Tuesday, 4 January 2011 - Monthly Climate Summary for Perth - Product code IDCKGC21L0

Perth in December 2010: Above average rainfall

• Rainfall: Above average.
• Maximum temperature: Near average.
• Minimum temperature: Near average.

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Rainfall

December 2010 saw near average rainfall in south and southeast parts of the Perth metropolitan area, but above average rainfall for the remainder. Rainfall totals generally ranged from 10 mm to 20 mm, though Rottnest Island received 46.2 mm which was highest rainfall total for the Perth area for December. Rainfall occurred on several days in the first week of December, however the highest falls occurred on the 20th and 21st as a result of a tropical low off the west coast that brought flooding rain to the Gascoyne a few days earlier.

Perth Metro recorded 17.4 mm of rainfall on 5 rain days in December 2010, which was the wettest December since the 18.0 mm on 7 rain days in 2007. The wettest day for Perth Metro in December 2010 was 9.6 mm on the 20th, which was the wettest December day since the 10.2 mm on 12 December 1996.

Maximum temperature

Daytime temperatures were near average to above average across the Perth metropolitan area during December 2010. Mean maximum temperatures ranged from the high twenties near the coast to the low thirties in the east, and were generally between 0.5 °C to 1.5 °C above the long-term average. The highest temperatures for the month were recorded from the 25th to the 27th, with Pearce RAAF recording 42.1 °C on the 27th.

Perth Metro's mean daily maximum temperature in December was 29.3 °C, which was near the average of 28.8 °C. Daily maxima ranged from a mild 21.1 °C on the 3rd to a very hot 40.0 °C on the 27th.

Minimum temperature

Minimum temperatures across the Perth metropolitan area were close to normal for most locations during December 2010 although a few sites recorded means over 1 °C above average. Mean minima ranged from near 14 °C in the hills to 17 °C near the coast. The coolest morning in December was on the 4th for most sites with Jandakot Aerodrome recording the lowest metropolitan minimum of 5.5 °C.

Perth Metro's mean daily minimum temperature in December 2010 was 16.6 °C, which was near the average of 16.1 °C. Daily minima ranged from a cool 9.4 °C on the 4th, to a warm 22.4 °C on the 23rd.

Wind

Very strong easterly winds were observed in the Perth metropolitan area over the Christmas period, with severe or near severe wind gusts (a severe wind gust is a gust greater than 90 km/h) recorded at a number of locations on Boxing Day (26th). Gale or near gale force easterly winds (gale force winds are 63 to 87 km/h) were observed at Perth Airport on the 26th for aproximately 5 hours until 0730 WST, with the highest wind gust of 98 km/h at 0704 WST. Maximum daily wind gusts at other locations on the 26th were, 91 km/h at Pearce RAAF at 0453 WST; 89 km/h at Champion Lakes at 0636 WST; 80 km/h at Bickley at 0912 WST; and 72 km/h at Jandakot 0909 WST.

Sunshine

Perth recorded a daily average of 10.8 hours of sunshine in December 2010, which was below the average of 11.6 hours and the least sunniest December since 10.6 hours per day in 2007.

Details Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Details Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Most values are the precipitation in the 24 hours to 9 am on the day indicated. Days marked with »» are part of a longer accumulation, which is marked like this on the final day. Values over 100 mm have been rounded to the nearest whole millimetre. Days marked with - have a rainfall report of zero; days left blank have no rainfall report (which often indicates no rain fell).
This table is very wide; you may have to scroll sideways to see all the days, and you may need to set the paper to 'landscape' to print.

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