Perth Monthly Climate Summary: November 2006

Warm November for Perth

Friday 1 December, 2006

November Rainfall - near average: The city received 16.2 mm of rainfall over 8 days in November compared with the average of 22 mm over 6 days. Last November Perth registered 13.4 mm on 7 days.

Eleven-month rainfall - record low: The total rainfall for January to November for Perth this year was 461.6 mm on 95 days, making it the driest such period on record for Perth. The previous driest was 496.3 mm on 93 days in 1940. The average for this period is 846 mm.

Mean daily maximum temperature - above average: Perth's mean daily maximum temperature in November was 27.4°C, making it the highest mean daily maximum temperature for November since the 27.6°C in 2003. The November average is 26.1°C. Daily maxima ranged from a mild 21.9°C on the 1st to a hot 35.7°C on the 26th.

Mean daily minimum temperature - above average: Perth's mean daily minimum temperature in November was 15.6°C, making it the highest mean daily minimum temperature for November since the 16.0°C in 1989. The November average is 14.0°C. Daily minima ranged from a cool 10.7°C on the 2nd to a mild 19.0°C on the 6th.

Climate of Perth in December

December is typically a dry month and days are generally sunny and warm to hot. On most afternoons a sea breeze moderates the temperature. December is Perth's sunniest month on average with 11.7 hours of sunshine per day.

Very hot days: Perth can expect one day in December when the maximum temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or higher. The highest number of such December days was two in 1968, 1974, 1977, 1997 and 2002. The last time Perth recorded a very hot day in December was on 14 December 2004 with 41.5 degrees.

Hot days: On average, Perth can expect seven days in December when the maximum temperature is 32 degrees Celsius or higher. The highest number of hot days in December was eighteen in 1931, Perth's warmest December on record with a mean maximum temperature of 31.7 degrees. Last December, Perth recorded one hot day.

Note: Official Perth observations have been recorded at several different sites with varying instrumentation over the years, and these changes can affect the continuity of the climate record. For the current MT Lawley site, the most significant changes of this kind relate to temperature and rain days. For that reason, current mean temperature and rain-day data quoted here are based only on readings from the MT Lawley site, which commenced observations in 1993. Sunshine recordings are from Perth Airport and for similar reasons current means use only Perth Airport data, which commenced in 1993.

Further information:
John Relf (JR), or Glenn Cook tel: (08) 9263 2222 on weekdays.