Friday, 31 October 2008 - Monthly Climate Summary for Queensland - Product code IDCKGC24L0

Queensland in October 2008

Rainfall across most of the state was generally close to average.

Both maximum and minimum temperatures were warmer than average in western districts, while the eastern half of Queensland was generally cooler than average, particularly coastal regions.

Based on preliminary data

This statement was prepared before all data for the period were available. This may affect some of the statistics presented. In particular, maximum temperatures for the final day were not available, as the “accounting period” had not finished. Final values, which have had greater opportunity for data quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, which is usually published during the fourth week of the month.

An archive of previous monthly summaries for Queensland is also available, as are summaries for other states and many other climate summaries and diagnostics.

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Rainfall

Generally, most of the state recorded close to average rainfall. The south east corner and areas about the western border recorded below average with parts of the eastern Darling Downs in the lowest decile. Areas in central districts and the far north coast received above average falls.

Some sites had their highest total October rainfall on record.

From available figures, the wettest place overall was Koombooloomba Alert with 218.0 mm.

Some thunderstorm activity generated localised falls about the central districts, coastal regions and the adjacent inland. Some sites had their highest October daily rainfall on record.

The highest daily rainfall in Queensland was 126.0 mm at Coops Corner TM on the 16th.

See a map of total rainfall. See a map of rainfall deciles.

Brisbane recorded 55.2 mm of rainfall (long term average for October is 75.4 mm).

Temperature

Maximum and minimum temperatures were generally within 1°C of the long term average in the east of the state and slightly cooler than average along the coastal strip. Some sites had their coldest October day (lowest maximum temperature) on record.

However, it was warmer in the western districts with some areas recording 2 - 4°C above the long term average.

See a map of mean maximum temperatures. See a map of maximum temperature anomalies .
See a map of mean minimum temperatures. See a map of minimum temperature anomalies.

Brisbane recorded a mean maximum temperature of 24.8°C (−1.3°C below the long term average) and a mean minimum temperature of  14.7°C (+1.1°C above the long term average).

Further information

Queensland Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (07) 3239 8700
Email climate.qld@bom.gov.au

Extremes

Hottest day
Highest temperature		 43.8°C at Birdsville Airport on the 30th
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 38.8°C at Century Mine
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 22.8°C at Maleny Tamarind St
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 14.0°C at Toowoomba Airport on the 10th
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 0.4°C at Stanthorpe Leslie Parade on the 23rd
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 9.0°C at Applethorpe
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 26.0°C at Sweers Island
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 31.1°C at Birdsville Airport on the 31st
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 218.0 mm at Koombooloomba Alert
Wettest day
Highest daily rainfall		 126.0 mm at Coops Corner TM on the 16th
Highest wind gust
 102 km/h at Amberley on the 21st

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Records

Record highest October daily rainfall
Highest daily rainfall
in October 2008 (mm) 		Previous highest
for October		 Years of
record
Glenlands 76.0 on the 9th 73.4 on the 30th in 2000 80
Heathlands National Park 70.0 on the 20th 52.2 on the 25th in 1980 32


Record highest total October rainfall
Total rainfall
for October 2008 (mm) 		Previous highest
for October		 Years of
record		 Average for
October
Heathlands National Park 76.1 72.1 in 2000 32 16.1

Record lowest October daily maximum temperature
Lowest daily maximum
temperature
in October 2008 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for October		 Years of
record		 Average for
October
Oakey Aero 17.1 on the 10th = 17.1 on the 22nd in 1984 36 25.9


Record highest October mean daily minimum temperature
Mean daily minimum
temperature
for October 2008 (°C) 		Previous highest
for October		 Years of
record		 Average for
October
Lockhart River Airport 24.0 23.9 in 1998 44 21.2


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Summaries

In this table, key sites have been highlighted to make them easier to find. This table is very wide and may not fit if printed.

