Canberra
Climate overview

Rainfall across the Canberra region was generally below average for the 2012–13 year (Figure C1). The total area-averaged rainfall over the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year was 692 mm, which is below the long-term area-averaged rainfall of 800 mm (period 1900–2013).

These conditions represent a decrease in rainfall compared to the 2011–12 year (see 2012 Account), when rainfall was very much above average. This contributed to decreased inflow volumes into the water storages during the 2012–13 year.

Figure C1 Map of annual rainfall deciles for the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year

Annual rainfall ranged from more than 800 mm in areas along the western and eastern borders of the region, to less than 600 mm in central parts of the region (Figure C2).

Figure C2 Map of total annual rainfall for the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year

Generally below-average rainfall was experienced across much of Australia during the 2012–13 year. There were no strong influences from large-scale climate drivers over the reporting period. Conditions in the Pacific Ocean were neutral and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole event developed during winter 2013 (at the end of the reporting period).

The area-averaged monthly rainfall was below the long-term average for most months during the reporting period, with the exception of January, February and June 2013 (Figure C3). June 2013 was the wettest month of the reporting period in the Canberra region. All months in the first half of the reporting period (July-December 2012) recorded values below the long-term area-average.The low rainfall in March, April and May shows very dry condition during late summer and autumn.

Figure C3 Graph of total monthly rainfall for the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year compared with the long-term average and percentiles for the region

Evapotranspiration across the Canberra region was above average over the reporting period (Figure C4). The total area-averaged evapotranspiration over the Canberra region during 2012–13 was 714 mm. The long-term average evapotranspiration (1911-2012) for the region is 658 mm.

Figure C4 Map of annual evapotranspiration deciles for the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year

The total annual evapotranspiration for the Canberra region during 2012–13 is shown in Figure C5.



Figure C5 Map of total annual evapotranspiration for the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year

The entire Canberra region experienced mean temperatures above the long-term average during the 2012–13 year (Figure C6), where the long term average is based on the 1911–2013 period.

Figure C6 Map of annual mean temperature deciles for the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year

Mean temperatures across the Canberra region ranged from more than 14 °C in the northwest of the region to less than 8 °C in isolated areas along the western border (Figure C7).

Figure C7 Map of annual mean temperature for the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year

Monthly mean temperatures for the Canberra region were above the long-term average for all months during the reporting period, with the exception of August and October (Figure C8). January 2013 was the fifth-warmest January on record for the Canberra region. Above average temperature for the region was largely a result of late spring and early summer high temperatures.

Figure C8 Graph of average monthly mean temperature for the Canberra region during the 2012–13 year compared with the long-term average and percentiles for the region