Monday, 4 September 2023 - Monthly Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC11R0

Western Australia in August 2023

Rainfall

• August rainfall totals were between 50 mm and 100 mm in the state's southwest, with pockets recording over 100 mm to 140 mm. Rainfall totals decreased further inland and northward, down to less than 10 mm over the northwest WA, while the Kimberley and eastern interiors reported zero rainfall.
• August rainfall was mixed, with below average (lowest 30% of all observations) rainfall observed in the southwest parts from Kalbarri down to the capes. In contrast, rainfall was above average (highest 20% of all observations) in the Central WA region.
• A number of cold fronts moved across western WA at the start of August, bringing daily rainfall of 30–80 mm between the 2nd and the 4th in the southwest and central WA, Around two dozen of sites had their August daily rainfall on record.
• A number of sites in central WA had their highest August monthly rainfall since late 1990s.
• For WA as a whole, August rainfall was about 12 mm, 18% below the 1961–1990 average.
• For the South West Land Division (SWLD) as a whole, August rainfall was 39.2 mm, 30% below the 1961–1990 average, and the driest August for 16 years since 2008.

Temperature

• Mean maximum temperatures were above average across the whole state, and ranked in the highest 10% of all observations (since 1910) for most of WA.
• For WA as a whole, the mean maximum temperatures was 3.61 °C above the 1961–1990 average, which was 0.44 °C warmer than the previous record (+3.16 °C in 2006).
• Mean minimum temperatures were very much above average (in the highest 10% of all observations) for most of the state, except in the far north and southwest.
• For WA as a whole, the mean minimum temperatures was 1.89 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the 2nd-highest on record.
• Maximum temperatures climbed to the low-to-mid 30s in western and southern WA during the last week of August. Many sites had their highest August temperature on record.
• The warmest day was on the 31st for most of the SWLD and southern Gascoyne. Geraldton Airport recorded a maximum temperature of 33.2 °C on the 31st, which was its highest August temperature in 82 years of records, and 1.2 °C higher than its previous record (32.0 on 28 August 2019).
• Several sites in the north and southeast of WA including Broome and Port Hedland had their warmest August on record in terms of maximum temperatures
• Cloudy conditions resulted in overnight temperatures in the mid-to-high 10s in the eastern SWLD on the 8th, and a number of sites had their highest August minimum temperature on record.
• It was the warmest August on record for many sites including Port Hedland in north and central WA in terms of mean temperatures (average of maximum and minimum temperatures).

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

* 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