Summary statistics for October 2008
Maximum temperatures
for October
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for October
(°C)		 Rainfall
for October
(millimetres)
Mean for
October
2008		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
October
2008		 Mean for
October
2008		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
October
2008		 Total for
October
2008		 Average
for
October		 Rank of
October
2008		 Fraction of
October
average
North Peninsula (district 27)
Coconut Island 33.1 +4.3 35.2 23rd 25.3 +2.9 24.2 27th 31.4 7.6 high 413%
Coen Airport 32.7   34.4 12th 22.1   15.9 9th 0
Horn Island 31.5 +2.9 32.8 8th 25.5 +2.6 24.4 1st 30.4 9.3 high 327%
Scherger RAAF 36.0   37.9 8th 22.4   19.3 26th 3.2
Weipa Aero 36.0 +2.7 37.5 12th 22.7 +2.3 19.6 26th 0.4 16.8 low 2%
South Peninsula (district 28)
Lockhart River Airport 30.3 +0.7 32.2 9th 24.0 +2.8 19.4 1st 47.0 27.9 high 168%
Musgrave 35.8 +2.2 38.2 12th 18.0 0.0 13.3 25th 3.6 13.8 average 26%
Palmerville 35.7 +0.6 37.6 11th 18.1 −0.7 15.1 25th 7.0 19.5 average 36%
Lower Carpentaria (district 29)
Burketown Airport 36.0   40.1 7th 23.4   19.6 25th 0
Burketown Post Office 34.5 +0.6 38.2 7th 23.6 +2.7 19.8 25th 0 12.6 lowest 0%
Century Mine 38.8   41.4 30th 22.5   16.2 25th 2.0
Cloncurry Airport 37.8 +3.7 41.9 30th 23.0 +4.0 13.6 24th 0.2 24.4 low 1%
Croydon Township 37.3 +0.9 39.0 30th 24.2 +2.1 20.0 23rd 0 13.7 lowest 0%
Julia Creek Airport 38.5   42.3 30th 20.4   11.4 24th 0.4
Kowanyama Airport 37.6 +2.3 39.7 13th 22.7 +1.4 19.2 29th 0 15.7 lowest 0%
Mornington Island 33.4 +2.0 36.2 22nd 24.6 +1.6 22.2 26th 23.4 12.7 high 184%
Mount Isa Aero 36.6 +2.8 39.9 30th 20.6 +2.5 11.6 24th 6.0 19.7 average 30%
Normanton Airport 37.8   39.6 13th 24.1   19.6 25th 17.0
Sweers Island 32.6   34.7 22nd 26.0   22.2 3rd 0 8.3 very low 0%
Upper Carpentaria (district 30)
Georgetown Airport 36.1   37.9 7th 20.1   15.8 22nd 8.4
Hughenden Airport 35.4   37.9 7th 19.8   12.0 25th 8.8
Richmond Airport 37.3 +3.8 40.0 30th 19.8 +2.5 11.3 24th 0 11.7 very low 0%
Richmond Post Office 37.1 +1.5 39.6 30th 20.5 +2.6 13.5 24th 0 16.3 lowest 0%
Barron North Coast (district 31)
Cairns Aero 29.9 +0.8 31.3 10th 21.4 +1.2 16.0 25th 81.6 39.8 high 205%
Cape Flattery 30.4   31.1 3rd 24.1   22.7 25th 24.6
Cooktown Airport 30.1   31.7 11th 23.8 +3.8 22.4 25th 21.8
Green Island 28.3 +0.3 30.1 10th 23.7 +2.1 21.9 25th
Kairi Research Station 26.2 −0.2 28.8 8th 16.2 +1.5 13.4 6th 26.2 30.3 average 86%
Low Isles Lighthouse 31.0 +1.3 32.5 11th 23.7 +1.0 22.0 25th 42.0 43.9 average 96%
Mareeba Airport 29.9   32.2 8th 17.5 +1.9 13.9 23rd 1.0
Walkamin DPI 27.9 −0.6 31.5 8th 17.1 +0.8 12.7 25th 4.0 21.9 low 18%
Herbert North Coast (district 32)
Cardwell Marine Pde 28.7 −0.4 30.4 14th 20.0 +1.4 16.5 26th 85.0 52.9 high 161%
Ingham Composite 29.8 +0.1 32.2 16th 19.3 +1.4 13.6 24th 53.2 46.9 average 113%
Innisfail 28.7 +0.6 30.1 7th 20.6 +1.9 16.9 25th 67.2 83.0 average 81%
