Monday, 2 June 2014 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Tasmania - Product code IDCKGC17R0

Tasmania in autumn 2014: a warm season

Tasmania experienced a warmer than average autumn. March was a generally warm month overall, although not exceptionally so, and this warmth continued into early April with several sites (including Hobart) experiencing their highest April temperature on record on the 1st. Despite a cooler period during late April and early May, the middle of May saw temperatures again increase as a high pressure system settled over the Tasman Sea, directing a warm northwesterly flow across the State. In particular, 15 May was especially warm about the southeast, with several sites (including Hobart) experiencing their highest late-season maximum temperatures on record. Campania reached a maximum temperature of 24.1 °C which is the highest maximum temperature on record so late in the season for any Tasmanian site. This prolonged autumn warm spell affected much of Australia (as detailed in Special Climate Statement 49).

Autumn rainfall was near average overall, although slightly below average about the southeast coast. A relatively dry start to the year continued in the southeast during March, while the north of the State experienced some moderate rainfalls during the second half of the month. Both April and May rainfall totals were near average in most parts of the state, although below average falls were recorded about the northeast during May. 

  • Record warm start to April, especially hot on the 1st
  • Record late-season warmth during May
  • A warm season overall
  • Near-average rainfall

Separate summaries have also been prepared for March, April and May 2014.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057
Enquiries
Extremes in autumn 2014
Hottest day 33.2 °C at Swansea (Francis Street) on 11 Mar
Warmest days on average 19.9 °C at Flinders Island Airport
Coolest days on average 8.9 °C at Mount Wellington
Coldest day 0.0 °C at Mount Wellington on 6 May
Coldest night -7.4 °C at Liawenee on 8 May
Coolest nights on average 2.8 °C at Mount Wellington
Warmest nights on average 13.2 °C at Swan Island
Warmest night 19.6 °C at Flinders Island Airport on 5 Mar and 2 Apr
Warmest on average overall 15.9 °C at Swan Island
Coolest on average overall 5.9 °C at Mount Wellington
Wettest overall 933.2 mm at Mount Read
Driest overall 62.0 mm at Grindstone Point
Wettest day 70.2 mm at Mount Victoria (Una Plain) on 22 Apr
Highest wind gust 139 km/h at Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison) on 24 Apr

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps

Observed Anomaly Decile rank
Total
rainfall		 Map of Rainfall totals Map of Percentage of normal rainfall Map of Rainfall deciles
Mean
daily
maximum
temperatures		 Map of Mean maximum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean maximum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean maximum temperature
Mean
daily
minimum
temperatures		 Map of Mean minimum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean minimum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean minimum temperature

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


Highest autumn mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years

Mean daily maximum
temperature
for autumn 2014 (°C) 		Most recent autumn
at least this warm		 Years since
warmer		 Average for
autumn
Macquarie Island 7.7 =7.7 in 1993 21 6.9


Highest autumn mean temperature for at least 20 years

Mean daily
temperature
for autumn 2014 (°C) 		Most recent autumn
at least this warm		 Years since
warmer		 Average for
autumn
Flinders Island Airport 15.6 16.1 in 1989* 24 14.7
Macquarie Island 6.0 =6.0 in 1993 21 5.3

* 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

Summary statistics for autumn 2014

Maximum temperatures
for autumn
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for autumn
(°C)		 Rainfall
for autumn
(millimetres)
Mean for
autumn
2014		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
autumn
2014		 Mean for
autumn
2014		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
autumn
2014		 Total for
autumn
2014		 Average
for
autumn		 Rank of
autumn
2014		 Fraction of
autumn
average
Northern (district 91)
Bridport (Sea View Villas) 18.7 +0.4 25.1 11 Mar 10.1 +0.5 2.0 12 May 211.2 171.6 high 123%
Burnie (Round Hill) 18.6 +0.9 24.0 28 Mar 11.4 +1.3 4.9 7 May 225.4 218.8 average 103%
Burnie NTC AWS 17.2   24.9 1 Apr 12.1   5.5 27 Apr



