Tuesday, 1 September 2015 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0

Tasmania in August 2015: Cooler and drier conditions persist

Cooler and drier weather persisted in Tasmania during August, with runs of cold days, frosty nights, and widespread snowfall across much of the state. The statewide mean temperature anomaly was the coolest since 1951 and equal 3rd coolest on record. A particularly vigorous cold front brought snow down to sea level at the start of the month, but rainfall totals were low up until the end of the month when a low pressure system saw the southeast of the state have its wettest day since the beginning of the year.

• Below-average rain in northeast
• Snow to sea level
• Coolest August mean temperature since 1951
• Coolest August days since 1978
• Coolest August nights since 1944
• Coolest August nights in Hobart since 1952
• Coolest August days in Hobart since 1992

With most days below average, the August mean maximum temperature was the coolest since 1978. Days were particularly cold on the 3rd, 5th, 8th and 17th. The statewide daily mean maximum temperature for Tasmania on 3 August was 4.9°C, resulting in the coldest day for Tasmania as a whole since 9 July 1997 (4.3°C) and some sites observing their coldest August day (lowest maximum temperature) on record. The August mean minimum temperature was 4th coolest on record and the lowest since 1944. The coldest night was observed on the 8th at Liawenee on the Central Plateau, when the minimum temperature dropped to -11.1°C, which is the coldest August temperature on record for the State. Launceston had 9 mornings below zero, which is unusual but not a record (the last time the city had 9 sub-zero mornings in August was in 2008). August nights at Hobart (Ellerslie Road) were the coolest since 1952 with an average of 3.7°C while days in Hobart where the coolest since 1992.

With the generally cool conditions, several temperature records were set. Both Larapuna (Eddystone Point) and Strahan Aerodrome equalled their lowest August temperature on record. A few sites had their lowest August mean daily maximum temperature on record or their lowest August mean daily minimum temperature on record. Several other sites had their lowest mean daily maximum, lowest mean daily minimum, or lowest mean temperature (the average of the daily maximum and daily minimum) in more than 20 years. With several sites observing their lowest August mean temperature on record, the statewide mean temperature anomaly ranks as equal 3rd lowest on record, resulting in the lowest August mean temperature since 1951.

Rainfall was below average across most of Tasmania for August, particularly across the north and east where several sites reported totals less than 50 mm for the month. Rainfall was generally near average tending above average across southern parts of the state. The wettest period occurred at the end of the month as a slow moving broad, complex low pressure system over the Tasman Sea directed a southeasterly airstream over Tasmania resulting in several locations across the southeast of the state having their wettest day in over 7 months, and Judbury having its highest August daily rainfall on record. The wet finish to the month also resulted in Woodbridge, in the southeast, having its highest total August rainfall since 1994.

Temperatures were sufficiently cold that snow was reported down to low levels across much of the state on three occasions during August. A low pressure system and an associated cold front that crossed Tasmania on the 3rd brought snow down to sea level in the south of the State, including Hobart, while in the north settled snow was reported at Burnie, Devonport, Deloraine and Scottsdale, with snow flurries reported in Launceston. Snowfalls to near sea level in Tasmania are rare, especially in the north, with the best known recent event occurring in July 1986. The widespread snowfall resulted in dozens of road closures across the north, central and south, and schools were closed statewide. Another cold pool that crossed the state on the 5th brought snow down to as low as 100 meters, with settled snow again reported in the southern suburbs of Hobart. On the 17th, there were more road and school closures as a low to the southeast of Tasmania brought snow to western, southern and central parts of the State, with reports of settled snow at around 200 meters.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Extremes in August 2015
Hottest day	20.0 °C at Swansea (Francis Street) on the 21st
Warmest days on average	13.4 °C at Bicheno (Council Depot)
Coolest days on average	1.2 °C at Mount Wellington
Coldest day	-3.7 °C at Mount Wellington on the 5th
Coldest night	-11.1 °C at Liawenee on the 8th
Coolest nights on average	-3.4 °C at Liawenee -3.4 °C at Mount Wellington
Warmest nights on average	7.8 °C at Hogan Island
Warmest night	12.9 °C at Flinders Island Airport on the 22nd
Warmest on average overall	10.3 °C at Hogan Island
Coolest on average overall	-1.1 °C at Mount Wellington
Wettest overall	270.2 mm at Zeehan (West Coast Pioneers Museum)
Wettest day	50.4 mm at Judbury (Huon River) on the 29th
Strongest wind gust	148 km/h at Hogan Island on the 3rd

