Tuesday, 1 September 2015 - Monthly Climate Summary for Western Australia - Product code IDCKGC11R0

Western Australia in August 2015: Warm nights in WA

Although State-wide rainfall was near average, southwest WA recorded below average rainfall. For Western Australia as a whole, mean maximum temperatures were above average, and mean minimum temperatures were equal tenth highest on record.

• Near average rainfall for WA; below average in southwest WA
• Above average mean maximum temperatures for WA
• Equal ninth warmest nights for WA

Below to very-much-below-average rainfall was reported along the WA west coast, in much of the Pilbara, and parts of the Gascoyne and Southern Interior in August 2015. Above-average rainfall was observed in the eastern South West Land Division (SWLD), southern Goldfields, Eucla, southern Interior, and parts of the Kimberley. For WA as a whole, total August rainfall was near average, whilst the Lower Southwest (southwest of a line from Jurien Bay to Bremer Bay) recorded below-average rainfall. Many sites in the eastern SWLD, as well as some in the southern Gascoyne and Eucla, including several with over 100 years of rainfall recording, registered their highest August daily rainfall on record on the 1st, with daily totals in the 30 mm to 60 mm range, associated with the passage of a cloudband and low pressure system moving over southern WA. A low near the west coast and associated cloudband produced isolated moderate to heavy falls near the Gascoyne coast on the 7th, with Useless Loop registering its wettest August day in 31 years of record. A series of lows and cold fronts brought rainfall between 17th and 23rd to much of southern WA, with moderate to heavy falls in the SWLD and Eucla. As a result of these rainfall events, many sites in the eastern SWLD and Eucla recorded their wettest August for at least 20 years, and a few sites in the Eucla recorded their wettest August on record.

Mean maximum temperatures were near average to above average across WA in August 2015. For the State as a whole, the mean maximum temperature was above average, and the Lower Southwest also saw an above-average mean maximum temperature. Large parts of the State saw their warmest day of the month on either the 15th or 16th, particularly over large parts of western, central, and southern WA, with daily maximum temperatures in the low thirties in the southwestern Pilbara, northern Gascoyne and northern Goldfields, whilst daily maxima in the mid-to-high twenties were reported in the southern Gascoyne and Goldfields, the SWLD and western Eucla. A number of sites in the SWLD had their highest August temperature on record on the 15th or 16th. Warm days with daily maxima in the high-twenties or low thirties were again experienced in the Goldfields, Eucla and Southern Interior towards the end of month, with several sites in these regions recording their warmest day of the month as a result.

Mean minimum temperatures were above to very much above average through much of WA in August, with Onslow Airport on the Pilbara coast and Balladonia in the western Eucla observing their highest and equal highest August mean minimum temperatures on record respectively. Below average mean minimum temperatures were confined to the east Kimberley. When averaged across the State, the mean minimum temperature was the equal ninth highest in August on record. It was also above average for the Lower Southwest region. The southern half of WA experienced a few cold nights in early August, particularly on the 9th and 10th and sites in the SWLD and Goldfields recorded sub-zero temperatures on these two days. Bunbury in the South West district registered a minimum of 0.0 °C on the 9th, its lowest August temperature in 20 years of record.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

remes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

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* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported.

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top