Monday, 3 June 2019 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC27R0

Tasmania in autumn 2019: a record hot start, a cold finish, dry in the east

Tasmania had a record warm start to autumn and warm days were common through the season, but there were cold nights in April and a particularly cold spell at the end of May; overall temperatures were above average. Rainfall was well below average in the east, but close to average in the west.

Another dry season in the east

• Cold fronts were common through much of autumn, bringing rain to the west but leaving the eastern half relatively dry
• Much of the east and southeast coasts had rainfall totals in the driest 10% of autumns
• Most of the State has had a relatively dry start to the year; several sites in the east have had their driest first five months of the year since 2008, and for some it is the driest since 1984 or even 1967
• Total rainfall for Tasmania was about 10% below average, drier than autumn 2018 but wetter than autumn 2017

Another warm season

• There were record hot days in March, cold nights in April, and mild days through May until a cold outbreak near the end of the month, leading to a warm season overall
• Dover's maximum temperature of 40.1 °C on 2 March was the highest autumn temperature ever reported in Tasmania, far exceeding the previous record of 38.0 °C at Campania on 14 March 2008
• Very high temperatures were reported from some sites in western and central Tasmania on 1 March, with even higher temperatures across the State on the 2nd
• Many sites, including Hobart, Launceston and Strahan, had their highest autumn temperature on record; Hobart (with 39.1 °C) was one of nine sites in southeast Tasmania that exceeded the old autumn State record
• The morning of the 2 March was also record warm for several sites
• Mild weather was common through much of autumn, with temperatures in the east reaching into the high teens as late as 24 May
• April saw several cold nights, including Liawenee's minimum temperature of -7.3 °C on the 4th, the earliest in the season the temperature has dropped so low in Tasmania
• There was some cold weather, notably at the end of May when Dover and Cape Bruny had their coldest autumn day on record
• Tasmania's mean temperature for autumn was 0.35 °C above average, with the mean maximum 0.50 °C above average and the mean minimum 0.19 °C above average
• Temperatures are tracking above average for the year so far, but less so in Tasmania than on the mainland

Mild and relatively dry for Hobart

• Total rainfall for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 74.0 mm, which is 52% of the long-term average
• The first five months of 2019 have brought 109.8 mm to Hobart, less than half the long-term average and the driest start to the year since 1984
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 19.0 °C, which is 1.7 °C above the long-term average
• The warmest weather was on 2 March, when Hobart's minimum temperature was 19.8 °C and its maximum was 39.1 °C
• The coldest weather was at the end of the season: on 29 May the minimum temperature was 3.1 °C and the maximum was 10.1 °C
• Hobart's mean maximum temperature for the first five months of the year is more than two degrees above average, and the warmest start to the year on record
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Hobart (Ellerslie Road) was 9.8 °C, which is 0.8 °C above the long-term average

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 lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top