Lucinda Point 26.7 +0.7 27.9 29th 23.2 +1.3 20.7 23rd 5.6 19.0 average 29%
South Johnstone Exp Stn 28.6 +0.2 30.4 7th 19.8 +1.5 15.1 25th 115.6 89.4 high 129%
Townsville Aero 29.9 +0.9 31.7 12th 21.0 +0.6 16.5 24th 4.0 24.8 low 16%
East Central Coast (district 33)
Alva Beach 28.7 +2.3 30.0 26th 21.9 +1.6 16.0 24th 4.4 22.3 low 20%
Ayr DPI Research Stn 30.3 +1.1 32.8 22nd 18.7 +1.0 13.5 24th 2.0 27.7 average 7%
Bowen Airport 29.6 +1.7 31.0 30th 19.8 +0.8 13.1 25th 4.4 13.7 average 32%
Collinsville Post Office 31.8 +0.2 34.8 7th 16.2 −0.8 10.0 24th 0.4 21.8 low 2%
Hamilton Island Airport 26.9   28.9 8th 22.0   20.7 24th 4.4
Mackay Aero 28.4 +1.3 30.6 7th 18.2 +0.8 11.0 25th 43.0 37.3 average 115%
Mackay M.O 27.6 +0.6 30.6 7th 20.0 +0.7 13.9 24th 13.4 36.7 average 37%
Proserpine Airport 30.0 +1.3 33.1 7th 17.8 +1.2 9.9 25th 15.8 38.2 average 41%
Samuel Hill Aero 27.3   32.2 7th 14.1   6.9 24th 91.6
St Lawrence 28.7   32.2 22nd 17.0   10.4 24th 29.4
St Lawrence Post Office 28.9 +0.5 32.6 22nd 17.8 +0.4 12.4 25th 32.4 45.3 average 72%
Te Kowai Exp Stn 28.5 −0.2 31.5 7th 17.4 +1.0 11.5 27th 19.3 45.0 average 43%
Williamson 28.6   32.3 22nd 15.9   7.7 24th 42.2
Woolshed 27.1 +2.2 30.1 22nd 17.4 +1.3 13.2 24th 8.0 19.9 low 40%
Yeppoon The Esplanade 25.8 +1.4 28.7 22nd 18.8 +1.0 12.3 24th 34.0 52.9 average 64%
West Central Coast (district 34)
Charters Towers Airport 32.2 +1.3 35.4 8th 17.7 +0.4 13.8 24th 0 17.2 very low 0%
Moranbah Water Treatment Plant 31.8 +0.9 35.9 8th 16.9 0.0 12.2 26th 9.7 37.1 average 26%
Central Highlands (district 35)
Brigalow Research Stn 29.1 −0.2 34.2 6th 15.6 +1.1 11.4 23rd 49.7 62.4 average 80%
Clermont Sirius St 31.9 +0.3 35.3 6th 15.6 −0.5 9.0 25th 12.2 35.5 average 34%
Emerald Airport 30.2 +0.2 33.9 6th 16.2 −0.2 10.5 24th 24.2 45.7 average 53%
Rolleston 29.2 −1.1 34.4 6th 14.7 +0.4 6.8 24th 49.2 46.3 average 106%
Springsure Dame St 29.0 −1.1 32.9 7th 16.0 +1.0 9.7 24th 34.4 47.0 average 73%
Tambo Post Office 30.6 +0.1 34.8 29th 15.2 +1.6 5.3 24th 18.8 33.4 average 56%
Taroom Post Office 29.3 −0.1 33.8 6th 14.1 −0.3 6.2 24th 57.5 55.5 average 104%
Central Lowlands (district 36)
Barcaldine Post Office 32.2 +0.4 35.6 29th 19.4 +2.1 13.3 25th 50.2 29.1 high 173%
Blackall Airport 32.0   36.2 30th 17.9   10.6 23rd 34.2
Isisford Post Office 33.7 +0.9 37.9 29th 18.9 +2.5 10.5 25th 13.4 26.6 average 50%
Longreach Aero 34.4 +1.2 38.3 30th 18.9 +2.4 10.1 25th 23.6 24.0 average 98%
Upper Western (district 37)
Camooweal Township 38.0 +2.6 41.9 30th 21.3 +2.0 13.5 24th 4.8 14.2 average 34%
The Monument Airport 36.5   41.0 30th 21.2   14.1 24th 7.0
Trepell Airport 36.9   40.8 30th 21.3   13.5 24th 0
Urandangi 37.0 +2.5 42.0 5th 19.7 +2.4 12.5 25th 0 14.4 lowest 0%
Winton Airport 36.6   39.9 30th 20.2   11.4 25th 0.6
Winton Post Office 36.1 +1.9 39.9 30th 20.8 +3.3 13.2 24th 0 18.2 lowest 0%
Lower Western (district 38)
Bedourie Police Station 35.7 +4.8 42.3 4th 19.3 +3.2 11.1 9th 0.5 14.1 average 4%
