Sunday, 1 January 2023 - Monthly Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0
Tasmania in December 2022: generally dry with some cool days and a heatwave
December was drier than average with a warm start followed by some cool days and snow in some elevated areas. Temperatures were up to 12 °C above average on the 27th with a severe heatwave warning issued for much of the state.
Below average rainfall across the north and west, particularly the north-west coast
- For Tasmania overall, the December total rainfall of 64.87 mm was 37.1% below the 1961–1990 December average.
- The north and west had below average rainfall with some areas very much below. Only pockets along the east coast had above average rainfall.
- The wettest day was on the 14th to 9 am, with totals between 25 mm and 50 mm recorded over much of Tasmania
- Lewis Hill (St Pauls River) had its highest total December rainfall for at least 20 years and Low Head had its lowest total December rainfall on record.
- Sites at Devonport, Northdown and Matsyker Island had their lowest total December rainfall for at least 20 years.
Warmer than average days along the west coast, cooler in parts of the east coast
- For Tasmania overall, the mean maximum temperature was 0.79 °C above the 1961–1990 December average of 17.93 °C, and nights were 0.04 °C above the December average of 5.29 °C.
- A series of cold fronts brought low temperatures across the state from the 8–15 December. Sites at Ross, Tunnark and Campania had their coldest December day (lowest maximum temperature) on record.
- Several sites had their lowest December mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years and Ouse Fire Station had its lowest December temperature on record.
- Heatwave warnings were issued for 25–28 December. The highest temperature was 37.9 °C at Scotts Peak Dam on the 27th.
- Butlers Gorge, Cape Sorell, Scotts Peak Dam and Mount Read had their highest December temperature on record.
- Some sites had their warmest December night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record.
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)
- Total rainfall for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 75.6 mm, which is 134% of the long-term average of 56.4 mm.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 19.8 °C, which is 0.6 °C below the long-term average of 20.4 °C.
- The warmest day was 31.5 °C on the 27th, and the coolest day was on the 15th when the temperature reached 11.5 °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 6.5 °C on the 7th, and the warmest morning was on the 28th when the minimum temperature was 20.5 °C.
Flood warnings, late snow, stormy weather for yacht race
- Flood warnings were issued for South Esk, Macquarie, Coal and Jordan rivers, and flood watches for South East and Derwent Catchments in the second week of December.
- A few centimetres of snow settled about Mt Murchison, Rosebery and on kunanyi / Mount Wellington with cold overnight temperatures on the 7th.
- Snow fell across the alps and on the Tasmanian highlands over the following week. Up to 10 mm of snow fell on elevations above 1,5000 metres on the 15th.
- Bushfires were reported from 6 December at Gunns Plain, with later locations including Flinders Island and Rothwell. The first major bushfire for the 2022–23 fire season was at Rosebury on the west coast on 27 December.
- The passage of a cold front on the 28th brought strong winds and storm warnings. The strongest wind gust recorded was 131 km/h at Scotts Peak Dam. Gusts exceeded 70 km/h along the east coast with 106 km/h recorded at Tasman Island and 98 km/h at Hobart Airport.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Extremes in December 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 37.9 °C at Scotts Peak Dam on the 27th |
