Monday, 1 September 2008 - Monthly Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC11R0

Western Australia in August 2008
A dry and cold August

 

Summary

  • Below average rainfall for WA with driest on record in parts of the Southwest Land Division (SWLD).
  • Below average maximum temperature for WA.
  • Below average minimum temperature for WA.

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Details

Rainfall

August rainfall was below to very much below average across a large area of the west and south of WA, contrasting with above to very much above average rainfall in the north and east Kimberley and adjacent parts of the Pilbara and Interior (see August rainfall decile map). Averaged across WA as a whole, the rainfall for August was below average.

A large area of the Central West, Southwest and Great Southern experienced their driest August on record, with many sites recording their lowest August rainfall (see records below). As a consequence, the southwest WA August rainfall average (southwest of a line from Jurien Bay to Bremer Bay) was the the lowest since records commenced in 1900.

Temperature

The far eastern parts of WA saw below average daytime temperatures typically 1 to 2 °C below normal, whilst above average maximum temperatures generally up to 2 °C occurred along the coastal strip of the west coast. (August mean maximum temperature anomaly map). Averaged across the state, August 2008 was colder than normal in terms of mean maximum temperature, and in the below average range.

Most of WA experienced below to very much below average overnight temperatures with eastern parts experiencing minimum temperatures down to 3 °C below average (August minimum temperature anomaly map). Several towns in the Southwest Land Division registered their coldest August on record in terms of mean minimum temperature. The statewide averaged minimum temperature was colder than normal, and in the below average range.

A notable cold event occurred during the month at Eyre, in the Eucla district, as it recorded a minimum temperature of -7.2ºC on 17 August, setting an all time lowest temperature record for WA (see the media release for more details at http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/wa/20080818.shtml )

Extremes

Hottest day
Highest temperature		 37.9 °C at Curtin Aero on the 27th & 28th
37.9 °C at Derby Aero on the 27th
37.9 °C at Fitzroy Crossing Aero on the 27th
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 33.1 °C at West Roebuck
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 15.2 °C at Katanning
15.2 °C at Newdegate Research Station
15.2 °C at Rocky Gully
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 11.6 °C at Bencubbin on the 1st
11.6 °C at Shannon on the 30th
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 -7.2 °C at Eyre on the 17th
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 0.7 °C at Wandering
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature

22.3 °C at Troughton Island
17.3 °C at Kuri Bay
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 25.4 °C at Argyle Aerodrome on the 31st
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 91.6 mm at North Walpole
Wettest day
Highest daily rainfall		 35.2 mm at Medina Research Centre on the 2nd
Highest wind gust
 102 km/h at Cape Leeuwin on the 1st

