Monthly Weather Review Australia January 2021

Monthly Weather Review Australia January 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 February 2021 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 • Rainfall was slightly below average for Australia as the much of central, and south of Western a whole. Australia, extending to the south-west of the • Rainfall was below average for parts of Northern Territory and western parts of South Queensland's east coast between Fraser Island Australia, and in a band extending from and Mackay, parts of north-western Queensland Queensland's north tropical coast extending inland and the central third of the Northern Territory. of the ranges in south-east Queensland into • Rainfall was above average for much of Victoria, north-eastern New South Wales. the Hunter District, and much of the west and • Mean minimum temperatures were warmer than south of New South Wales, large parts of the average along much of coastal north and west of southern half of South Australia away from the Western Australia, the north and east of the south-east and Eyre Peninsula, large parts of Northern Territory, western and far northern Queensland's Cape York Peninsula and the Queensland, and southern Victoria. Cooler than Northern Territory's Top End, and parts of the average mean minimum temperatures were Kimberley and south-east of Western Australia. recorded in an area spanning the interior of • Mean maximum temperatures were warmer than Western Australia and south-west of the Northern average along most of the north and west coasts Territory. of Western Australia but cooler than average for Areal averages in January 2021 Rainfall anomaly Mean maximum Mean minimum Mean temperature temperature anomaly temperature anomaly anomaly Australia −4% +0.05 °C +0.46 °C +0.26 °C Western Australia +6% +0.01 °C +0.25 °C +0.13 °C Northern Territory −20% +0.05 °C +0.66 °C +0.36 °C South Australia −20% −0.03 °C +0.19 °C +0.08 °C Queensland −3% +0.02 °C +0.83 °C +0.43 °C New South Wales −1% +0.27 °C +0.23 °C +0.25 °C Victoria +85% +0.28 °C +0.95 °C +0.62 °C 9th-highest Tasmania 0% +0.30 °C +0.06 °C +0.18 °C 1 Monthly Weather Review - Australia - January 2021 Extremes in January 2021 Hottest day Coldest night Wettest day Warmest overall Coolest overall Wettest overall Strongest wind gust Australia 47.1 °C −4.0 °C 303.2 mm 34.0 °C 8.7 °C 1223.5 mm 157 km/h at Roebourne Aero at Liawenee (Tas.) at Ingham at Marble Bar at kunanyi (Mount at Tully Sugar Mill at Parkes Airport (WA) on the 14th on the 20th Composite (Qld) on (WA)and Roebourne Wellington (Qld) AWS (NSW) on the 6th Aero (WA) Pinnacle) (Tas.) the 2nd Western 47.1 °C 4.7 °C 260.0 mm 34.0 °C 19.6 °C 497.6 mm 98 km/h Australia at Roebourne Aero at Eyre on the 8th at Myroodah on the at Marble Barand at Albany at Mount Hart at Mardie on the on the 14th 31st Roebourne Aero Station 21st Northern 44.0 °C 10.0 °C 176.0 mm 32.5 °C 27.7 °C 712.0 mm 87 km/h Territory at Curtin Springs on at Arltunga on the at Mount Sanford at Walungurru at Central Arnhem at Marrara at Cape Wessel the 11th 18th on the 22nd Airport Plateau on the 28th South 45.3 °C 3.9 °C 107.8 mm 30.8 °C 17.5 °C 110.4 mm 85 km/h Australia at Port Augusta at Naracoorte at Yunta at Moomba Airport at Robe at Yunta at Port Augusta Aero on the 24th Aerodrome on the (Panaramitee) on (Panaramitee) Aero on the 25th 20th the 26th Queensland 44.0 °C 9.6 °C 303.2 mm 33.1 °C 20.4 °C 1223.5 mm 130 km/h at Birdsville Airport at Applethorpe on at Ingham at Birdsville Airport at Applethorpe at Tully Sugar Mill at Sweers Island on the 23rd and the 24th Composite on the on the 3rd 24th 6th New South 43.6 °C −2.6 °C 151.0 mm 30.2 °C 11.1 °C 512.0 mm 157 km/h Wales at Hay Airport AWS at Thredbo AWS on at Mooral Creek at Wanaaring at Thredbo AWS at Mooral Creek at Parkes Airport on the 24th the 16th (The Den) on the 1s (Borrona Downs (The Den) AWS on the 2nd AWS) Victoria 43.9 °C −2.6 °C 194.4 mm 24.5 °C 11.8 °C 388.8 mm 113 km/h at Ouyen (Post at Mount Hotham at Haines Junction at Mildura Airport at Mount Hotham at Haines Junction at Wilsons Office) on the 24th on the 16th (Mount Sabine) on (Mount Sabine) Promontory and Walpeup the 4th Lighthouse on the Research on the 16th 24th Tasmania 38.0 °C −4.0 °C 91.2 mm 18.4 °C 8.7 °C 196.6 mm 139 km/h at Dover on the 11th at Liawenee on the at Mileara Park on at Launceston (Ti at kunanyi (Mount at Mount Read at kunanyi (Mount 20th the 4th Tree Bend) Wellington Wellington Pinnacle) Pinnacle) on the 18th 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. 2 Monthly Weather Review - Australia - January 2021 Significant weather Heatwaves Severe thunderstorms A low- to severe-intensity heatwave occurred in the Widespread thunderstorms activity brought heavy north of Western Australia between the 12th and the falls to south-east Queensland on the 18th.

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