Cape Grim 17.1   25.8 11 Mar 12.0   6.3 8 May 238.0


Cape Grim BAPS (Comparison) 17.5 +0.9 25.9 11 Mar 12.0 +0.5 6.5 27 Apr 234.6 191.3 high 123%
Cressy Research Station 18.7 +0.1 28.1 11 Mar 6.4 +0.7 -3.5 25 Apr 155.2 132.0 high 118%
Devonport Airport 18.6 +0.8 24.6 28 Mar 9.7 +1.0 1.4 7 May 188.5 182.5 average 103%
Launceston (Ti Tree Bend) 19.6 +0.5 28.9 11 Mar 8.2 +0.7 -0.5 25 Apr 192.8 153.5 high 126%
Launceston Airport 18.9   29.4 11 Mar 7.2   -1.5 8 May 156.8 150.0 average 105%
Low Head 18.3 +0.6 22.9 1 Apr 11.8 +0.6 4.6 27 Apr 211.2 167.6 high 126%
Luncheon Hill (Forestry) 16.3 +0.5 26.3 10 Mar 9.0 +0.8 2.6 7 May



Marrawah 17.7 +0.7 26.0 10 Mar 10.9 +0.6 5.0 27 Apr



Scottsdale (West Minstone Road) 18.2 +0.2 28.0 11 Mar 8.5 +0.6 0.4 25 Apr 239.0 232.2 average 103%
Sheffield School Farm 16.7 0.0 24.2 10 Mar 7.9 +0.7 0.3 27 Apr 337.8 221.9 high 152%
Smithton Aerodrome 18.3 +0.5 25.4 1 Apr 8.4 +0.6 -1.2 7 May 213.2 188.2 average 113%
Wynyard Airport 18.4 +0.8 24.7 1 Apr 8.2 +0.9 -1.0 7 May 218.8 218.3 average 100%
East Coast (district 92)
Bicheno (Council Depot) 19.3 +0.6 26.0 11 Mar 11.0 +0.7 3.9 31 May 103.5 172.6 low 60%
Fingal (Legge Street) 18.9 +0.5 30.6 11 Mar 5.8 +0.4 -4.5 25 Apr 79.2 146.4 low 54%
Friendly Beaches 19.7 +0.9 30.4 1 Apr 10.5 +0.5 2.3 31 May 102.2 165.8 low 62%
Lake Leake (Elizabeth River) 15.0 +0.6 26.6 11 Mar 4.8 +0.7 -4.0 25 Apr 125.0 203.8 low 61%
Larapuna (Eddystone Point) 19.2 +1.0 29.1 5 Mar 12.3 +0.8 3.6 25 Apr 129.4 189.3 low 68%
Maria Island (Point Lesueur) 18.3   27.6 11 Mar 11.8   5.8 31 May 68.2 110.2 low 62%
Orford (Aubin Court) 18.7 +0.5 31.8 11 Mar 9.4 +1.0 0.0 9 May 80.8 161.3 v low 50%
Spring Bay NTC AWS 18.3   29.6 11 Mar 11.0   3.4 30 May



St Helens Aerodrome 19.2 +0.7 29.0 11 Mar 9.9 +0.5 2.3 25 Apr 126.0 165.2 average 76%
Swan Island 18.7 +0.5 25.7 10 Mar 13.2 +0.6 6.5 25 Apr 159.8 156.6 average 102%
Swansea (Francis Street) 19.6   33.2 11 Mar 9.1   -0.1 31 May 74.2


Midlands (district 93)
Ross (The Boulevards) 18.3 +0.4 29.0 11 Mar 6.1 +0.5 -4.3 31 May 91.6 100.2 average 91%
Southeast (district 94)
Bull Bay (Lauriston) 18.3 +0.9 30.5 11 Mar 9.9 +0.2 3.8 30 May 115.8 133.8 average 87%
Campania (Kincora) 19.4 +0.4 32.1 11 Mar 8.2 +0.5 -0.6 9 May 74.0 100.9 average 73%
Cape Bruny (Cape Bruny) 17.1 +0.6 29.7 11 Mar 10.3 +0.2 4.6 30 May 149.0 171.5 average 87%
Cape Bruny Lighthouse 16.7 +1.2 28.9 11 Mar 10.3 +0.6 4.4 30 May 153.2 231.5 low 66%
Dennes Point 18.0   30.1 11 Mar 10.6   3.9 30 May 93.8


Dover 17.6 +0.7 30.8 11 Mar 7.7 +0.4 -0.5 30 May 148.0 201.8 average 73%
Dunalley (Stroud Point) 18.6   33.1 11 Mar 11.1   4.1 30 May 95.6


