rainfall in australia 2019

This induced a negative phase of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) from late October to late December, shifting the belt of westerly winds over the Southern Ocean northwards towards the equator. Although Oma remained well offshore, the system caused gale force winds, king tides, coastal erosion, and inundation of low-lying areas in coastal southeast Queensland and contributed to damaging surf which produced coastal erosion in New South Wales. Further significant fires also broke out during the month in South Australia, Gippsland and northeastern Victoria, across the Alpine region, southeastern New South Wales, and Tasmania. Dry soils also limit surface runoff, because water is absorbed into the soil. Strong to gale force and gusty north to northwesterly winds developed from mid-morning over the Eyre Peninsula and central districts, with the strongest winds over the south of the peninsula during the early afternoon. Evacuations were ordered for parts of Beechmont and Binna Burra in the Gold Coast Hinterland, and Stanthorpe and Applethorpe in the Granite Belt. The end of the year was especially dry, with November and December the driest on record for their respective months nationally. Of the ten warmest years, only one (1998) occurred before 2005. More details can be found in the report on severe tropical cyclone Trevor. Three of the eleven tropical cyclones crossed the coast (Owen, Gusty westerly winds were stronger and more prevalent than usual through November and December in Tasmania. Unusually late tropical activity in May contributed to above average rainfall for the far northern tropics, extending across the Northern Territory into Central Australia. Fri 1 Feb 2019 11.48 EST Last modified on Sat 2 Feb 2019 16.54 EST. The impact of low rainfall over the period has been exacerbated by record high temperatures, which in turn drive higher rates of evaporation where water is available. Heavy rainfall continued into early February, with above average monthly totals across northern Queensland. May days remained warmer than average for the northwest and coastal southeast, and while nights were warmer than average across the north. In whole, the 2019 event was the most significant filling event for the Lake since 2010–11, with at least 65% of the Lake covered by water. Drought in Indonesia was associated with the most significant fire season since 2015. On the Gold Coast hail more than 4 cm in diameter was reported around Southport, Pacific Pines, and near Beenleigh, while hail of 2 cm to 4 cm in diameter was reported in suburbs to the east and north of Brisbane. The temperature and rainfall patterns of spring and early summer 2019 were consistent with the negative SAM, which is associated with a reduction in rainfall over parts of eastern Australia owing to decreased onshore flow, but wetter conditions for western Tasmania and other areas of the southern coast which are exposed to the enhanced westerly winds. ... parched the country is expected to be in December with most of central, northern, eastern and south eastern Australia with blow average rainfall. Spring was the fifth-warmest on record for Australia as a whole, and was also Australia's driest spring on record. When the clouds finally moved out, satellites got a clear look at the widespread flooding across the Australian state. Nationally, each month from July through December was amongst the ten driest on record for their respective month. Rainfall was also above average for a small area of the Pilbara coast in Western Australia. Glencairn in the Gippsland high country recorded 38 mm of rain in one hour and Mount Wombat, near Euroa, recorded 26 mm in half an hour. Low visibility from the thick dust created hazardous road conditions and South Australian Police closed the Augusta Highway near Port Wakefield for a period. Further information on the flooding can be found in Special Climate Statement An extended period of heavy rainfall and flooding in tropical Queensland. Monthly mean minimum temperatures were very much below average for southeastern Australia during August, and during September for parts of the mainland southeast and for large areas of the northern tropics. The national total rainfall for 2019 was 40% below the 1961–1990 average at 277.6 mm (the 1961–1990 average is 465.2 mm). The Victorian SES received more than 500 calls, mostly due to fallen trees and some building damage, while the New South Wales SES received close to 300 calls, mostly from the Illawarra and South Coast. Australia's mean temperature over January to November has been the highest on record for large areas of eastern and northern New South Wales, extending into southeastern Queensland, and for a large area extending from the Pilbara coast in Western Australia to northwest South Australia. The area burnt in the 2018–19 season was the second largest on record for Tasmania, and the largest since at least 1967. This moves north-west and north-east with the seasons. Warm and very windy conditions on 27 February, in addition to dry vegetation and soil, saw bush fires flare near Tea Tree, Cygnet, Judbury, Ouse, and Campania. 