| Warmest days on average | 22.8 °C at Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates) |
| Coolest days on average | 11.0 °C at kunanyi (Mount Wellington Pinnacle) |
| Coldest day |
2.1 °C at kunanyi (Mount Wellington Pinnacle) on the 8th 2.1 °C at kunanyi (Mount Wellington Pinnacle) on the 14th |
| Coldest night | -4.1 °C at Liawenee on the 7th |
| Coolest nights on average | 3.2 °C at Liawenee |
| Warmest nights on average | 12.6 °C at Swan Island |
| Warmest night | 21.2 °C at Campania (Kincora) on the 28th |
| Warmest on average overall | 16.6 °C at Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) |
| Coolest on average overall | 7.2 °C at kunanyi (Mount Wellington Pinnacle) |
| Wettest overall | 175.2 mm at Lake Margaret Dam |
| Wettest day | 89.0 mm at Lake Margaret Power Station on the 14th |
| Strongest wind gust | 131 km/h at Scotts Peak Dam on the 28th |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Maps | |||
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| Observed | Anomaly | Decile rank | |
| Total rainfall |
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| Mean daily maximum temperatures |
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| Mean daily minimum temperatures |
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Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window
| Highest December total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent higher |
Average for December |
|||
| Lewis Hill (St Pauls River) | 118.6 | 138.6 | in 1995 | 56.9 | |
| Record lowest December total rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for December |
||
| Low Head | 8.8 | 12.2 | in 2000 | 25 | 41.5 |
| Lowest December total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent lower |
Average for December |
|||
| Devonport Airport | 9.2 | 6.0 | in 1983* | 50.7 | |
| Northdown (Hamley) | 7.4 | 3.4 | in 1983* | 52.5 | |
| Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse | 39.2 | 33.4 | in 2002 | 88.9 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported
| Record highest December temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for December |
|||
| Butlers Gorge | 32.9 | on the 27th | 32.7 | on the 30th in 2019 | 61 | 16.8 |
| Cape Sorell | 30.3 | on the 27th | 28.3 | on the 27th in 2017 | 26 | 17.1 |
| Scotts Peak Dam | 37.9 | on the 27th | 36.3 | on the 31st in 2007 | 25 | 19.0 |
| Mount Read | 28.0 | on the 27th | 27.6 | on the 19th in 2013 | 24 | 12.0 |
| Record lowest December daily maximum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for December |
|||
| Ross (The Boulevards) | 12.5 | on the 15th | 12.9 | on the 3rd in 2017 | 30 | 22.8 |
| Tunnack Fire Station | 8.3 | on the 15th | 10.6 | on the 4th in 2011 | 26 | 19.6 |
| Campania (Kincora) | 12.3 | on the 15th | 13.8 | on the 17th in 2009 | 23 | 22.9 |
| Lowest December mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for December |
|||
| Bicheno (Council Depot) | 18.9 | 18.1 | in 1995* | 20.1 | |
| Campania (Kincora) | 20.8 | 19.6 | in 2001 | 22.9 | |
| Hobart (Ellerslie Road) | 19.8 | 17.8 | in 2001 | 20.4 | |
| larapuna (Eddystone Point) | 19.5 | 19.1 | in 2001 | 19.4 | |
| Ross (The Boulevards) | 20.2 | 19.3 | in 2001 | 22.8 | |
| St Helens Aerodrome | 19.6 | 18.6 | in 2001 | 21.3 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported
| Record highest December daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for December |
|||
| Butlers Gorge | 17.9 | on the 28th | 17.8 | on the 28th in 1961 | 61 | 5.5 |
| Wynyard Airport | 18.9 | on the 28th | 18.6 | on the 20th in 2015 | 37 | 9.7 |
