Tuesday, 2 October 2018 - Monthly Climate Summary for Queensland - Product code IDCKGC14R0

Queensland in September 2018: warm in the east, very dry overall

Rain for the month was confined to the southeast corner of the State and in pockets along the east coast away from the peninsula, but a very dry month overall. Daytime temperatures were above average over much of the State and overnight temperatures were slightly warmer than average overall.

Dry month for most of Queensland except for the southeast

• Total rainfall for the State was about 79% below the long-term average
• Just over 70% of the State received below to very much below average rainfall for the month
• Some sites along the north tropical coast reported their driest September rainfall for at least 20 years
• Alva Beach in the Central Coast district recorded only 0.2 mm in total, which was its lowest September rainfall total on 20 years of record
• Moist onshore winds, as a result of a complex area of low pressure, caused some moderate falls along the mid tropical coast and adjacent inland regions on the 3rd
• From the 25th, a high pressure ridge and persistent upper level trough along the east coast, combined with an onshore flow, generated severe thunderstorms and moderate to heavy falls in the southeast. Some locations reported falls in excess of 40 mm
• Coomera Foxwell Road station had its wettest September since 1998

Warm days across most of Queensland

• Daytime temperatures were warmer than average across much of the State and very much above average around the North Tropical Coast; Central Highlands and Coalfields; Gulf Country; and Maranoa and Warrego districts
• Averaged across the State, daytime temperatures were 1.50 °C above the long-term average
• The state-wide mean temperature (average of maximum and minimum temperature) was 0.82 °C above the long-term average
• Warm air ahead of a cold front moving across the southeast corner of the country around the 15th, and many sites in southern inland, saw their warmest September day followed by their coolest day around the 17th as the cooler air spread over the State once the system passed
• Cool nights and warm days were consistent through the month as high pressure dominated the weather patterns delivering generally clear conditions
• Innisfail saw its coldest September mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
• Overnight temperatures were close to average for September, but cooler than average conditions were experienced through inland northern and southwest regions

Severe thunderstorms in the last week

• Numerous severe thunderstorms impacted the southeast during the last week of the month and produced heavy rain and hail between 2 cm and 4 cm in diameter
• Severe thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall, small hail and strong winds up to 72 km/h around Bundaberg on the 30th

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

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

* 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 lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top