Tuesday, 1 December 2015 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC27R0

Tasmania in spring 2015: exceptionally warm and exceptionally dry

Spring 2015 in Tasmania brought exceptionally warm and dry weather, with many sites setting new records. Cold fronts were less common than usual for the time of year, but there were still some days with strong winds, and the occasional cold outbreak.

• record low spring rainfall for western Tasmania, and the State as a whole
• record high spring mean maximum temperatures
• unusually mild nights overall
• early spring warmth and early start to fire season

Spring rainfall was below average in all parts of Tasmania except the northern East Coast, and record low in the western half, along the north coast and into the southern Midlands. Rainfall in each of September, October and November was below average for most areas. Westerly winds and cold fronts are typical for Tasmania during spring, but uncommon during spring 2015, meaning that the western half had only a fraction of its normal spring rain. Many sites had their lowest total spring rainfall on record. There were some significant falls on the northern East Coast, particularly in the first part of November, ensuring that area had close to average total spring rain. The State's mean rainfall for all of spring was 59% below average, making it the driest spring on record.

Many sites (including Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport) had their highest spring mean daily maximum temperature on record. High temperatures occurred much earlier in the year than usual, with the first half of October having many days that were more typical of summer; details can be found in the Special Climate Statement Early-season heat across southern Australia. Overnight minimum temperatures were also well above average, and generally in the top 10% of historical records for spring. There were enough cool nights to ensure no records were broken for minimum temperatures, however. The statewide mean maximum temperature was 1.36 °C above average, making this spring the second warmest on record (behind 1914). The statewide mean minimum temperature was 0.43 °C above average. Combined, this gave a statewide mean temperature that was 0.90 °C above average, the second warmest behind the record from 2005.

The early-season high temperatures, combined with very dry conditions, meant an earlier start to the fire season than is usual for Tasmania, with some days of localised extreme fire danger and several difficult-to-control fires; one such day was 6 October, when strong winds were added to the mix. A cold outbreak on 26 November brought rain to the west, mountain snow, and low temperatures, but this was not enough to compensate for the warm and dry conditions that were common for most of this spring.

Hobart's mean daily maximum temperature for spring was a record high 18.8 °C, 1.9 °C above the long-term average. It was 0.3 °C above the previous record, which was set just last year. Included in this were a spring record 6 days over 28 °C. The city's mean minimum temperature of 9.0 °C was 1.2 °C above the November average. The mean temperature for spring (the average of the mean maximum and minimum) was 1.5 °C above average at 13.9 °C, surpassing the previous record set last year. Hobart's total rainfall for the season was 79.8 mm, less than half of the spring average of 169 mm.

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.

* 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