Monthly Weather Review Australia March 2017 The Monthly Weather Review - Australia is produced by the Bureau of Meteorology to provide a concise but informative overview of the temperatures, rainfall and significant weather events in Australia for the month. To keep the Monthly Weather Review as timely as possible, much of the information is based on electronic reports. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of these reports, the results can be considered only preliminary until complete quality control procedures have been carried out. Any major discrepancies will be noted in later issues. We are keen to ensure that the Monthly Weather Review is appropriate to its readers' needs. If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact us: Bureau of Meteorology GPO Box 1289 Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia [email protected] www.bom.gov.au Units of measurement Except where noted, temperature is given in degrees Celsius (°C), rainfall in millimetres (mm), and wind speed in kilometres per hour (km/h). Observation times and periods Each station in Australia makes its main observation for the day at 9 am local time. At this time, the precipitation over the past 24 hours is determined, and maximum and minimum thermometers are also read and reset. In this publication, the following conventions are used for assigning dates to the observations made: Maximum temperatures are for the 24 hours from 9 am on the date mentioned. They normally occur in the afternoon of that day. Minimum temperatures are for the 24 hours to 9 am on the date mentioned. They normally occur in the early morning of that day. Mean temperatures are the average of the daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures. Daily rainfall is for the 24 hours to 9 am on the date mentioned. This means a significant fraction of the rain may have occurred on the previous calendar day. Monthly rainfall is for the period from 9 am on the last day of the previous month to 9 am on the last day of this month. Maximum daily wind gusts are in the 24 hours from midnight to midnight. Climatological values The climatological averages shown in the text and tables are generally long-term means based on observations from the years 1961–1990. They are not shown for sites with less than 25 years of record in that time, as they cannot then be calculated reliably. Climatological extremes are generally taken from all available years of record; the number of years can vary markedly from site to site. Records The tables of records are not exhaustive, as they only show sites with at least 30 years of record. This may exclude locations where a new site has been established; this means even some major cities and towns may not be listed. Maps The temperature and rainfall maps are intended to give an overview of the country. There could be discrepancies between the values shown on these maps and those at individual locations, as a result of the way the maps are generated. A wide range of maps of rainfall, temperature and other variables, covering the whole country and smaller regions can be found at www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps. Accessing data Tables of daily values for selected sites are included toward the back of the Monthly Weather Review. Data from many more sites and for other times are available from www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/. Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia 2017 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Bureau of Meteorology. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: Publishing Unit, Bureau of Meteorology, GPO Box 1289, Melbourne VIC 3001 Product code IDCKGC17R1. Prepared on 1 May 2017 Cover photograph Severe tropical cyclone Debbie approaches the Queensland coast in this MODIS “true colour” image. Photograph by NASA Worldview (see worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov) around 2 pm AEST on 27 March 2017. Used with permission. Overview • An exceptionally warm month and the Northern Territory, except Western Australia, • All States except Western Australia in top four were amongst the top four warmest on record for warmest Marches on record March , resulting in the national mean temperature • Nationally, the third-warmest March on record ranked as third-highest on record at 1.66 °C above • Severe tropical cyclone Debbie brought torrential average. For Tasmania and much of Victoria, March rainfall