Tuesday, 3 March 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC21R0

Western Australia in February 2009
Warmer nights in much of WA

Summary

  • Near average rainfall for WA.
  • Near average mean maximum temperature for WA.
  • Above average mean minimum temperature for WA.

An archive of previous monthly summaries for Western Australia is also available, as are summaries for other states and many other climate summaries and diagnostics.

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Details

Rainfall

Rainfall was above to very much above average in the north Kimberley, and parts of west Pilbara. This contrasts with below to very much below average rainfall in a large area of the eastern Interior and east Eucla (see February rainfall decile map), as well as parts of east Pilbara. Averaged across WA as a whole, rainfall in February 2009 was near average.

Tropical lows moving through or close to the Kimberley brought above average rainfall to most of the district in February, whilst one of these tropical lows moved over the west Pilbara and produced heavy rainfall and caused significant flooding on the Robe and Fortescue Rivers on the 15th to 17th. Several sites in the west Pilbara registered their highest daily rainfall for February on record. A second tropical low crossed the coast near Port Hedland late on the 28th bringing heavy rainfall and flooding to parts of the eastern Pilbara.

Maximum temperature

Mean maximum temperatures were above to very much above average across a belt from the Central West, southern Gascoyne, northern Goldfields, southern Interior and Eucla, with up to 4°C warmer than normal mean maxima in parts of the Interior and Eucla . Conversely, the northern Kimberley and western Pilbara recorded below average mean maxima, with up to 3°C cooler than normal maxima in east Kimberley. Averaged across the state, the mean maximum temperature was near average. (see February maximum temperature anomaly map).

Minimum temperature

Mean minimum temperatures were above to very much above average across much of the state from the Pilbara and Interior extending to the Southwest Land Division and Eucla. Mean minima were up to 3ºC above average in central parts of the state. Conversely, minima were below to very much below average in the north and east Kimberley. Averaged across the state as a whole, the WA mean minimum temperature was above average. (see February minimum temperature anomaly map).

 

Further information

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

Extremes

Hottest day
Highest temperature		 46.1°C at Gascoyne Junction on the 4th
46.1°C at Port Hedland Airport on the 10th
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 40.8°C at Gascoyne Junction
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 23.2°C at Albany
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 16.2°C at Manjimup on the 25th
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 4.8°C at Bridgetown on the 8th
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 12.7°C at Bridgetown
12.7°C at Collie East
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 27.0°C at Karratha Aero
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 31.2°C at Newman Aero on the 2nd
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 633.9 mm at Kuri Bay(some data missing)
Wettest day
Highest daily rainfall		 245.0 mm at Pannawonica on the 17th
Highest wind gust
 124 km/h at Mount Magnet Aero on the 5th

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Records

Record highest February daily rainfall
Highest daily rainfall
in February 2009 (mm) 		Previous highest
for February		 Years of
record
Millstream 208.0 on the 17th 133.1 on the 19th in 1949 101
Red Hill 230.8 on the 17th 158.5 on the 26th in 1995 99
Pannawonica 245.0 on the 17th 228.0 on the 25th in 1989 38


Record highest total February rainfall
Total rainfall
for February 2009 (mm) 		Previous highest
for February		 Years of
record		 Average for
February
Yalleen 489.0(some data missing) 417.0 in 1995 53 90.9




Record highest February daily minimum temperature
Highest daily minimum
temperature
in February 2009 (°C) 		Previous highest
for February		 Years of
record		 Average for
February
Eucla 30.2 on the 26th 29.4 on the 21st in 1997 48 16.9


Record lowest February temperature
Lowest temperature
in February 2009 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for February		 Years of
record		 Average for
February
Pingelly 6.4 on the 26th 7.0 on the 16th in 1974 38 15.9
Kalbarri 11.9 on the 26th 12.3 on the 8th in 1994 36 20.5


Record highest February mean daily minimum temperature
Mean daily minimum
temperature
for February 2009 (°C) 		Previous highest
for February		 Years of
record		 Average for
February
Yeelirrie 23.7 23.5 in 2007 35 21.1


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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Tuesday 3 March 2009. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Averages 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 5 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median is sometimes more representative than the mean of long-term average rain.

Further information

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