Birdsville Airport 35.7   43.8 30th 18.8 +3.6 12.7 24th 0
Boulia Airport 36.6 +2.7 41.6 30th 21.3 +3.6 14.5 24th 0.4 14.9 low 3%
Windorah Post Office 34.8 +2.7 41.4 30th 19.2 +3.0 11.3 23rd 5.8 17.7 average 33%
Port Curtis South Coast (district 39)
Baralaba Post Office 30.1 −0.3 34.8 6th 14.1 −1.2 7.7 24th 60.2 56.3 average 107%
Bundaberg Aero 26.9 +0.9 32.1 22nd 16.2 +0.1 12.3 24th 39.6 73.1 average 54%
Gayndah Airport 29.3   34.4 6th 13.9   8.3 24th 20.2
Gayndah Post Office 29.2 −0.1 34.3 6th 14.1 +0.1 8.2 24th 19.9 65.7 low 30%
Gladstone Airport 27.1 +1.3 33.1 22nd 17.4 −0.1 12.1 24th 41.6 65.0 low 64%
Gladstone Radar 28.7 +0.9 33.3 7th 18.3 −0.1 14.0 24th 34.6 62.3 average 56%
Lady Elliot Island 26.0 +0.8 27.3 29th 20.4 +0.4 14.2 24th 3.8 57.6 very low 7%
Monto Township 27.5 −0.7 32.7 6th 12.8 −0.2 4.3 24th 48.2 56.1 average 86%
Rockhampton Aero 28.7 −0.5 34.4 7th 17.1 +0.3 9.3 24th 44.8 50.2 average 89%
Rundle Island 24.6 +1.8 27.0 15th 20.8 +1.2 17.8 23rd
Sandy Cape Lighthouse 26.0 +0.2 28.0 4th 18.7 +0.2 13.3 23rd 32.0 59.5 average 54%
Seventeen Seventy 26.3 +1.7 28.5 30th 18.8 +0.3 14.6 23rd 35.7 61.7 average 58%
Thangool Airport 29.3 +0.7 33.7 7th 12.9 +0.1 5.5 24th 75.7 58.0 high 131%
Moreton South Coast (district 40)
Amberley AMO 27.1 −0.2 33.1 6th 12.7 −0.5 6.0 24th 84.2 74.3 average 113%
Archerfield Airport 26.2 +0.1 31.1 6th 14.4 +0.6 9.0 23rd 36.4 77.6 low 47%
Beaudesert Drumley Street 27.7   33.2 6th 12.4   6.4 23rd 11.2
Beerburrum Forest Station 26.4 +1.3 33.8 6th 13.9 +0.5 8.9 23rd 77.6 86.3 average 90%
Brisbane* 24.8  −1.3 31.3 6th 14.7 +1.1 10.6 23rd 55.2 75.4 average 73%
Brisbane Aero 24.9 +1.1 30.4 6th 15.5 +0.7 10.2 23rd 43.2 67.9 low 64%
Cape Moreton Lighthouse 23.9 +1.1 26.5 30th 18.6 +0.9 12.5 23rd 35.0 80.1 low 44%
Coolangatta 24.6 +1.6 26.8 6th 15.7 +0.5 11.6 24th 107.4 87.9 average 122%
Double Island Point Lighthouse 25.4 +1.3 28.2 15th 18.6 +0.4 13.2 23rd 48.4 71.2 average 68%
Gold Coast Seaway 26.1 +2.6 29.0 5th 16.2 +0.3 11.8 23rd 107.6 92.6 average 116%
Gympie 26.9 −1.1 32.3 6th 12.8 −0.9 6.4 24th 33.2 72.1 low 46%
Hervey Bay Airport 26.1 +2.2 30.1 7th 15.6 −0.3 10.7 23rd 52.0 83.4 average 62%
Hinze Dam 26.2 +1.5 32.4 7th 15.6 +1.2 10.2 23rd 55.8 80.1 average 70%
Jimna Forestry 24.3   29.8 6th 11.3 +0.4 4.7 24th 19.2
Kingaroy Airport 26.2   32.4 6th 11.0   4.2 24th 21.8
Logan City Water Treatment 25.8 +1.0 30.0 8th 15.0 +0.9 10.5 23rd 32.6 59.9 low 54%
Maleny Tamarind St 22.8   29.4 6th 13.6   7.6 23rd 63.6 105.9 average 60%
Maroochydore Aero 25.2 +1.5 30.6 6th 14.4 −0.3 8.3 23rd 47.2 70.6 average 67%
Maryborough 27.5 +0.1 32.7 22nd 14.2 −1.0 8.0 23rd 20.2 75.0 low 27%
Nambour DPI - Hillside 25.4   31.8 6th       36.8
Point Lookout 25.6 +2.7 29.0 4th 18.5 +1.4 11.0 24th 63.0 101.3 low 62%
Rainbow Beach 24.9 +0.8 28.8 6th 16.0 +0.2 8.5 23rd 93.9 79.7 average 118%
Redcliffe 24.4   29.4 6th 16.1   11.5 24th 63.6
Redlands HRS 25.4 +0.6 27.3 6th 14.3 +0.4 7.3 23rd 34.6 80.3 low 43%