to Queensland and northern New South temperatures were warmer than those for February. Wales Nationally, rainfall for Australia during March was • Rainfall above average for eastern Queensland, somewhat above average. However, this disguises much of New South Wales, southwest Victoria and marked differences in the rainfall received between southeastern South Australia, and large parts of different parts of the country. Monthly rainfall was in Western Australia the highest 10% of historical observations (decile 10) • Below average rainfall for much of Tasmania, along much of the east coast, due in large part to South Australia, the south of the Northern severe tropical cyclone Debbie, while western parts Territory, and parts of western New South Wales of South Australian was in the lowest 10%. and western Queensland Numerous monthly and daily rainfall records were set March was an exceptionally warm month across two- in Queensland and New South Wales, with significant thirds of Australia. Mean temperatures for all States flooding ensuing. Areal averages in March 2017 Rainfall anomaly Mean maximum Mean minimum Mean temperature temperature anomaly temperature anomaly anomaly Australia +17% +1.86 °C +1.43 °C +1.65 °C 2nd-highest 2nd-highest 3rd-highest Western Australia +49% +0.49 °C +0.64 °C +0.57 °C Northern Territory −30% +2.58 °C +1.33 °C +1.96 °C 5th-highest 8th-highest 4th-highest South Australia −89% +3.11 °C +1.45 °C +2.28 °C 3rd-highest 3rd-highest Queensland +27% +2.34 °C +1.93 °C +2.14 °C 4th-highest 2nd-highest 2nd-highest New South Wales +98% +2.03 °C +2.61 °C +2.32 °C 9th-highest equal 9th-highest highest 2nd-highest Victoria −8% +3.03 °C +2.61 °C +2.82 °C 2nd-highest 3rd-highest highest Tasmania −42% +1.99 °C +1.68 °C +1.84 °C 2nd-highest 2nd-highest 3rd-highest 1 Monthly Weather Review - Australia - March 2017 Extremes in March 2017 Hottest day Coldest night Wettest day Warmest overall Coolest overall Wettest overall Strongest wind gust Australia 44.6 °C −3.9 °C 635.0 mm 32.3 °C 10.3 °C 263 km/h at Mandora (WA) on at Liawenee (Tas.) at Mt Jukes (Qld) on at Boulia Airport at Thredbo AWS 1567.5 mm at Hamilton Island the 5th on the 31st and the 30th (Qld) (NSW) at Mt Jukes (Qld) Airport (Qld) on Thredbo AWS the 28th (NSW) on the 31st Western 44.6 °C 1.6 °C 193.0 mm 31.3 °C 17.1 °C 368.0 mm 119 km/h Australia at Mandora on the at Salmon Gums at Yeeda on the at Marble Bar and at Albany Airport at Port Hedland at Wyndham Aero 5th Res.Stn. on the 30th 13th Telfer Aero Airport on the 15th Northern 42.0 °C 10.9 °C 384.0 mm 31.8 °C 28.1 °C 665.8 mm 91 km/h Territory at Curtin Springs on at Jervois on the at Point Fawcett on at Walungurru at Alice Springs at Point Fawcett at Darwin Airport the 26th and 31st the 5th Airport Airport on the 3rd and Kulgera on the 27th Point Fawcett on the 5th South 44.5 °C 1.0 °C 98.8 mm 29.9 °C 18.8 °C 113.8 mm 87 km/h Australia at Ceduna AMO on at Keith (Munkora) at Lucindale Post at Moomba Airport at Mount Lofty at Lucindale Post at Neptune Island the 26th on the 31st Office on the 21st Office on the 29th Queensland 44.0 °C 8.3 °C 635.0 mm 32.3 °C 20.1 °C 1567.5 mm 263 km/h at Urandangi at Applethorpe on at Mt Jukes on the at Boulia Airport at Applethorpe at Mt Jukes at Hamilton Island Aerodrome on the the 10th 30th Airport on the 28th 28th New South 44.0 °C −3.9 °C 507.0 mm 28.9 °C 10.3 °C 1222.0 mm 109 km/h Wales at Wilcannia at Thredbo AWS on at Chillingham on at Tibooburra at Thredbo AWS at Chillingham at Khancoban Aerodrome AWS on the 31st the 31st Airport AWS on the 27th the 27th Victoria 38.0 °C −2.7 °C 100.8 mm 24.6 °C 11.3 °C 142.0 mm 107 km/h at Walpeup at Mount Hotham at Aireys Inlet on at Mildura Airport at Mount Hotham at Durdidwarrah at Grampians Research on the 2nd on the 31st the 22nd (Mount William) on the 27th Tasmania 33.2 °C −3.9 °C 47.6 mm 19.0 °C 10.4 °C 144 km/h at Bushy Park at Liawenee on the at Upper Esk (South at Launceston (Ti at Kunanyi (Mount 142.8 mm at Maatsuyker (Bushy Park Estates) 31st Esk River) on the 3rd Tree Bend) Wellington at Mount Read Island Lighthouse on the 14th Pinnacle) on the 27th In this table Hottest day is the highest daily maximum temperature, Coldest night is the lowest daily minimum temperature, Wettest day is the highest daily rainfall total, Warmest overall is the highest mean monthly temperature, Coolest overall is the lowest mean monthly temperature and Wettest overall is the highest total monthly precipitation.