Monday, 2 March 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Australian Capital Territory - Product code IDCKGC15L0
Australian Capital Territory in February 2020: wet with warm nights
February was the first month with above-average rainfall in the ACT since May 2019. Overnight minimum temperatures were well above average with daytime temperatures close to average.
Above-average rainfall returns
- Rainfall was above average at all ACT locations
- The heaviest rain was on the 10th, when 50 to 80 millimetres fell across the ACT. Southern and western areas of the Territory, including parts of the metropolitan area, also received heavy rain on the 16th from thunderstorms
Warm nights, daytime temperatures near average
- Overnight minimum temperatures were above average at all locations
- After a hot start to the month, daytime maximum temperatures were generally close to average
- Some sites had their highest February temperature on record
- Some sites had their warmest February night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record
Canberra Airport
- Total rainfall for Canberra Airport was 80.0 mm, which is 140% of the long-term average of 57.2 mm
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Canberra Airport was 27.7 °C, which is 0.4 °C above the long-term average of 27.3 °C. The warmest day was 42.7 °C on the 1st, and the coolest day was on the 9th when the temperature reached 18.4 °C
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Canberra Airport was 15.1 °C, which is 2.0 °C above the long-term average of 13.1 °C. The coldest morning was 6.8 °C on the 28th, and the warmest morning was on the 2nd when the minimum temperature was 26.7 °C
Other major events
- The weekend of 1-2 February was extremely hot. The 1st (42.7 °C) was the hottest February day on record and the second-hottest day for any month at Canberra Airport, whilst the minimum of 26.7 °C on the 2nd was the highest on record for any month
- The daily rainfall total of 60.0 mm at Canberra Airport on the 10th was the wettest day there since February 2018
- Fires continued to burn in and near Namadgi National Park in the first part of the month. The fires were declared contained on the 10th following widespread rain
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
- Enquiries
- helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
| Extremes in February 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 42.7 °C at Canberra Airport on the 1st |
| Warmest days on average | 27.7 °C at Canberra Airport |
| Coolest days on average | 18.0 °C at Mount Ginini AWS |
| Coldest day | 8.5 °C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 19th |
| Coldest night | 1.5 °C at Mount Ginini AWS on the 4th |
| Coolest nights on average | 8.7 °C at Mount Ginini AWS |
| Warmest nights on average | 15.3 °C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS |
| Warmest night |
26.7 °C at Canberra Airport on the 2nd 26.7 °C at Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS on the 2nd |
| Warmest on average overall | 21.4 °C at Canberra Airport |
| Coolest on average overall | 13.3 °C at Mount Ginini AWS |
| Wettest overall | 235.2 mm at Mount Ginini AWS |
| Driest overall | 80.0 mm at Canberra Airport |
| Wettest day | 77.2 mm at Ginninderra (Charnwood (ACT)) on the 10th |
| Strongest wind gust | 85 km/h at Mount Ginini AWS on the 9th |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
| Record highest February temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for February |
|||
| Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS | 41.5 | on the 1st | 41.1 | on the 10th in 2017 | 24 | 28.1 |
| Record highest February daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for February |
|||
| Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS | 26.7 | on the 2nd | 23.0 | on the 2nd in 2011 | 24 | 14.2 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for February 2020 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for February 2020 |
Diff from average |
Highest for February 2020 |
Mean for February 2020 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for February 2020 |
Total for February 2020 |
Average for February |
Rank of February 2020 |
Fraction of February average |
|||
| Canberra Airport | 27.7 | +0.4 | 42.7 | 1st | 15.1 | +2.0 | 6.8 | 28th | 80.0 | 57.2 | average | 140% |
| Mount Ginini AWS | 18.0 | -1.0 | 31.1 | 1st | 8.7 | -0.2 | 1.5 | 4th | 235.2 | 99.3 | high | 237% |
| Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS | 27.2 | -0.9 | 41.5 | 1st | 15.3 | +1.1 | 5.8 | 28th | 129.6 | 72.2 | high | 180% |
|
Note:
Observations for “Canberra Airport” are taken from the current site
(Bureau number 070351), which opened in late 2008.