Geeveston (Cemetery Road) 18.2 +0.9 31.3 11 Mar 7.2 +0.7 -0.7 9 May 176.6 192.2 average 92%
Grove (Research Station) 18.4   30.0 11 Mar 6.4   -1.4 31 May 140.1 142.1 average 99%
Hobart (Ellerslie Road) 18.6 +1.3 32.0 11 Mar 10.0 +1.1 2.4 9 May 96.0 142.2 low 68%
Hobart Airport 18.9 +0.9 32.5 11 Mar 9.3 +0.6 1.2 31 May 90.0 114.0 average 79%
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse 15.0 +0.5 24.3 1 Apr 10.3 +0.8 5.6 27 Apr 278.6 308.2 average 90%
Melton Mowbray (North Stockman) 18.1 +0.6 31.3 11 Mar 6.4 +0.3 -4.4 9 May 96.6 91.0 average 106%
Mount Wellington 8.9 +0.5 19.8 1 Apr 2.8 +0.5 -2.9 27 Apr 239.0 230.3 average 104%
Tasman Island 15.8 +0.7 25.4 11 Mar 10.4 +0.5 4.4 27 Apr 178.4 209.1 average 85%
Tunnack Fire Station 16.1 +0.5 26.4 11 Mar 5.7 +0.3 -4.7 31 May 115.4 137.2 average 84%
Derwent Valley (district 95)
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates) 18.9 +0.9 31.6 1 Apr 6.4 +0.2 -1.7 8 May 115.0 130.6 average 88%
Maydena Post Office 16.8 +0.6 30.1 1 Apr 6.1 +0.5 0.5 8 May 236.9 245.8 average 96%
Ouse Fire Station 18.4 -0.1 31.6 11 Mar 5.9 +0.4 -3.4 8 May 130.0 89.4 high 145%
Central Plateau (district 96)
Butlers Gorge 13.9 +0.7 25.2 11 Mar 4.3 +0.9 -4.3 13 May 384.4 403.0 average 95%
Lake St Clair National Park 13.8 +0.5 25.2 11 Mar 4.0 +1.0 -3.0 30 May 447.0 403.7 high 111%
Liawenee 12.3 -0.1 22.4 1 Apr 2.9 +1.1 -7.4 8 May 201.8 215.1 average 94%
West Coast (district 97)
Cape Sorell 17.1 +1.5 25.5 9 Mar 11.2 +0.9 5.8 28 Apr



Hartz Mountain (Keoghs Pimple) 12.0 +0.5 25.6 4 Mar 5.0 +0.2 -0.5 27 Apr 221.6 214.0 average 104%
Low Rocky Point 16.6   24.5 1 Apr 10.2   4.2 8 May 400.6 324.0 high 124%
Mount Read 9.4 +0.4 19.4 11 Mar 4.0 +0.5 -1.9 4 May 933.2 948.6 average 98%
Scotts Peak Dam 15.7 +0.8 31.5 9 Mar 7.0 +0.1 -0.4 9 May 431.4 402.3 high 107%
Strahan Aerodrome 17.4 +0.6 29.7 9 Mar 8.9 +0.4 0.7 28 Apr 403.8 360.3 average 112%
Warra 14.4   27.4 11 Mar 5.8   -1.4 8 May 385.8


King Island (district 98)
King Island Airport 18.6 +0.8 31.1 1 Apr 11.3 +0.7 4.1 30 May 230.4 195.6 high 118%
Flinders Island (district 99)
Flinders Island Airport 19.9 +1.2 30.0 10 Mar 11.3 +0.6 0.2 7 May 168.8 186.8 average 90%
Antarctica and Macquarie Island (district 300)
Macquarie Island 7.7 +0.8 9.9 4 Mar 4.4 +0.8 -3.9 25 May 249.2 277.1 average 90%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notes

A Seasonal Climate Summary is prepared to list the main features of the weather in Tasmania using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, usually published in the fourth week of the month.

A Climate Summary is generally published on the first working day of each month.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 8 am on Monday 2 June 2014. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Averages are long-term means based on observations from all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site. They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median is sometimes more representative than the mean of long-term average rain.

The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site, based on the decile ranking (very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3, average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9 and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a percentage of the long-term mean.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057
Enquiries