Monday, 3 August 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC11R0

Western Australia in July 2020: very warm and dry

July 2020 was a very warm and dry month for Western Australia, and it mirrored the conditions experienced 12 months ago in July 2019 for most of the state. Mean maximum temperatures were very much above average for most of WA, including an area of warmest on record in the state's northwest. The statewide mean maximum temperature was the second-highest in July on record, and not far behind the record warmth of July 2019. July rainfall was below average for most of WA. The first 7–months of the year were the fifth-warmest January–July period on record for Western Australia as a whole.

Below average rainfall for most of WA

• For Western Australia as a whole, rainfall in July 2020 was 56% below average.
• Year-to-date rainfall was just 7% below for the January–July period average for Western Australia.
• For the South West Land Division (SWLD), July rainfall was the eleventh-lowest on record, after rainfall in July 2019 at the tenth-lowest, with comparable rainfall records commenced in 1900.
• For the SWLD, it has been the sixth-driest year-to-date, after fifth-driest January–July period in 2019; it was also the fourth-driest southern wet season so far (April–July).
• A cold front and a pre-frontal trough brought widespread moderate rainfall in the west and southwest of the state on the 17th; daily rainfall totals ranged from 25–50 mm in the southwest Gascoyne, the northern and western parts of the SWLD and an area around Esperance, to 10–15 mm in the eastern parts of the SWLD.
• Useless Loop in the Gascoyne coast recorded 49.4 mm on the 17th, which was its wettest July day on record
• An area in the central Pilbara saw above average July rainfall, largely due to moderate to heavy daily rainfall between 20–60 mm on the 19th from the passage of a low pressure trough; the highest daily rainfall of the month was 63.0 mm at Warambie (southeast of Karratha).

Very warm days for most of WA

• Mean maximum temperatures were well above average for most of WA, including an area of warmest on record in the northwest.
• The mean maximum temperature in July 2020 was 2.52 °C above average, which was the second-highest on record, just slightly below the record warm July 2019 for Western Australia as a whole.
• Many sites along the northwest and west coasts, including Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste with over 100 years of record, had their warmest July on record in terms of maximum temperatures.
• Very warm days with temperatures in the high-20s to low-30s were observed in the west Pilbara and west Gascoyne at the start of July between the 3rd and 5th, and a number of sites had their highest July temperature on record.
• Carnarvon Airport recorded 3 consecutive days of 30 °C or above between the 3rd and 5th, and 32.5 °C on the 3rd was its new July record.; prior to 2020, the highest count of such days in July was 2 in 1977.
• Very warm days with temperatures in the mid-20s were observed in parts of the SWLD on the 27th and 30th, and some sites had their highest July temperature on record.
• The mean minimum temperature in July 2020 was 0.55 °C above average for WA as a whole.
• The statewide mean temperature for the year-to-date (January–July) was the fifth-highest on record.
• The statewide mean maximum and minimum temperature for the year-to-date was the third-highest and ninth-highest on record respectively.

Strong winds

• On the 27th, the passage of a moderate cold front produced strong winds and some damage in the South West Land Division (SWLD). Strong northwest winds ahead of the front caused blowing dust through eastern parts of the SWLD. Both Gnowangerup and Manjimup recorded a 83 km/h (45 knot) wind gust, and Cape Leeuwin recorded a gust of 96 km/h (52 knot). Damage was reported from Busselton where a group of 6 units lost its tin roof.

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 higher value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top