Friday, 1 June 2018 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC21R0

Western Australia in autumn 2018: very warm; very dry in the south

Mean maximum temperatures were above average across Western Australia in autumn 2018, and exceptionally warm in the northwest. For the State as a whole, the mean maximum temperature was the second-warmest on record, and the warmest autumn since 2005. The mean minimum temperature was above average when averaged across the State. Rainfall was below average for most of WA, and autumn 2018 for the State as a whole was the seventh-driest autumn on record, and driest for over two decades.

Below average rainfall for most of WA

• Autumn rainfall in WA was the seventh-lowest on record, and lowest since 1994
• Autumn rainfall for the South West Land Division (SWLD) was the second-lowest on record, and lowest for more than a century (since 1914)
• Many locations in southern WA received less than one-third of the autumn average rainfall, and numerous sites had their driest autumn on record, or driest autumn for at least two decades
• Autumn rainfall at Kendenup in the South Coastal was 41.4 mm, which is its driest autumn in 118 years of record, whilst Wyalkatchem in the Central Wheat Belt experienced its driest autumn for over a century, since 1914

Above average daytime temperatures across WA

• The mean maximum temperature for WA in autumn 2018 was 2.03 °C above average, the second-highest in autumn on record, behind the record high in autumn 2005
• The mean maximum temperature for the SWLD in autumn 2018 was 1.8 °C above average, the second-highest in autumn on record, behind the record high in autumn 1994
• Exceptionally hot days persisted in the north in late March, resulting in a few autumn daily temperature records and a maximum temperature of 45.9 °C at Mardie on 29 March, the highest temperature ever recorded so late in March in Australia
• Several sites on the northwest coast and in the inland SWLD and southern Gascoyne had their warmest autumn on record or warmest since 1994, in terms of mean maximum temperature
• The mean minimum temperature for WA and SWLD was above average
• Very warm nights near the west coast mid-March saw Carnarvon Airport record its warmest autumn night on record with a minimum of 30.3 °C on the 12th; record warm autumn night was also recorded at Barrow Island Airport on 29 March
• Cold mornings were observed in southern WA on 20 and 21 May and Eyre recorded its lowest autumn temperature on record with a minimum of -2.9 °C on the 21st; below average minimum temperatures through southern WA on the 29th brought an autumn record low to Leinster Aerodrome with a minimum of 1.4 °C.

Severe wind gusts

• Adele Island, off the Kimberley coast, recorded a wind gust of 128 km/h on 19 March when TC Marcus moved through the north Kimberley into the Indian Ocean
• A strong cold front and associated deep low pressure system produced heavy rain and damaging winds in the SWLD on 24 and 25 May. Wind gusts over 100 km/h were reported at several coastal sites, whilst bushfires in and around Albany were fanned by northerly winds ahead of the cold front.

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