Monthly Weather Review Australia February 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 23 March 2017 Cover photograph Pyrocumulus and smoke plume over a bushfire near Dunedoo, NSW. Photograph by Philip Landvogt, 12 February 2017. Used with permission. Overview • Very warm days and nights for New South Wales Statement Exceptional heat in southeast Australia in and Queensland; record warm in southeast early 2017). Queensland and northeast New South Wales It was cooler than average across Tasmania, large • Cool days for much of Western Australia, the base parts of Western Australia, and parts of the Northern of the Top End, and Tasmania Territory. Days were very much cooler than average in • Nights cool for Tasmania and parts of the Northern the southwest of Western Australia, associated with Territory and the Kimberley very much above average rainfall over much of the • Below average rainfall for New South Wales, west of Western Australia – see the Special Climate Queensland, northeastern South Australia, and Statement Heavy rainfall and flooding in southwest much of Tasmania Western Australia. Above average rainfall over • Above average rainfall for Western Australia, the Western Australia and the north of the Northern north of the Northern Territory, and much of Territory during the month was associated with an southern South Australia active monsoon trough and several tropical lows. • Heavy rainfall and flooding in southwest Western Tropical cyclone Alfred caused damage and some Australia early in the month flooding around the Gulf of Carpentaria following mid- February was a very warm month for much of eastern month. Australia, with the mean monthly temperature the Below average rainfall in the east, on top of below fifth-warmest on record for both New South Wales average rainfall in preceding months, resulted in the and Queensland. Both States experienced prolonged re-emergence of significant rainfall deficiencies in exceptional heat over January and February, with southeast Queensland and inland northern New record-breaking heat observed over New South South Wales, and in small areas around Kempsey, on Wales, southern Queensland, South Australia and the northern New South Wales coast, and in East parts of northern Victoria during the second week of Gippsland in Victoria. February (for more detail see the Special Climate Areal averages in February 2017 Rainfall anomaly Mean maximum Mean minimum Mean temperature temperature anomaly temperature anomaly anomaly Australia +7% +0.46 °C +0.20 °C +0.33 °C Western Australia +75% −1.27 °C −0.42 °C −0.84 °C Northern Territory +18% −0.25 °C −0.49 °C −0.36 °C South Australia −26% +0.86 °C +0.06 °C +0.46 °C Queensland −36% +2.25 °C +1.31 °C +1.78 °C 5th-highest 3rd-highest 5th-highest New South Wales −60% +2.97 °C +1.30 °C +2.14 °C 3rd-highest 5th-highest Victoria 0% −0.12 °C −0.46 °C −0.28 °C Tasmania −29% −1.62 °C −1.11 °C −1.36 °C 1 Monthly Weather Review - Australia - February 2017 Extremes in February 2017 Hottest day Coldest night Wettest day Warmest overall Coolest overall Wettest overall Strongest wind gust Australia 48.2 °C −2.7 °C 290.0 mm 33.7 °C 7.6 °C 1364.5 mm 131 km/h at Tarcoola Aero at Thredbo AWS at Shoal Bay (NT) on at Windorah Airport at Mount Read at Sweers Island at Maatsuyker (SA) on the 9th (NSW) on the 20th the 5th (Qld) (Tas.) (Qld) Island Lighthouse (Tas.) on the 9th Western 42.8 °C 5.0 °C 210.6 mm 31.2 °C 18.9 °C 522.9 mm 115 km/h Australia at Port Hedland at Jarrahwood on at Karratha Aero on at Telfer Aero at Albany and at Warmun at Rowley Shoals Airport on the 24th the 9th the 9th Albany Airport and on the 8th North Walpole and Shannon Northern 43.0 °C 8.8 °C 290.0 mm 31.4 °C 27.7 °C 964.4 mm 113 km/h Territory at Kulgera on the at Arltunga on the at Shoal Bay on the at Walungurru at Batchelor Airport at Centre Island at Centre Island 11th 21st 5th Airport on the 20th South 48.2 °C 2.0 °C 52.0 mm 32.2 °C 17.5 °C 67.6 mm 96 km/h Australia at Tarcoola Aero on at Keith (Munkora) at Owen on the 6th at Moomba Airport at Mount Lofty at Nullarbor at Hindmarsh the 9th on the 26th Island AWS on the 22nd Queensland 47.2 °C 12.3 °C 216.0 mm 33.7 °C 23.7 °C 1364.5 mm 115 km/h at Thargomindah at Injune Post Office at Sweers Island on at Windorah Airport at Applethorpe at Sweers Island at Inner Reciprocal Airport on the 12th on the 21st the 18th Marker on the 13th New South 47.9 °C −2.7 °C 196.6 mm 31.5 °C 11.4 °C 457.2 mm 109 km/h Wales at Walgett Airport at Thredbo AWS on at Foxground Road at Bourke Airport at Thredbo AWS at Yarras (Mount at Cessnock AWS on the 12th the 20th on the 8th AWS and Seaview) Airport AWS on Tibooburra Airport the 17th Victoria 46.9 °C −2.2 °C 60.0 mm 24.5 °C 11.1 °C 132.2 mm 107 km/h at Walpeup at Mount Hotham at Hastings on the at Mildura Airport at Mount Baw Baw at Ferny Creek at Wilsons Research on the 9th on the 20th 6th Promontory Lighthouse on the 12th and 13th Tasmania 31.1 °C −1.1 °C 52.8 mm 17.8 °C 7.6 °C 275.6 mm 131 km/h at Bushy Park at Liawenee on the at Mount Read on at Friendly Beaches at Mount Read at Mount Read at Maatsuyker (Bushy Park Estates) 16th the 13th Island Lighthouse on the 28th on the 9th 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.