Mwr/ to Keep the Monthly Weather Review As Timely As Possible, Much of the Information Is Based on Electronic Reports

Monthly Weather Review Australia January 2014 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. This product replaces the seven State and Territory Monthly Weather Reviews that were produced from January 1965 to June 2013, and are available electronically back to July 2008 at www.bom.gov.au/climate/mwr/ 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: National Climate Centre 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. Area averages for temperature are calculated using the ACORN-SAT dataset. 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 2014 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 IDCKGC27R1. Prepared on 25 February 2014 Cover photograph Looking east from Hobart toward an impressive pyrocumulus cloud capping smoke from a large bushfire that started near Forcett on a day of record-breaking heat. Photograph by Phil Reid, 3:30 pm on 4 January 2013. Used with permission. Overview • Above-average maximum temperatures for all Western Australia and western half of the Northern states except Western Australia and the Northern Territory, Tasmania, coastal New South Wales and Territory smaller areas of Queensland. • Minimum temperatures above average in most Rainfall was above average nationally (17% above areas average), but this was not uniform across Australia • Maximum and minimum temperatures above with distinctly different conditions in the east and in average nationally the west. Rainfall was below average over most of • Rainfall above average in the far north and western the eastern half of Australia and above average over half of Australia the western half. Exceptions were southwest • Rainfall below average in the eastern states and Western Australia where rainfall was below average, central Australia and the tip of the Cape York Peninsula where rainfall • Significant heatwaves and bushfires in the was above average. While tropical cyclones and lows southeast brought rainfall to the far north and western half of January was another warm month for Australia, with Australia, it was generally a dry month for the eastern above-average maximum and minimum temperatures states. recorded across much of the eastern and southern There were three significant heatwaves during the mainland. The national maximum temperature month (over the New Year period, mid-month, and in anomaly of +0.99 °C, and minimum temperature the last days of January). Coupled with the dry anomaly, +0.85 °C of combined to give a mean conditions, these led to significant fire outbreaks in temperature anomaly of +0.92 °C. Maxima were southeastern Australia during the second half of the below average for part of the west of the Northern month, continuing into February. Territory and smaller areas in the Pilbara and in the south of Western Australia. Minima were generally Two Special Climate Statements were issued, above average except for the northern half of discussing heatwaves which occured during the month. Areal averages in January 2014 Rainfall anomaly Mean maximum Mean minimum Mean temperature temperature anomaly temperature anomaly anomaly Australia +21% +0.99 °C +0.85 °C +0.92 °C Western Australia +107% -0.07 °C +0.38 °C +0.16 °C 4th-highest Northern Territory +66% -0.49 °C +0.28 °C -0.10 °C South Australia -52% +2.48 °C +1.94 °C +2.21 °C 9th-highest 8th-highest Queensland -34% +1.69 °C +1.10 °C +1.39 °C 8th-highest 9th-highest New South Wales -70% +2.75 °C +1.25 °C +2.00 °C highest Victoria -46% +3.02 °C +1.64 °C +2.33 °C 6th-highest 8th-highest Tasmania -24% +1.57 °C -0.13 °C +0.72 °C equal highest 1 Monthly Weather Review - Australia - January 2014 Extremes in January 2014 Hottest day Coldest night Wettest day Warmest overall Coolest overall Wettest overall Strongest wind gust Australia 49.3 °C −4.3 °C 226.2 mm 34.2 °C 10.7 °C 1580.0 mm 165 km/h at Moomba Airport at Perisher Valley at Acacia, Mocatto at Birdsville Airport at Mount at Bellenden Ker at Mount (SA) on the 2nd AWS (NSW) on the Road (NT) on the (QLD) Wellington (TAS) Top Stn (QLD) Wellington (TAS) 7th 15th on the 2nd Western 49.2 °C 3.6 °C 183.3 mm 33.6 °C 19.0 °C 453.6 mm 148 km/h Australia at Emu Creek at Jarrahwood on at Mingah Springs* at Emu Creek at Hopetoun North at Waterloo Bore at Shay Gap on Station on the 10th the 3rd on the 22nd Station the 14th Northern 46.4 °C 12.4 °C 226.2 mm 31.5 °C 27.4 °C 859.0 mm 104 km/h Territory at Jervois on the at Alice Springs at Acacia, Mocatto at Jervois at Central Arnhem at Walker Creek at Yulara Airport 2nd Airport on the 8th Road on the 15th Plateau on the 28th South 49.3 °C 4.6 °C 35.4 mm 32.6 °C 19.4 °C 42.6 mm 94 km/h Australia at Moomba Airport at Keith (Munkora) at Naracoorte at Moomba at Robe Comparison at Nullarbor at Neptune Island on the 2nd on the 7th (Bettws-Y-Coed) on Airportand on the 5th the 2nd Oodnadatta Airport Queensland 48.7 °C 10.9 °C 207.0 mm 34.2 °C 21.9 °C 1580.0 mm 130 km/h at Birdsville Airport at Applethorpe on at Mt Jukes on the at Birdsville Airport at Applethorpeand at Bellenden Ker at Hamilton Island on the 2nd the 19th 31st Stanthorpe Leslie Top Stn Airport on the Parade 30th New South 49.1 °C −4.3 °C 85.2 mm 31.1 °C 12.8 °C 138.0 mm 107 km/h Wales at Walgett Airport at Perisher Valley at Upper at Tibooburra at Thredbo AWS at Parkes Airport at Thredbo AWS AWS on the 3rd AWS on the 7th Mongogarie Airportand AWS on the 1st (Marangaroo) on the Tibooburra Post 24th Office Victoria 46.5 °C −2.3 °C 62.0 mm 27.0 °C 13.3 °C 95.4 mm 139 km/h at Charlton on the at Mount Hotham at Greta West on at Mildura Airport at Mount Hotham at Greta West at Falls Creek on 14th on the 7th the 24th the 22nd Tasmania 40.2 °C −2.2 °C 54.0 mm 19.0 °C 10.7 °C 177.0 mm 165 km/h at Bushy Park at Liawenee on the at Strathgordon at Launceston (Ti at Mount at Lake Margaret at Mount (Bushy Park Estates) 3rd (Gordon Power Tree Bend) Wellington Dam Wellington on the on the 14th Station) on the 7th 2nd 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.

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