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Records



Record lowest total August rainfall
Total rainfall
for August 2008 (mm) 		Previous lowest
for August		 Years of
record		 Normal for
August
Northampton 6.8 17.6 in 1956 127 73.3
Bannister 10.2 11.7 in 1956 124 101.3
Beverley 5.2 7.2 in 1956 123 59.2
Mount Barker 30.8 33.2 in 1914 123 89.5
Williams 12.0 18.9 in 1925 123 77.7
Kojonup 10.8 24.6 in 1987 122 74.1
New Norcia 8.6 10.2 in 1925 122 77.8
Bridgetown Comparison 26.2 33.2 in 1925 121 121.9
Carnamah 8.2 12.0 in 1989 121 52.5
Broomehill 5.3 14.5 in 1956 118 57.0
Pingelly 9.6 10.9 in 1956 118 62.3
Wagin 6.2 9.5 in 1956 118 57.3
Katanning Comparison 11.0 13.0 in 1956 117 63.1
Narrogin 9.8 15.8 in 1956 117 68.2
Greenbushes 19.8 26.7 in 1902 116 140.4
Arthur River 2.4 7.0 in 2006 114 64.8
Cape Leeuwin 32.0 55.9 in 1956 112 136.7
Marradong 12.8 22.7 in 1925 112 108.7
Mingenew 4.6 8.1 in 1902 112 56.9
Darkan 8.0 21.0 in 1978 107 80.5
Kendenup 10.6 21.8 in 1914 107 74.2
Cape Naturaliste 30.8 42.0 in 1956 105 112.8
Chidlow 14.6 23.6 in 1978 103 139.0
Nabawa 2.0 16.5 in 1912 103 63.6
Berkshire Valley 4.8 6.6 in 1956 102 60.7
Yandanooka 7.4 12.0 in 1982 102 56.5
Brunswick Junction 18.6 40.6 in 1925 100 146.4
Dumbleyung 6.6 7.4 in 1956 99 47.8
Ogilvie 6.2 9.9 in 1969 99 50.5
Barberton 4.0 10.3 in 1925 98 63.3
Yuna 2.8 8.8 in 1995 98 44.3
Redlands 0.6 7.7 in 1956 97 71.7
Tambellup 1.3 15.2 in 1978 97 55.2
Wickepin 4.6 9.2 in 1925 97 53.0
Boyup Brook 5.8 17.5 in 1925 95 94.0
Chamingup 10.0 21.3 in 1956 95 76.2
Ongerup 6.6 12.6 in 1978 95 43.0
Coorow 4.2 11.4 in 1925 94 52.5
Cuballing 1.0 18.5 in 1956 94 69.3
Badgebup 4.5 8.6 in 1925 92 48.7
Manjimup 46.2 49.0 in 1925 92 147.5
Newbicup 10.6 19.9 in 1925 86 87.0
Serpentine 25.8 31.3 in 1956 86 140.8
Borden 5.2 8.0 in 1940 85 43.5
Nairibin 8.4 10.2 in 1925 84 42.9
Cherry Tree 6.2 13.2 in 1956 83 61.4
Northcliffe 58.2 76.9 in 1925 83 191.6
Balingup 16.8 34.0 in 1925 82 127.7
Forest Grove 38.8 74.4 in 1953 82 164.9
Horseshoe 6.8 15.2 in 1925 82 62.5
Lynton 2.0 7.1 in 1956 81 57.0
Boscabel 1.4 17.9 in 1925 80 72.6
Margaret River 48.8 75.4 in 1956 80 161.6
Ajana 1.5 3.2 in 1995 78 43.0
Broomehill East 3.2 12.5 in 1950 75 48.0
Dwellingup 31.4 51.8 in 1978 75 194.3
Cowaramup 45.2 74.2 in 1975 69 162.0
Waroona 12.8 52.2 in 1978 69 152.0
Roelands 12.8 37.2 in 1978 67 129.6
Bindi Bindi East 2.8 9.2 in 1978 65 52.4
Geraldton Airport 5.6 10.8 in 1956 65 64.5
Perth Airport 18.4 23.2 in 1978 65 117.8
Warner Glen 41.4 66.6 in 1978 57 144.4
Pearce RAAF 9.4 29.6 in 1978 56 105.3
Cranham 9.6 21.0 in 1960 55 67.9
Wokalup 10.6 52.5 in 1956 54 133.3
Twolganup 9.8 16.8 in 1960 51 47.1
Gordon River 11.2 25.2 in 1978 50 71.7
Gidgegannup 26.6 29.0 in 1978 49 137.6
Gosnells City 21.5 31.4 in 1978 48 127.0
Windrush 30.4 42.6 in 2006 48 79.2
Badgingarra Research Stn 13.0 15.2 in 2005 47 83.5
Kojonolokan Hills 5.8 11.9 in 1960 45 53.3
Eneabba 22.8 24.2 in 1969 43 75.4
Jerramungup 8.4 19.9 in 1970 43 49.9
Karnet 34.0 42.9 in 1978 43 188.7
Roleystone 21.4 27.5 in 1978 41 154.8
Culford 17.2 20.4 in 1978 40 100.0
Denbarker 33.4 62.0 in 1966 37 92.5
Ferguson Valley 25.6 57.0 in 1978 37 138.0
Kalbarri 5.0 12.0 in 1995 37 49.9
Karragullen North 26.0 30.8 in 1978 36 163.5
Mosman Park 28.0 33.4 in 1978 35 108.8
Jarrahwood 23.2 36.6 in 1978 34 146.3
Jandakot Aero 29.6 41.0 in 1978 33 126.3
Rosa Brook 27.4 79.4 in 1925 33 171.5



Record lowest August temperature
Lowest temperature
in August 2008 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for August		 Years of
record		 Normal for
August
Northam -1.5 on the 17th -1.4 on the 14th in 2002 99 5.6
Albany Airport 0.8 on the 11th 1.4 on the 6th in 1966 44 7.5


Record lowest August mean daily minimum temperature
Mean daily minimum
temperature
for August 2008 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for August		 Years of
record		 Normal for
August
Katanning Comparison 3.0 3.3 in 1925 114 5.5
Northam 2.4 2.8 in 1956 104 5.6
Eyre 2.7 3.9 in 2002 49 6.2
Ravensthorpe 5.3 5.6 in 1986 46 6.7
Albany Airport 5.9 6.2 in 1966 44 7.5
Ongerup 4.1 4.2 in 1968 41 5.9
Esperance 7.1 7.4 in 1973 40 8.6
Beverley 2.3 2.9 in 1979 39 5.1
Pingelly 3.4 3.9 in 1979 38 5.6
Hyden 2.6 2.7 in 1975 37 4.7
Wagin 3.1 3.5 in 1979 35 5.7


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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 12 pm on Monday 1 September 2008. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Normals 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 30 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median is sometimes more representative than the mean of long-term average ("normal") rain.

Further information

Yanhui Blockley & Glenn Cook
Western Australia Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 9263 2222
Email climate.wa@bom.gov.au