Friday, 1 November 2019 - Monthly Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC11R0

Western Australia in October 2019: very warm and dry

October 2019 was a very warm and dry month for Western Australia. Mean maximum temperatures were above average across the State, whilst mean minimum temperatures were above average for most of WA except in the Kimberley region. For the State as a whole, the mean maximum temperature was the second-highest in October on record, while mean minimum temperature was the third-highest. Monthly rainfall was below average across parts of the State's west and south. It was the State's tenth-driest October on record, and driest since 1979.

Dry in the west and south

• It was the tenth-driest October on record, driest since 1979 for WA as a whole
• The year-to-date rainfall was the third-lowest on record, lowest since 1936 for WA as a whole
• Two-thirds of the State recorded no or little rainfall this October; Eucla had its lowest October rainfall for 56 years with 1.6 mm
• Much of the South West Land Division (SWLD), the north Kimberley, and isolated spots in the central WA reported 10-25 mm rainfall totals, though the far southwest coastal areas had higher falls of 50-80 mm, and Wereroa claimed the wettest spot with 91.2 mm

Above average daytime temperatures across WA

• The mean maximum temperature was 3.58 °C above average, the second-warmest October on record for WA
• The mean minimum temperature was 1.99 °C above average, the third-warmest October on record for WA
• It was the warmest year-to-date on record in terms of mean temperature and mean maximum temperature for WA; the state-wide averaged year-to-date mean temperature, mean maximum and minimum temperatures were +1.49 °C, +2.27 °C and +0.70 °C respectively
• It was a record hot October in many locations in the northern half of WA; the month started with four or five consecutive 40 °C days in the Pilbara and west Kimberley and temperatures later peaked around the 20th (44.4 °C at Fitzroy Crossing Aero on the 20th was the State's highest temperature)
• A record hot day occurred in the Goldfields on the 10th with temperatures well into the low 40s; for most of the SWLD the hottest day was on the 27th when temperatures climbed into the high 30s, including a record (38.0 °C) at Pearce RAAF
• The end of the month saw hot days and warm nights in the Eucla district, in contrast to the wet and cold weather in the southwest. Forrest had its warmest October morning on record on the 31st with 24.2 °C, equalled the record at Forrest Aero (the old site) set on 26 October 1981
• A number of sites in inland Pilbara and Southern Interior had their warmest October on record, while Kununurra Aero in the north Kimberley had its coolest October on record in terms of minimum temperatures

Severe wind gusts

• A low pressure system moved through southwest Western Australia on the 4th and produced severe north-northwesterly wind gusts in the SWLD, mostly in Greater Perth. The highest wind gust of 107 km/h was recorded at Rottenest Island. The State emergency agency (DFES) received 173 calls for assistance for roof damage, trees down and water ingress

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

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* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top