South East Queensland
Climate overview
Rainfall
Rainfall across the South East Queensland (SEQ) region was generally well below average for the 2013–14 year (Figure C1). The region's total area-averaged rainfall during the 2013–14 year was 681 mm, which was 43% less than that in the previous year and below the 10th percentile compared to the historical annual rainfall record (1900–2014), This low rainfall resulted in decrease of the inflow volumes into the water storages during the 2013–14 year (see Surface water) note.
Figure C1 Annual rainfall deciles for the South East Queensland region during the 2013–14 year
Annual rainfall ranged from more than 900 mm in localised areas in the southeast and northeast corners of the region to less than 900 mm through much of the region with some areas, with even less than 400 mm (Figure C2).
Figure C2 Total annual rainfall for the South East Queensland region during the 2013–14 year
Rainfall was well below average in the region during the 2013–14 water year, with serious (lowest 10% of records) to severe (lowest 5% of records) rainfall deficiencies) in several areas. There were no strong influences from large-scale drivers during the reporting year, with a short–lived negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event decaying at the start of the year. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation was neutral for most of the year, although rapid warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean towards the end of the year caused an El Niño Alert to be issued in April 2014.
The total annual rainfall in the SEQ region in the 2013-14 year was only 68% of the long–term annual rainfall, and the year ranked 105th lowest out of 114 years of records (1900–2014). Monthly rainfall during 2013–14 was well below the long–term rainfall pattern, except for November and March (Figure C3). Rainfall during the summer months was well below average.
Figure C3 Total monthly rainfall for the South East Queensland region during the 2013–14 year compared with the long-term average and percentiles for the region
Evapotranspiration
Potential evapotranspiration across the SEQ region was generally above average to very much above average for the 2013–14 year (Figure C4).
Figure C4 Annual evapotranspiration deciles for the South East Queensland region during the 2013–14 year
The potential evapotranspiration estimate was produced by the Australian Water Resources Assessment system landscape model (AWRA–L) version 3.0 (Van Dijk 2010). The AWRA-L model uses a modified version of the Penman–Monteith method to produce the potential evaporation. Daily AWRA-L potential evaporation grids were produced based on daily gridded climate data that were available on a 0.050 degree (approximately 5 km) national grid.
The total area-averaged potential evapotranspiration over the SEQ region during the 2013–14 year was 1,388 mm, which is above the long-term area-averaged potential evapotranspiration of 1,315 mm (based on the 1970–2014 period). Potential evapotranspiration was high in the northeast and southern parts of the region (Figure C5), whereas it was average or below average in the coastal and central areas of the region.
Figure C5 Total annual evapotranspiration for the South East Queensland region during the 2013–14 year
Temperature
During the 2013–14 year, the entire SEQ region experienced mean temperatures that were above the long-term monthly averages except December, based on the records from 1911–2014 period (Figure C6). This 2013-14 year was warmer than the previous year except from December–February.
Figure C6 Annual mean temperature deciles for the South East Queensland region during the 2013–14 year
Mean temperatures across the SEQ region ranged from more than 21 °C in the eastern part of the region to less than 21 °C in the northwest of the region (Figure C7).
Figure C7 Annual mean temperature for the South East Queensland region during the 2013–14 year
Monthly mean temperatures for the SEQ region were very close to long-term average (Figure C8). September 2013 was the second warmest September on record for the SEQ region.
Figure C8 Monthly mean temperature for the South East Queensland region during 2013–14 year compared with the long–term average and percentiles for the region