2018 was particularly dry, 11% below the recorded mean for 1961-1990 at under 413mm. Annual mean minima were in the highest 10% of historical observations for large parts of inland and northwestern Western Australia; western South Australia; parts of the central Northern Territory and Queensland's Gulf Country; southern Queensland and much of New South Wales; and parts of central to eastern Victoria. It was also below average for New South Wales; Victoria; most of Tasmania except the west; South Australia; and nearly all of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Cfa. Extreme temperatures and sudden changes in wind direction and strength produced conditions conducive to bushfires across eastern Victoria in early January. Several times over the three months, warm spells with high temperatures, very low humidity, and strong winds led to dangerous fire weather conditions. Several active tropical systems, including severe tropical cyclone Trevor, brought above average rainfall to parts of northern and western Queensland during the first months of 2019. For Darwin and Perth the annual mean minimum temperature was close to average. The national area-averaged maximum temperature on the 18th was 41.9 °C, a whole degree above the value for the 17th (40.9 °C). 2019 recorded an average of … Over the following days, heavy falls had spread further south to the Central Coast and Whitsundays and inland across the northwestern regions of Queensland. The year commenced with significant rainfall deficiencies already in place across large areas of eastern Australia. The year commenced with significant rainfall deficiencies in place across large areas of eastern Australia, and low rainfall during the year has resulted in an increase in the severity of rainfall deficiencies and an expansion of the area affected (see Special Climate Statement Drought conditions in eastern Australia and impact on water resources in the Murray–Darling Basin). In New South Wales there were two significant fires in the northeast of the State: at Tingha, and at Tabulam, west of Casino. In north Queensland, trees were defoliated and felled, buildings were damaged at Lockhart River, and roads were cut due to localised flooding. This included two late-season tropical cyclones; Lili, affecting the Top End, and Ann, which crossed Queensland's Cape York Peninsula. A number of cold fronts and associated low pressure systems brought periods of rainfall to the South West Land Division in Western Australia during the first third of the month. The national rainfall dataset commences in 1900. temperature, Tracking Australia's climate through 2019, Almost certain to be amongst the four warmest years on record for Australia, Annual rainfall for Australia as a whole likely to be in the driest ten years on record, Much of Australia affected by drought, especially severe in New South Wales and southern Queensland, Flooding across northern Queensland and the Gulf Country between February and April, leading to a significant filling of Lake Eyre / Kati Thanda, Significant heatwaves in January contributed to Australia's warmest summer on record, Large bushfires affected Victoria and Tasmania between January and March, Prolonged period of bushfires affecting southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales from September, Continuation of January to November anomaly (2019 anomaly of about +1.4 °C), December temperatures are the 1961–1990 average (2019 anomaly of about +1.3 °C), December temperatures are the coolest on record (2019 anomaly of about +1.1 °C). In the southeast and Central Australia clear skies and sunny days during August meant much cooler than average nights, with areas of the inland southeast observing their coolest mean minimum temperatures on record for the month. Annual rainfall totals were in the lowest 10% of historical observations for almost 70% of Australia, encompassing most of New South Wales and the southeastern quarter of Queensland; large areas of northwestern, northeastern, and eastern Victoria; eastern Tasmania; most of South Australia; most of the Northern Territory except some eastern regions; and much of Western Australia except some parts of the Kimberley, northwest, Gascoyne, and Goldfields. July–November rainfall was the lowest on record for the southern half of Australia. September, October, and November mean maximum temperatures were very much warmer than average over large parts of Australia. The SES received 183 calls for roof and structural damage, water ingress, and downed trees. The SES responded to 1279 requests for assistance across Sydney and the Blue Mountains. A slow-moving high pressure system over the Great Australian