Friday, 1 March 2019 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC27R0

Tasmania in summer 2018-19: very warm and mostly dry

Tasmania had a very warm summer, with prolonged warm weather through January more than making up for some cooler days in February. Rainfall was below average in most of the State, especially the southwest, but thunderstorms gave above average rain to parts of the northeast highlands.

A very warm summer

• Overall it was Tasmania's second-warmest summer on record, with the mean temperature 1.60 °C above average; a little cooler than the record warm summer of 2015-16
• The Tasmanian mean temperature was record warm in December and January, contrasted with a generally cool February
• Daytime maximum temperatures were record warm in the east, and the State mean maximum temperature was third-warmest on record at 1.85 °C above average
• Days were especially warm during January, with little cool weather between late December and early February, but there were many cool days in February
• Night-time minimum temperatures were above average in all months, and record warm in December
• Summer mean minimum temperatures were very much above average across the State, and Tasmania's mean minimum temperature was third-warmest on record at 1.35 °C above average
• Several sites, mostly in the southeast and including Hobart, had their warmest summer on record, mostly because of record mean daily maximum temperature with a few also having their highest mean daily minimum temperature on record
• A feature of the summer was persistently warm days, especially during December and January, but few especially cool days
• Tasmania missed most of the extreme heat that affected the mainland (as detailed in the Special Climate Statement Widespread heatwaves during December 2018 and January 2019)
• No individual daily temperature records were broken, although Hobart Airport's maximum of 40.1 °C on the 25 January was the equal second-highest temperature ever recorded there (behind 40.3 °C on 4 January 2013)

Dry during mid-summer, but localised heavy rain

• Rainfall was below average for most of the State, and especially low in the southwest and the southern Midlands
• Most areas had little if any rain for about 6 weeks from late December to early February; January was Tasmania's second-driest on record (the State average rainfall was less than 0.1 mm wetter than January 1939)
• Rainfall was above average in most areas during February
• There was moderate to heavy rain and localised thunderstorms in the northeast around 14-15 December and again on 7 February, ensuring those areas had a wetter than average summer
• Total summer rainfall was about 22% below average, drier than summer 2017-18 and only a little wetter than summer 2012-13

Thunderstorms, fires and smoke

• Lightning strikes onto dry vegetation in late December and again in mid-January led to numerous bushfires; there were 70 fires active between 23 and 26 January
• These fires burnt about 200 000 ha, including over 88 000 ha in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area; there were also 7 properties lost
• Smoke from the fires caused poor air quality in the south of the state from 18 January to 3 February, including at locations well removed from the actual fires

Record warm summer for Hobart

• The mean daily maximum temperature for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was a record warm 23.7 °C, which is 2.4 °C above the long-term average
• Hobart's warmest day was 37.9 °C on 25 January, one of 9 days over 30 °C; Hobart has previously averaged about 4 days over 30 °C each summer
• Hobart had a record 31 consecutive days when it reached at least 20 °C, from 23 December to 22 January
• The only day that didn't reach 17 °C was 23 February (16.8 °C); Hobart has previously averaged about 13 days that cool each summer
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 13.7 °C, which is 2.1 °C above the long-term average and equals the record from summer 2015-16
• The coldest morning was 8.0 °C on 13 February, one of only 9 minimum temperatures below 10 °C (compared to a summer average of about 24 such cool nights)
• Hobart's warmest morning was on 29 January when the minimum temperature was 19.1 °C
• Total rainfall for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 96.8 mm, which is 67% of the long-term average of 143.6 mm
• Hobart had 61.0 mm of rainfall during December, but only 0.4 mm of rain was recorded in Hobart during January; a further 21 mm fell in less than 2 hours on the morning of 7 February

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