Tewantin RSL Park 24.5 +0.8 31.7 6th 16.0 +0.2 10.7 23rd 119.6 84.4 high 142%
Toolara 27.6 +1.2 32.4 6th 15.6 +0.4 10.1 23rd 97.6 82.7 average 118%
University of Queensland Gatton 28.5 +0.8 36.1 6th 12.3 −0.7 5.7 24th 43.6 64.8 average 67%
East Darling Downs (district 41)
Applethorpe 23.5 +2.3 28.8 5th 9.0 +0.2 0.8 8th 27.4 72.5 low 38%
Dalby Airport 28.3 +1.5 33.4 6th 11.8 −0.2 3.9 24th 21.6 60.6 very low 36%
Goondiwindi Airport 29.1 +1.8 34.6 30th 14.1 +1.3 4.9 23rd 13.8 49.8 very low 28%
Inglewood Forest 28.5   34.2 5th 12.8 +0.7 4.8 23rd 10.0
Oakey Aero 27.1 +1.2 33.6 6th 11.6 +0.7 3.1 24th 14.8 57.4 very low 26%
Stanthorpe Leslie Parade 23.6 +1.3 29.6 5th 9.3 +0.5 0.4 23rd 56.3 69.4 average 81%
Texas Post Office 28.8 +1.6 34.6 29th 12.8 +1.6 6.0 24th 18.0 61.2 low 29%
Toowoomba Airport 23.8 +0.9 30.3 6th 12.3 +0.4 5.1 23rd 34.8 62.5 average 56%
Warwick 26.4 +2.3 32.0 5th 9.7 0.0 2.6 8th 16.6 77.3 low 21%
West Darling Downs (district 42)
Miles Constance Street 28.4 +1.1 34.2 5th 13.9 +0.8 5.7 24th 45.0 41.9 average 107%
Maranoa (district 43)
Injune Post Office 27.9 −0.9 33.1 30th 12.7 +0.2 2.9 24th 40.4 47.1 average 86%
Mitchell Post Office 29.4 +0.4 35.2 5th 12.3 +0.2 3.8 24th 72.9 42.7 high 171%
Roma Airport 28.1 +0.2 32.5 21st 13.5 +0.4 4.4 24th 16.2 58.6 low 28%
St George Airport 29.2 +1.8 35.2 28th 14.4 +0.9 5.4 23rd 20.2 47.9 very low 42%
Surat 28.4 −0.3 33.9 30th 14.5 +0.9 6.3 23rd 50.0 50.1 average 100%
Warrego (district 44)
Bollon Mary St 31.1 +1.8 38.5 29th 15.0 +1.4 6.8 24th 18.7 35.2 average 53%
Charleville Aero 30.6 +1.2 36.2 30th 15.5 +1.3 6.8 23rd 13.0 37.5 low 35%
Cunnamulla Post Office 31.7 +2.4 39.0 30th 17.0 +2.4 9.0 9th 13.4 25.2 average 53%
Far Southwest (district 45)
Ballera Gas Field 33.9   42.9 30th 18.4   11.6 9th 11.6
Quilpie Airport 33.2 +2.6 39.5 30th 18.2 +2.2 11.0 24th 12.0 21.3 average 56%
Thargomindah Airport 33.1 +5.1 41.0 30th 19.0 +4.0 12.0 24th 9.6 11.6 average 83%

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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 2 pm on Friday 31 October 2008. 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 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably. *In this case, normals from a nearby suitable site may be included to calculate statistics  (these are marked with an *).

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.

Based on preliminary data

This statement was prepared before all data for the period were available. This may affect some of the statistics presented. In particular, maximum temperatures for the final day were not available, as the “accounting period” had not finished. Final values, which have had greater opportunity for data quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, which is usually published during the fourth week of the month.

Further information

Queensland Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (07) 3239 8700
Email climate.qld@bom.gov.au