Wednesday, 1 September 2021 - Monthly Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC11R0

Western Australia in August 2021: dry in the south

Rainfall was below average for most of the southern half of Western Australia, while eastern parts and the far west of the Pilbara recorded above average rainfall. Mean maximum temperatures were above average across most of the state. Areas of above mean minimum temperatures were in the north-west coastal areas and a large part of the state's south.

Dry in the south

• Western Australia's August rainfall was 50% below average, which was the driest August since 2014.
• Rainfall was below average in most of the southern half of WA, although rainfall was above average in the far west and eastern parts of the Pilbara.
• Daily rainfall of 30–80 mm was recorded in the South West District on the 8th during the passage a cold front; Cowaramup, to the north of Margaret River, recorded 77.4 mm on the 8th, which was 10 mm more than its previous August daily rainfall record.
• A trough over the west Pilbara produced 3 days of showers around the Exmouth between the 8th and 10th; Learmonth Airport recorded 30.8 mm in total, which was its highest total August rainfall for 23 years.

Above average daytime temperature across most of WA

• Western Australia's mean temperature was 1.23 °C above average, and the equal eleventh-highest mean temperature for August on record.
• Western Australia's mean maximum temperature was 1.76 °C above average, and the tenth-highest mean maximum temperature for August on record.
• Broome Airport recorded 6 hot days in total with daily maximum temperatures of 35 °C, compared to August average of 1 hot day, and resulting in Broome had its highest August mean maximum temperature in 82 years of record.
• Kulumburu in the north Kimberley recorded 4 very hot days with daily maximum temperature of 38 °C, which were 38.3 °C( 23rd), 38.5 °C(24th), 38.7 °C (30th) and 38.6 °C (31st), all equalling or exceeding its previous August temperature record.
• Kulumburu's mean maximum temperature of 35.6 °C was its second-highest August mean maximum temperature on record, behind 35.9 °C in 2020.
• Wyndham Aero recorded the state and the country's highest temperature of the month with 39.0 °C on 31 August.
• In the state's south-west, the coldest days were the 1st and 10th, with daily maxima down to 10 °C or below, including a number of coldest August day records; Katanning in the Great Southern District recorded 9.5 °C on the 1st, which was a record, and also the lowest August maximum temperature since 1992 at Katanning when 9.5 °C was recorded on 28 August at the old Katanning site.
• Western Australia's mean minimum temperature was 0.7 °C above average.
• Karratha Aero and Roebourne Aero experienced a very warm night on the 16th with overnight temperatures remained above 23 °C, which was their warmest August night on record respectively.

Thunderstorms, damaging winds, hail and snow in the south-west WA

• On the 1st, 9th and 10th: strong cold fronts produced thunderstorms and damaging winds in Perth and the south-west of WA. Wind gusts in excess of 90 km/h were reported at coastal sites and a number of inland locations in the Lower West and South West districts from Lancelin (north of Perth) down to Cape Luuewin.
• Houses were damaged in Perth northern suburbs on the 1st, while hail was reported in southern suburbs on the 10th.
• Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range in the South Coastal District reported a dusting of snow on two occasions in August: from the last day of July till 1 August, and on 10 August.

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

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

* 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