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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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

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Record highest August daily rainfall
	New record (mm)		Old record		Years of record
Judbury (Huon River)	50.4	on the 29th	30.6	on the 25th in 2003	20

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Highest August total rainfall for at least 20 years
	Observed (mm)	Most recent higher		Average for August
Woodbridge	167.6	187.2	in 1994	93.7

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Record lowest August daily maximum temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for August
Flinders Island Airport	9.0	on the 3rd	= 9.0	on the 5th in 1974	54	13.8
Burnie (Round Hill)	8.4	on the 3rd	8.5	on the 4th in 1974	50	13.2
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River)	2.4	on the 3rd	3.4	on the 7th in 1994	26	9.5
Devonport Airport	7.4	on the 3rd	8.3	on the 20th in 2001	24	13.1
Ross (The Boulevards)	5.9	on the 3rd	7.0	on the 2nd in 2004	22	12.6

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Record lowest August mean daily maximum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for August
Mount Wellington	1.2	= 1.2	in 1970	34	2.8
Dover	11.6	11.7	in 1992	25	13.2
Devonport Airport	12.2	12.5	in 1997	23	13.1
Strahan Aerodrome	11.7	11.8	in 1994	22	13.1
Ross (The Boulevards)	10.9	11.8	in 1997	21	12.6

Lowest August mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent lower		Average for August
Bicheno (Council Depot)	13.4	13.2	in 1990	14.7
Lake St Clair National Park	6.4	6.2	in 1991	8.2
Burnie (Round Hill)	12.5	=12.5	in 1992	13.2
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)	12.3	11.8	in 1992	13.1
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	11.2	=11.2	in 1992	11.9
Fingal (Legge Street)	12.0	11.7	in 1992	13.3
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	12.4	12.1	in 1992	13.1
Hobart Airport	12.7	12.3	in 1992	13.5
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River)	8.1	=8.1	in 1992	9.5
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	13.0	=13.0	in 1992	13.7
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	12.9	12.7	in 1992	13.8
Macquarie Island	4.3	3.7	in 1992	5.1
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road)	11.6	11.4	in 1992	12.6
Flinders Island Airport	12.9	12.5	in 1994	13.8
Marrawah	12.1	12.0	in 1994	12.8
Wynyard Airport	12.4	=12.4	in 1994	13.3
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	11.7	11.6	in 1992*	12.8

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

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Record lowest August temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for August
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	0.6	on the 18th	= 0.6	on the 14th in 1967	58	7.2
Strahan Aerodrome	-1.8	on the 24th	= -1.8	on the 11th in 2011	23	5.9

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Record lowest August mean daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for August
Burnie (Round Hill)	4.2	= 4.2	in 1967	65	6.2
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	6.0	= 6.0	in 1992	57	7.2
Butlers Gorge	-1.7	-1.6	in 1950	54	0.1
Marrawah	5.5	5.7	in 1990	44	7.0
Bicheno (Council Depot)	4.9	5.1	in 1987	40	6.4
Wynyard Airport	2.0	2.4	in 1994	28	4.1
Dover	1.9	2.2	in 2008	25	4.0
Devonport Airport	3.5	= 3.5	in 1992	23	5.1
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	6.5	7.2	in 1992	22	8.3

Lowest August mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent lower		Average for August
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	4.8	4.6	in 1946	6.3
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	3.7	3.5	in 1952	5.2
Hobart Airport	3.3	=3.3	in 1963	4.7
Cape Sorell	5.8	5.1	in 1943*	7.3
Fingal (Legge Street)	-0.2	-0.5	in 1994	1.3
Mount Wellington	-3.4	-3.6	in 1994	-1.7

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

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Record lowest August mean temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for August
Marrawah	8.8	= 8.8	in 1976	44	9.9
Bicheno (Council Depot)	9.1	9.4	in 1990	40	10.6
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	7.4	7.6	in 1994	32	8.8
Fingal (Legge Street)	5.9	6.1	in 1992	29	7.3
Wynyard Airport	7.2	7.4	in 1994	28	8.7
Dover	6.7	7.2	in 1990	25	8.6
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River)	3.7	4.0	in 2008	25	5.1
Lake St Clair National Park	2.3	3.0	in 1994	24	4.2
Devonport Airport	7.8	8.0	in 1992	23	9.1
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	9.1	9.4	in 1992	22	10.6
Strahan Aerodrome	7.6	8.2	in 1994	22	9.5
Ross (The Boulevards)	5.8	6.6	in 1994	21	7.5

