Tuesday, 3 March 2009 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC21R0

Western Australia in summer 2008−09
A wetter than normal summer in WA

Summary

  • Above average rainfall for WA.
  • Near average mean maximum temperature for WA.
  • Above average mean minimum temperature for WA.

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Details

Rainfall

Above to very much above average summer rainfall was recorded in much of the Kimberley, southwest Pilbara, inland Gascoyne, Southeast Coastal and neighboring areas (see summer 2008−09 rainfall decile map). The summer rainfall total, for WA as a whole, was above average.

The wetter than normal summer was mainly due to an active monsoon season in the north. Tropical cyclone Billy in mid-December, and Dominic in late January as well as a couple of tropical lows in February produced widespread heavy rainfall and flooding along their pathes mainly in the Kimberley, west Pilbara, and inland Gascoyne. Several sites, mainly in Kimberley recorded their highest total summer rainfall on record.

Maximum temperature

Mean maximum temperatures were above to very much above average across a broad area from the inland Gascoyne and southern Southwest Land Division to southern Interior and Eucla, with up to 3°C warmer than normal mean maxima in the eastern Central WheatBelt. Conversely, the north and east Kimberley recorded below average mean maxima, with up to 3°C below average maxima in the east Kimberley. Averaged across the state, the mean maximum temperature was close to average. (see summer 2008−09 maximum temperature anomaly map).

Minimum temperature

Mean minimum temperatures were above to very much above average across much of the state from the Pilbara and Interior to the Southwest Land Division and Eucla, with means up to 3ºCabove average in pockets of the inland Pilbara and inland Gascoyne. Conversely, minima were below average in the north and east Kimberley. Averaged across the state as a whole, the WA mean minimum temperature was above average. (see summer 2008−09 minimum temperature anomaly map).

Further information

Western Australia Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 9263 2222
Email climate.wa@bom.gov.au

Extremes

Hottest day
Highest temperature		 49.0°C at Emu Creek Station on 10 Jan 2009
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 40.9°C at Telfer Aero
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 22.3°C at Albany
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 16.2°C at Jacup on 10 Dec 2008
16.2°C at Manjimup on 25 Feb 2009
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 3.3°C at Eyre on 21 Jan 2009
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 11.8°C at Jarrahwood
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 26.6°C at Telfer Aero
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 32.4°C at Meekatharra Airport on 12 Jan 2009
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 1788.2 mm at Kuri Bay(some data missing)
Wettest day
Highest daily rainfall		 280.0 mm at Laurel Downs on 26 Dec 2008
Highest wind gust
 148 km/h at Wyndham Aero on 7 Jan 2009

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Records

Record highest summer daily rainfall
Highest daily rainfall
in summer 2008−09 (mm) 		Previous highest
for summer		 Years of
record
Millstream 208.0 on 17 Feb 2009 148.1 on 31 Jan 1946 106
Red Hill 230.8 on 17 Feb 2009 170.9 on 30 Jan 1928 104
Beringarra 113.8 on 28 Jan 2009 109.7 on 23 Jan 1925 85
Oombulgurri 223.0 on 20 Dec 2008 212.1 on 20 Jan 1957 56
Wyndham 254.0 on 21 Dec 2008 154.8 on 12 Dec 1998 42
Lort River 118.0 on 28 Jan 2009 89.6 on 5 Jan 2007 41
Pannawonica 245.0 on 17 Feb 2009 228.0 on 25 Feb 1989 39
Walters Farm 124.2 on 21 Dec 2008 53.6 on 7 Jan 1976 38


Record highest total summer rainfall
Total rainfall
for summer 2008−09 (mm) 		Previous highest
for summer		 Years of
record		 Average for
summer
Kimberley Res.Station 1267.3 1003.1 in 1961 65 553.6
Oombulgurri 1351.6(some data missing) 1186.5 in 1941 55 500.5
Yalleen 665.6(some data missing) 562.0 in 1994 48 185.1
Wyndham 1387.6 923.6 in 2007 41 534.2
Mount Elizabeth 1045.0(some data missing) 1018.1 in 1985 36 649.2
Kununurra Aero 912.6 830.2 in 1996 33 547.2


Record lowest summer mean daily maximum temperature
Mean daily maximum
temperature
for summer 2008−09 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for summer		 Years of
record		 Average for
summer
Wyndham 35.0 35.1 in 1996 39 37.1


Record highest summer daily minimum temperature
Highest daily minimum
temperature
in summer 2008−09 (°C) 		Previous highest
for summer		 Years of
record		 Average for
summer
Eucla 30.2 on 26 Feb 2009 29.4 on 21 Feb 1997 50 16.1


Record lowest summer temperature
Lowest temperature
in summer 2008−09 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for summer		 Years of
record		 Average for
summer
Mandora 14.5 on 13 Dec 2008 15.6 on 28 Feb 1972 47 24.9
Learmonth Airport 14.2 on 11 Dec 2008 14.4 on 1 Dec 1981 34 22.5


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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Tuesday 3 March 2009. 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 5 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median is sometimes more representative than the mean of long-term average rain.

Further information

Western Australia Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 9263 2222
Email climate.wa@bom.gov.au