Friday, 8 January 2021 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0

Tasmania in December 2020: wetter than average in the north-east, cooler days in the north

Rainfall was above average across the north-east and parts of the north-west. Elsewhere, rainfall was close to average for December, except in parts of the far south where it was a drier than average month. Parts of northern Tasmania had cooler than average maximum temperatures, but elsewhere daytime and night-time temperatures were mostly typical for the month.

Record rainfall for some north-eastern sites

• Rainfall was 8% above average for the state and the wettest since 2010.
• Persistent, and at times high, rainfall during the third week of December contributed to monthly totals in the wettest 10% of records for parts of the north-east.
• Mathinna (South Esk River) had its highest December daily rainfall on record on the 22nd—a particularly wet day for the north-east with a large area recording more than 50 mm and isolated totals of above 80 mm. Flash flooding closed several roads in the state's north-east.
• For a handful of stations in the north-east, it was their wettest December on record, and for more their highest total December rainfall for at least 20 years.

Coolest December in ten years

• While temperatures were close to the long-term average across much of the state, it was still Tasmania's coolest December in the last ten years, and noticeably cooler than last month.
• Early summer snow fell across the Central Highlands on the 2nd, also dusting kunanyi (Mount Wellington Pinnacle).
• The mean maximum temperature for Tasmania was 0.43 °C cooler than average, the lowest since 2010.
• The mean minimum temperature for Tasmania was 0.11 °C cooler than average, the lowest since 2008.
• December's mean maximum temperature was more than 1 °C cooler than November's (17.50 °C and 18.75 °C respectively), with December days being cooler than November days only once every 10 years on average.
• Minimum temperatures across the south-east were more than 8 °C warmer than average on the 15th, delivering a couple of sites their warmest December night on record.

Hobart (Ellerslie Road)

• Total rainfall for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 72.2 mm, which is 128% of the long-term average of 56.4 mm.
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 20.7 °C, which is 0.3 °C above the long-term average of 20.4 °C.
• The warmest day was 33.5 °C on the 14th, and the coolest day was on the 16th when the temperature reached 15.5 °C.
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 11.2 °C, which is 0.3 °C above the long-term average of 10.9 °C.
• The coldest morning was 7.0 °C on the 8th, and the warmest morning was on the 15th when the minimum temperature was 20.7 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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 higher value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top