Lowest August mean temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent lower		Average for August
Butlers Gorge	2.7	2.5	in 1951*	4.0
Burnie (Round Hill)	8.4	=8.4	in 1971*	9.7
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	8.0	7.9	in 1976	9.1
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	8.1	7.9	in 1976	9.1
Hobart Airport	8.0	7.5	in 1976	9.1
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road)	7.2	6.7	in 1978*	8.3
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)	6.5	6.3	in 1990	7.7
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	9.5	=9.5	in 1992	10.4
Macquarie Island	2.4	2.1	in 1992	3.3
Mount Wellington	-1.1	-1.4	in 1993	0.6

* 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

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Summary statistics for August 2015
	Maximum temperatures (°C)				Minimum temperatures (°C)				Rainfall (millimetres)
	Mean for August 2015	Diff from average	Highest for August 2015		Mean for August 2015	Diff from average	Lowest for August 2015		Total for August 2015	Average for August	Rank of August 2015	Fraction of August average
Northern (district 91)
Bridport (Sea View Villas)	12.7	-1.0	16.8	27th	4.6	-1.1	-0.5	18th	53.6	90.5	average	59%
Burnie (Round Hill)	12.5	-0.7	15.6	23rd	4.2	-2.0	0.7	18th	70.2	110.6	low	63%
Cape Grim	11.3		13.5	22nd	6.5		3.3	3rd	85.0
Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison)	11.7	-1.1	13.8	27th	6.5	-1.8	3.1	3rd	86.0	97.9	average	88%
Cressy Research Station	11.8	-1.2	16.2	22nd	1.1	-1.5	-5.5	19th	29.6	70.4	low	42%
Devonport Airport	12.2	-0.9	16.0	27th	3.5	-1.6	-1.1	4th	53.2	91.1	low	58%
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend)	12.9	-0.9	16.7	27th	1.8	-1.9	-2.9	18th	50.6	87.4	low	58%
Launceston Airport	11.7	-1.4	15.1	27th	0.9	-2.3	-3.3	4th	37.6	84.3	average	45%
Low Head	12.1	-1.0	15.2	27th	5.9	-1.5	1.6	18th	39.0	83.9	low	46%
Luncheon Hill (Forestry)	10.4	-0.9	14.0	27th	2.9	-2.1	-0.9	3rd	186.8	213.7	average	87%
Marrawah	12.1	-0.7	14.3	27th	5.5	-1.5	2.2	3rd	102.4	134.4	low	76%
Scottsdale (West Minstone Road)	11.6	-1.0	16.0	27th	2.9	-1.0	-3.0	4th	93.4	121.4	average	77%
Sheffield School Farm	10.5	-1.2	14.3	27th	1.7	-2.2	-2.0	20th	97.2	136.3	average	71%
Smithton Aerodrome	12.8	-0.9	15.7	27th	3.1	-2.3	-1.8	18th	84.0	122.8	low	68%
Wynyard Airport	12.4	-0.9	15.9	22nd	2.0	-2.1	-2.3	18th	92.2	117.9	average	78%
East Coast (district 92)
Bicheno (Council Depot)	13.4	-1.3	18.2	22nd	4.9	-1.5	0.9	4th	37.3	50.7	average	74%
Fingal (Legge Street)	12.0	-1.3	17.7	21st	-0.2	-1.5	-6.8	19th	31.8	60.2	low	53%
Friendly Beaches	13.1	-1.7	19.1	21st	4.3	-2.0	0.3	25th	40.4	55.8	average	72%
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River)	8.1	-1.4	13.2	21st	-0.8	-1.6	-5.6	25th	51.0	78.6	average	65%
Larapuna (Eddystone Point)	13.0	-0.7	16.4	14th	6.0	-1.2	0.6	18th	40.0	71.4	low	56%
