °C was 1.0 °C above average. The mean minimum temperature of 6.1 °C was 0.9 °C above average.

The southeast flow saw Hobart receive rainl every day between 13 and 20 June, more than 5 mm recorded each day between the 15th and 18th. The 15th was the wettest day with 20.2 mm. Overall, Hobart recorded 51 mm of rain in total, slightly below the June average of 54 mm.

2013 so far

Temperatures have been warmer than usual over the first 6 months of 2013, by up to 1 °C to 2 °C for maximum temperatures and up to 1 °C for minimums. Rainfall totals have been below average in all areas, except for pockets of the central north and east coast where January to June rainfall was close to average.

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