Comparisons are made against data from the previous site Canberra Airport Comparison (070014), which ran from 1939 to 2010, combined with the current site from March 2010 onwards. | ||||||||||||
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
| Daily maximum temperatures for February 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | |
| Canberra Airport | 42.7 | 33.7 | 29.2 | 25.3 | 29.1 | 25.4 | 23.7 | 23.9 | 18.4 | 27.6 | 28.7 | 28.2 | 27.4 | 29.2 | 29.8 | 26.0 | 26.3 | 31.2 | 21.1 | 25.4 | 26.5 | 26.3 | 26.5 | 29.7 | 30.6 | 29.8 | 26.2 | 28.3 | 26.7 |
| Mount Ginini AWS | 31.1 | 20.8 | 18.7 | 14.8 | 21.6 | 14.7 | 13.5 | 11.9 | 11.1 | 17.6 | 19.1 | 19.4 | 16.5 | 19.4 | 21.7 | 16.5 | 19.4 | 20.5 | 8.5 | 16.8 | 18.8 | 16.9 | 17.8 | 20.1 | 20.6 | 17.9 | 17.2 | 20.0 | 18.0 |
| Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS | 41.5 | 33.5 | 28.8 | 24.9 | 29.0 | 25.9 | 22.9 | 22.9 | 18.8 | 27.3 | 28.8 | 28.7 | 25.9 | 28.5 | 28.9 | 25.6 | 25.8 | 30.9 | 21.1 | 25.1 | 26.4 | 25.8 | 25.5 | 28.2 | 29.9 | 28.1 | 26.1 | 27.6 | 26.5 |
|
Values are the maximum temperature, usually in the 24 hours from 9 am on the day indicated, and typically occurred in the afternoon of that day. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temperatures coloured according to their difference from the long-term average for the period |
-10.0 | -9.0 | -8.0 | -7.0 | -6.0 | -5.0 | -4.0 | -3.0 | -2.0 | -1.0 | 0.0 | +1.0 | +2.0 | +3.0 | +4.0 | +5.0 | +6.0 | +7.0 | +8.0 | +9.0 | +10.0 | °C | Grey outline marks highest and lowest for the period |
||||||
| Daily minimum temperatures for February 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | |
| Canberra Airport | 25.5 | 26.7 | 15.3 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 15.7 | 16.4 | 16.3 | 15.5 | 15.4 | 17.2 | 17.3 | 19.4 | 14.5 | 18.1 | 15.9 | 16.6 | 17.8 | 14.5 | 11.0 | 12.1 | 13.9 | 12.7 | 13.9 | 12.7 | 18.0 | 10.3 | 6.8 | 10.5 |
| Mount Ginini AWS | 21.0 | 18.7 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 10.6 | 11.0 | 11.7 | 8.9 | 13.2 | 9.9 | 9.5 | 11.1 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 7.6 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 11.6 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 6.1 |
| Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS | 24.3 | 26.7 | 14.4 | 9.4 | 10.5 | 16.3 | 17.4 | 16.5 | 15.8 | 14.8 | 16.7 | 17.3 | 18.8 | 17.9 | 17.9 | 15.8 | 16.1 | 18.0 | 14.3 | 9.9 | 12.5 | 14.1 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 12.3 | 15.7 | 13.3 | 5.8 | 13.7 |
|
Values are the minimum temperature, usually in the 24 hours to 9 am on the day indicated, and typically occurred that morning. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temperatures coloured according to their difference from the long-term average for the period |
-10.0 | -9.0 | -8.0 | -7.0 | -6.0 | -5.0 | -4.0 | -3.0 | -2.0 | -1.0 | 0.0 | +1.0 | +2.0 | +3.0 | +4.0 | +5.0 | +6.0 | +7.0 | +8.0 | +9.0 | +10.0 | °C | Grey outline marks highest and lowest for the period |
||||||
| Daily rainfall for February 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | ||
| Aranda (Bindaga St) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.8 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 62.8 | 1.0 | - | 0.2 | 2.8 | - | 17.6 | - | - | 3.2 | - | - | |||||||||
| Bruce (Australian Institute of Sport) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | → | → | 70.0 | 3.8 | - | - | 3.2 | → | → | 14.4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.8 | ||||||
| Canberra (Australian National Botanic Ga | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 55.4 | 0.6 | - | 0.8 | 8.2 | - | 7.8 | - | - | 3.4 | - | - | |||||||||
| Canberra Airport | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.8 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 60.4 | - | 0.2 | - | 2.6 | - | 6.8 | - | - | 4.0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Ginninderra (Charnwood (ACT)) | - | - | - | - | - | 1.2 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 77.2 | 6.4 | 0.2 | - | 0.6 | - | 37.4 | - | - | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | - | - | ||
| Mount Ginini AWS | - | - | 4.6 | - | - | - | 1.2 | 2.6 | 4.6 | 76.4 | 54.0 | 8.4 | 0.6 | 19.8 | 2.4 | 54.0 | 2.4 | 1.0 | - | 0.8 | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 2.0 | 0.2 | - | - | |
| Nicholls (Gungahlin Lakes) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | 3.0 | 60.0 | 8.0 | 1.5 | - | 3.8 | - | 38.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Torrens (Darke St) | - | - | 0.8 | - | - | - | - | 1.8 | 1.6 | 60.0 | 0.6 | - | 0.2 | - | 4.8 | 21.8 | 10.6 | 1.6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.2 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 52.0 | 1.0 | - | 0.2 | 1.2 | - | 56.4 | 7.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - | 8.2 | - | - | - | - | |
|
Most values are the precipitation in the 24 hours to 9 am on the day indicated.
Days marked with → are part of a longer accumulation, which is shown on the final day. Values over 100 mm have been rounded to the nearest whole millimetre. Days marked with - have a rainfall report of zero; days left blank have no rainfall report (which often indicates no rain fell). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rainfalls coloured according to the amount |
0 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 25.0 | 50.0 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 600 | millimetres | ||||||||||||||||
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top
Notes
The Monthly climate summary, generally published on the first working day of each month, lists the main features of the weather in Australian Capital Territory using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.
This summary includes data from observing sites in or near the Australian Capital Territory “Greater Capital City Statistical Area” (GCCSA). The Australian Bureau of Statistics designed the GCCSAs to “include the population within the urban area of the city, as well as people who regularly socialise, shop or work within the city, and live in small towns and rural areas surrounding the city. It is important to note that GCCSAs do not define the built up edge of the city. They provide a stable definition for these cities and are designed for the output of a range of social and economic survey data.”
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Monday 2 March 2020. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.
Averages for individual sites 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.
Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
- Enquiries
- helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