| Cape Bruny (Cape Bruny) | 19.1 | on the 28th | 18.3 | on the 28th in 2017 | 26 | 10.7 |
| Scotts Peak Dam | 18.3 | on the 28th | = 18.3 | on the 20th in 2015 | 25 | 8.0 |
| Record lowest December temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for December |
|||
| Ouse Fire Station | -0.4 | on the 7th | 0.0 | on the 5th in 2001 | 25 | 8.8 |
| Lowest December mean temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for December |
|||
| Ross (The Boulevards) | 13.5 | 13.2 | in 2001 | 15.8 | |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for December 2022 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for December 2022 |
Diff from average |
Highest for December 2022 |
Mean for December 2022 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for December 2022 |
Total for December 2022 |
Average for December |
Rank of December 2022 |
Fraction of December average |
|||
| Northern (district 91) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Grim | 17.2 | -0.3 | 21.7 | 27th | 11.3 | -0.6 | 7.8 | 9th | 22.8 | 40.5 | low | 56% |
| Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison) | 17.6 | +0.1 | 21.8 | 27th | 11.6 | -0.3 | 8.2 | 9th | 12.0 | 44.1 | v low | 27% |
| Devonport Airport | 20.1 | +0.3 | 24.0 | 27th | 10.3 | -0.5 | 3.7 | 9th | 9.2 | 50.7 | v low | 18% |
| Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) | 22.4 | -0.2 | 32.1 | 27th | 10.9 | +0.1 | 4.2 | 9th | 42.4 | 48.0 | average | 88% |
| Launceston Airport | 21.3 | -1.3 | 32.2 | 27th | 8.9 | -0.2 | 2.6 | 9th | 37.2 | 48.3 | average | 77% |
| Low Head | 19.3 | +0.3 | 24.2 | 26th | 11.8 | -1.1 | 7.1 | 15th | 8.8 | 41.5 | lowest | 21% |
| Luncheon Hill (Forestry) | 20.5 | +1.7 | 30.2 | 26th | 8.6 | -0.3 | 3.4 | 9th | 49.4 | 87.3 | v low | 57% |
| Marrawah | 18.9 | +0.5 | 26.8 | 27th | 10.3 | -0.4 | 4.7 | 14th | 45.4 | 62.6 | low | 73% |
| Scottsdale (West Minstone Road) | 20.5 | -0.4 | 30.8 | 27th | 9.2 | -0.1 | 4.5 | 7th | 22.0 | 64.6 | low | 34% |
| Sheffield School Farm | 19.6 | -0.2 | 28.8 | 27th | 8.3 | -0.7 | 2.3 | 6th | 19.8 | 62.6 | low | 32% |
| Smithton Aerodrome | 20.2 | +0.4 | 26.7 | 27th | 9.1 | -0.6 | 1.7 | 9th | 21.8 | 55.7 | v low | 39% |
| Wynyard Airport | 19.3 | -0.6 | 23.4 | 26th | 9.5 | -0.2 | 3.2 | 6th | ||||
| East Coast (district 92) | ||||||||||||
| Bicheno (Council Depot) | 18.9 | -1.2 | 28.0 | 28th | 12.2 | +0.5 | 7.2 | 14th | 126.2 | 68.0 | high | 186% |
| Fingal (Fleming St) | 19.6 | 31.7 | 27th | 8.0 | 2.1 | 19th | 92.8 | |||||
| Friendly Beaches | 20.4 | -1.5 | 29.4 | 28th | 11.2 | -0.6 | 7.4 | 9th | 95.6 | 51.5 | high | 186% |
| larapuna (Eddystone Point) | 19.5 | +0.1 | 24.0 | 28th | 12.5 | +0.5 | 6.6 | 7th | 65.4 | 60.0 | average | 109% |
| Maria Island (Point Lesueur) | 17.6 | -2.3 | 24.4 | 28th | 12.0 | -0.3 | 8.7 | 9th | 88.8 | 49.7 | high | 179% |
| St Helens Aerodrome | 19.6 | -1.7 | 28.0 | 25th | 11.1 | -0.7 | 5.4 | 7th | 74.8 | 57.8 | high | 129% |
| Swan Island | 19.0 | -0.5 | 22.2 | 3rd | 12.6 | -0.8 | 7.4 | 9th | 22.6 | 45.2 | average | 50% |
| Swansea (Francis Street) | 19.0 | -2.5 | 28.0 | 28th | 10.7 | -0.4 | 6.8 | 7th | 111.4 | 57.9 | v high | 192% |
| Midlands (district 93) | ||||||||||||
| Ross (The Boulevards) | 20.2 | -2.6 | 31.9 | 28th | 7.3 | -1.4 | -0.1 | 7th | 59.4 | 39.3 | high | 151% |
| Southeast (district 94) | ||||||||||||
| Campania (Kincora) | 20.8 | -2.1 | 34.7 | 27th | 9.7 | -0.4 | 4.1 | 7th | 67.4 | 41.9 | high | 161% |
| Cape Bruny (Cape Bruny) | 18.6 | 0.0 | 33.3 | 27th | 11.0 | +0.3 | 6.8 | 2nd | 49.6 | 56.7 | average | 87% |
| Dennes Point | 19.0 | -1.4 | 28.4 | 28th | 11.1 | -0.8 | 6.9 | 7th | 49.2 | 43.7 | average | 113% |
| Dover | 19.2 | -0.2 | 28.5 | 28th | 9.0 | -0.1 | 4.5 | 7th | 79.0 | 70.4 | average | 112% |