Maria Island (Point Lesueur)	12.1	-1.5	17.5	22nd	5.9	-1.7	2.2	3rd	30.6	42.5	average	72%
St Helens Aerodrome	12.9	-1.5	17.4	14th	3.7	-1.7	-0.8	4th	34.0	64.4	average	53%
Swan Island	12.7	-0.9	15.1	21st	7.1	-1.4	3.5	18th	40.4	65.4	low	62%
Swansea (Francis Street)	12.9		20.0	21st	2.7		-2.8	9th	22.3
Midlands (district 93)
Ross (The Boulevards)	10.9	-1.7	15.2	22nd	0.8	-1.5	-4.8	25th	26.4	47.4	low	56%
Southeast (district 94)
Campania (Kincora)	12.5	-1.8	17.9	21st	2.4	-1.7	-1.5	25th	51.8	53.4	average	97%
Cape Bruny (Cape Bruny)	11.5	-1.4	17.5	21st	4.9	-1.8	1.6	3rd	99.0	88.8	average	111%
Cape Bruny Lighthouse	11.2	-0.7	16.8	21st	4.8	-1.5	0.9	5th	96.0	92.9	average	103%
Dennes Point	11.6		15.8	16th	4.5		0.9	3rd	69.4
Dover	11.6	-1.6	17.5	21st	1.9	-2.1	-1.0	9th	143.6	90.5	high	159%
Dunalley (Stroud Point)	11.9		18.2	21st	4.9		0.7	3rd	34.0
Grove (Research Station)	11.7	-1.9	17.5	21st	1.3	-1.6	-3.1	8th	127.8	89.3	high	143%
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)	12.4	-0.7	18.0	21st	3.7	-1.5	1.0	3rd	63.8	53.7	high	119%
Hobart Airport	12.7	-0.8	19.4	21st	3.3	-1.4	-0.2	9th	40.0	47.0	average	85%
Melton Mowbray (North Stockman)	10.9	-1.8	16.1	21st	1.2	-1.5	-3.2	9th	50.8	51.2	average	99%
Mount Wellington	1.2	-1.6	7.1	26th	-3.4	-1.7	-7.5	3rd	26.2	86.8	low	30%
Tasman Island	9.8	-1.7	14.7	22nd	4.7	-1.9	0.0	3rd	59.6	77.0	low	77%
Tunnack Fire Station	9.0	-1.6	14.1	22nd	0.4	-1.6	-6.0	24th	59.2	63.1	average	94%
Derwent Valley (district 95)
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates)	12.3	-0.8	17.9	21st	0.8	-1.5	-3.2	9th	80.8	54.4	high	149%
Ouse Fire Station	11.7	-2.0	17.4	21st	0.5	-1.6	-4.1	20th	84.2	64.2	average	131%
Central Plateau (district 96)
Butlers Gorge	7.1	-0.9	12.6	26th	-1.7	-1.8	-6.3	20th	156.2	183.7	average	85%
Lake St Clair National Park	6.4	-1.8	11.8	26th	-1.6	-1.8	-5.9	8th	213.4	239.6	average	89%
Liawenee	4.5	-2.2	10.4	25th	-3.4	-2.4	-11.1	8th	78.8	135.4	low	58%
West Coast (district 97)
Cape Sorell	11.9	-0.3	15.2	26th	5.8	-1.5	2.8	8th	87.2	148.7	low	59%
Hartz Mountain (Keoghs Pimple)	4.7	-2.0	11.4	26th	-0.5	-2.0	-4.3	3rd	128.4	118.9	average	108%
Low Rocky Point	11.4		14.3	20th	5.3		2.1	3rd	126.4	148.8	average	85%
Scotts Peak Dam	8.4	-2.1	15.3	26th	1.5	-2.1	-1.1	3rd	251.0	219.1	average	115%
Strahan Aerodrome	11.7	-1.4	14.6	20th	3.5	-2.4	-1.8	24th	168.6	176.6	average	95%
Warra	7.7	-2.0	11.7	26th	0.5	-2.4	-2.5	24th	244.4	237.3	average	103%
King Island (district 98)
King Island Airport	12.4	-1.3	14.5	27th	6.8	-1.0	1.4	31st	56.4	115.6	v low	49%
Flinders Island (district 99)
Flinders Island Airport	12.9	-0.9	17.8	21st	6.0	-0.6	-0.2	20th	38.6	76.3	low	51%
Hogan Island	12.7	-0.6	16.6	21st	7.8	-1.1	3.7	4th	46.6	69.1	average	67%
Antarctica and Macquarie Island (district 300)
Macquarie Island	4.3	-0.8	6.7	22nd	0.5	-1.1	-2.8	6th	85.0	74.1	high	115%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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