Monthly Weather Review Australia February 2021 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 2021 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 IDCKGC14R1. Prepared on 25 March 2021 Cover photograph Aerial view of the flooded Norman River, near Normanton, just south of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Photograph by Philip Keough, 27 February 2009. Used with permission. Overview • Mean maximum temperatures for February were • Rainfall was above average for Australia as a cooler than average for large areas of mainland whole. Australia, but warmer than average for much of the • February rainfall was above average for most of southern half of Queensland. Western Australia, the Top End of the Northern • Mean minimum temperatures for February were Territory, much of New South Wales, and warmer than average for most of Queensland, and Tasmania. the north and east of the Northern Territory; • February rainfall was below average for parts of minima were cooler than average for some areas, Queensland's east coast south of Townsville, mostly across inland southern Australia. much of western News South Wales, and western Victoria. Areal averages in February 2021 Rainfall anomaly Mean maximum Mean minimum Mean temperature temperature anomaly temperature anomaly anomaly Australia +16% −0.44 °C −0.02 °C −0.22 °C Western Australia +30% −1.09 °C −0.34 °C −0.71 °C Northern Territory +22% −0.36 °C +0.11 °C −0.12 °C South Australia +8% −0.52 °C −0.69 °C −0.60 °C Queensland −3% +0.68 °C +0.87 °C +0.78 °C New South Wales +33% −0.71 °C −0.23 °C −0.46 °C Victoria −17% −1.06 °C −0.31 °C −0.67 °C Tasmania +45% −0.38 °C −0.04 °C −0.20 °C Extremes in February 2021 Hottest day Coldest night Wettest day Warmest overall Coolest overall Wettest overall Strongest wind gust Australia 45.5 °C −2.5 °C 327.4 mm 32.4 °C 9.1 °C 1041.0 mm 126 km/h at Ballera Gas Field at Liawenee (Tas.) at King Ash Bay at Windorah Airport at kunanyi (Mount at Tully Sugar Mill at Mount Buller (Qld) on the 12th on the 24th (NT) on the 19th (Qld) Wellington (Qld) (Vic.) on the 5th Pinnacle) (Tas.) and Thredbo AWS (NSW) on the 6th Western 44.6 °C 3.2 °C 153.0 mm 31.2 °C 18.0 °C 308.2 mm 111 km/h Australia at Eucla on the 18th at Eyre on the 21st at Hill Springs on at Telfer Aero at Windy Harbour at Troughton Island at Laverton Aero the 4th on the 26th Northern 42.6 °C 12.4 °C 327.4 mm 31.1 °C 27.1 °C 608.6 mm 76 km/h Territory at Jervois on the at Alice Springs at King Ash Bay on at Walungurru at Central Arnhem at Upper Seventeen at Walungurru 12th Airport on the 25th the 19th Airport Plateau Mile Creek Airport on the 1st South 43.7 °C 3.2 °C 109.4 mm 29.6 °C 17.0 °C 141.6 mm 115 km/h Australia at Port Augusta at Keith (Munkora) at Ernabella at Moomba Airport at Mount Lofty at Ernabella at Neptune Island Aero on the 11th on the 25th (Pukatja) on the (Pukatja) on the 5th 12th Queensland 45.5 °C 10.8 °C 255.0 mm 32.4 °C 21.0 °C 1041.0 mm 120 km/h at Ballera Gas Field at Applethorpe on at Tully Sugar Mill at Windorah Airport at Applethorpe at Tully Sugar Mill at Julia Creek on the 12th the 2nd on the 18th Airport on the 3rd New South 40.8 °C −0.7 °C 310.0 mm 29.1 °C 9.9 °C 591.0 mm 126 km/h Wales at Smithville AWS at Thredbo AWS on at Nana Glen at Wanaaring at Thredbo AWS at Nana Glen at Thredbo AWS on the 20th the 24th (Cowling Close) on (Borrona Downs (Cowling Close) on the 6th the 25th AWS) Victoria 40.2 °C −2.1 °C 120.0 mm 23.3 °C 10.3 °C 274.9 mm 126 km/h at Walpeup at Mount Hotham at Dandongadale on at Mildura Airport at Mount Baw at Falls Creek at Mount Buller on Research on the on the 23rd the 6th Bawand Mount (Rocky Valley) the 5th 11th Hotham Tasmania 33.7 °C −2.5 °C 131.6 mm 18.3 °C 9.1 °C 221.6 mm 120 km/h at Dover on the 19th at Liawenee on the at Hampshire at Swan Island at kunanyi (Mount at Quamby Bluff at Mount Read on 24th (Neena Road) on the Wellington Pinnacle the 12th 6th 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. 1 Monthly Weather Review - Australia - February 2021 Significant weather Queensland structures destroyed or damaged. Rainfall associated with a slow-moving tropical low moving down the Tropical cyclones south-west coast assisted in extinguishing the fires Tropical cyclone Lucas formed in the Coral Sea and on the 7th. was a category 2 system early on 1 February. The Tropical lows system moved east-south-east passed north of Vanuatu and made landfall in New Caledonia on the A tropical low (12U) tracked south-west through the 2nd. The system remained far enough offshore to inland Kimberly, Pilbara, and northern Gascoyne in late have minimal impact on the Queensland coast January and the start of February, then offshore near besides generating some moderate easterly swell and Carnarvon on the 5th before tracking southward along dangerous surf conditions. On the Gold Coast, there the west coast and south-west of Western Australia were 3 drownings in 36 hours, with a couple until the 8th.