| Dunalley (Stroud Point) | 19.0 | -1.8 | 28.0 | 28th | 11.8 | -0.5 | 8.8 | 7th | 59.2 | 39.9 | high | 148% |
| Grove (Research Station) | 20.5 | -0.7 | 34.1 | 27th | 8.3 | -0.2 | 0.4 | 7th | 102.4 | 62.2 | v high | 165% |
| Hobart (Ellerslie Road) | 19.8 | -0.6 | 31.5 | 27th | 11.2 | +0.3 | 6.5 | 7th | 75.6 | 56.4 | high | 134% |
| Hobart Airport | 19.9 | 34.1 | 27th | 10.7 | 6.9 | 18th | 67.4 | |||||
| kunanyi (Mount Wellington Pinnacle) | 11.0 | -0.3 | 25.0 | 27th | 3.4 | +0.4 | -2.1 | 9th | 139.2 | 89.2 | high | 156% |
| Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse | 16.5 | +0.8 | 30.0 | 27th | 10.7 | +1.0 | 7.2 | 9th | 39.2 | 88.9 | v low | 44% |
| Tasman Island | 15.8 | -0.8 | 25.2 | 28th | 10.3 | +0.1 | 6.3 | 9th | 62.8 | 63.4 | average | 99% |
| Tunnack Fire Station | 17.6 | -2.0 | 29.7 | 27th | 7.3 | -0.3 | 1.1 | 7th | 71.4 | 52.4 | high | 136% |
| Derwent Valley (district 95) | ||||||||||||
| Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates) | 22.8 | +0.6 | 37.6 | 27th | 8.8 | -0.3 | 0.2 | 7th | 26.6 | 50.1 | low | 53% |
| Ouse Fire Station | 22.4 | -0.7 | 36.9 | 27th | 8.2 | -0.6 | -0.4 | 7th | 48.8 | 35.8 | high | 136% |
| Central Plateau (district 96) | ||||||||||||
| Butlers Gorge | 17.9 | +1.1 | 32.9 | 27th | 4.7 | -0.8 | -2.4 | 7th | 85.4 | 124.0 | low | 69% |
| Liawenee | 16.1 | -0.5 | 28.8 | 27th | 3.2 | -0.7 | -4.1 | 7th | 48.2 | 57.2 | average | 84% |
| West Coast (district 97) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Sorell | 18.7 | +1.6 | 30.3 | 27th | 11.3 | +0.4 | 7.0 | 9th | 54.0 | 79.6 | low | 68% |
| Hartz Mountain (Keoghs Pimple) | 15.4 | +0.3 | 31.3 | 27th | 5.6 | +0.3 | 0.8 | 9th | 91.4 | 81.4 | average | 112% |
| Low Rocky Point | 18.1 | -0.1 | 29.2 | 27th | 10.6 | -0.3 | 6.3 | 2nd | 70.0 | 88.2 | average | 79% |
| Mount Read | 13.4 | +1.4 | 28.0 | 27th | 4.4 | +0.3 | -1.6 | 8th | 171.2 | 284.5 | v low | 60% |
| Scotts Peak Dam | 20.7 | +1.7 | 37.9 | 27th | 8.2 | +0.2 | 3.4 | 7th | 104.0 | 141.5 | low | 73% |
| Strahan Aerodrome | 20.2 | +0.4 | 36.0 | 27th | 9.2 | -0.6 | 4.5 | 10th | 66.0 | 93.9 | low | 70% |
| Warra | 17.5 | -0.1 | 33.6 | 27th | 7.2 | +0.2 | 0.6 | 7th | 81.8 | 131.6 | v low | 62% |
| King Island (district 98) | ||||||||||||
| King Island Airport | 19.4 | +0.4 | 28.6 | 27th | 10.1 | -1.0 | 4.0 | 10th | 23.2 | 47.1 | low | 49% |
| Flinders Island (district 99) | ||||||||||||
| Flinders Island Airport | 20.1 | -0.2 | 30.9 | 27th | 11.6 | -0.3 | 3.8 | 19th | 38.8 | 57.7 | average | 67% |
| Hogan Island | 19.3 | -0.6 | 26.4 | 27th | 12.4 | -0.8 | 8.4 | 14th | 11.4 | 40.9 | v low | 28% |
| Note: From 2017, information about Macquarie Island can be found in the climate summary for the Remote Islands and Antarctica | ||||||||||||
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
The Monthly climate summary, usually published in the first week of the following month, lists the main features of the weather in Tasmania using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 7 pm on Sunday 1 January 2023. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.
Averages for individual sites are long-term means based on observations from
all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site.
They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median
is sometimes more representative than the
mean
of long-term average rain.
The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site,
based on the
decile ranking
(very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3,
average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9
and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a
percentage of the long-term mean.
Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.
Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