Bight brought a record-breaking heatwave from the middle of the month, affecting large areas as a mass of hot air circulated over the country during the second half of the month. From June SSTs were cooler than average in a large area to the north of Australia, associated with the developing positive IOD. Large pools of water inundated paddocks around Tooradin, with some linked to channels; beaches were eroded at Fremantle, Geraldton, and Lancelin, and Busselton jetty was almost completely submerged. Understanding changes in rainfall at a continental scale can inform adaptation and resilience in all sectors that are sensitive to rainfall. In the Southern Basin total storage volume in 2019 went from 53% in January down to 39% at the end of the irrigation season in April. The storages had reached 47% by the end of the filling season, and decreased again as spring progressed into summer. Mean maximum temperatures were above to very much above average for most of Australia from September through December. Large areas were also very much warmer than average for April. Published by Thomas Hinton, Aug 7, 2020 In 2019, Tasmaina received the highest annual rainfall of any state or territory in Australia at an average of 1298.3 millimeters… The ocean waters around Australia have also warmed significantly over the past century, and have been very warm consistently across the past two decades. Australia’s average rainfall total in 2019 was 277 millimetres, the lowest since records began in 1900 and about 40 per cent below normal. SSTs were more than two degrees cooler than average in some areas close to Sumatra during October. Very heavy rainfall affected the Gold Coast, while Brisbane experienced high winds, and a storm cell produced giant hail 8 cm to 10 cm in diameter at Wolvi and Wilsons Pocket (east-northeast of Gympie), and hail up to 11.5 cm in diameter at Goomboorian. It was amongst the ten warmest years on record for all mainland States and the Northern Territory. February was also much warmer than average across western and far northern Australia, and for much of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. This southwards shift of frontal systems is an expected outcome of climate change. Annual mean minimum temperatures were amongst the ten warmest on record for New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. Negative SAM is also associated warmer than average spring temperatures and an increased chance of spring heatwaves across southern and eastern Australia. On 17 November, severe thunderstorms developed over southeast Queensland. Major flooding occurred in coastal communities between Daintree and Mackay, including flooding in the Burdekin, Ross, Bohle, Haughton, Herbert, and Black rivers, and Bluewater Creek. The data is in and 2019 topped the BOM's charts for average and maximum temperatures as well as the lowest rainfall across the country. As well as the significant deficiencies affecting New South Wales, southern Queensland, eastern Victoria, and eastern South Australia, rainfall deficiencies intensified throughout the year in Western Australia — including across the South West Land Division. As the extremely hot air mass moved eastward, large areas approached or exceeded December daily maximum temperature records across inland and southeastern South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, southeast Queensland, Central Australia, and much of Tasmania. Australia, a huge country of more than 7.5 million square kilometers (3 million square miles), crossed by the Tropic of Capricorn, has largely an arid climate, classified as desert or semi-desert, except in the extreme north, where it is tropical (with a rainy and a dry season), and on the southern coasts, where it is more temperate, oceanic or Mediterranean. The cold outbreak brought widespread heavy snow to many elevated areas in New South Wales and Victoria. All capital cities were warmer and drier than average in 2019. There were other dust storms during February, the most notable of which was on the 12th when dust stretched around 1500 km from southwestern Queensland into southeastern Australia, affecting northern Victoria, Canberra, and crossing New South Wales before extending well offshore from the central coast as the associated trough and frontal system tracked out to sea. By the end of 2019 water storage in the Northern Murray–Darling Basin had dropped to less than 7% of capacity. A slow-moving thunderstorm cell developed over Cape Paterson on 10 May, resulting in large accumulation of small hail in the area. The annual value is likely to be among the five warmest on record. Severe tropical cyclone Trevor was named off the east coast of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula early on 18 March, then intensified rapidly before making landfall just south of Lockhart River at category 3 strength on the 19th. Global mean temperatures were above average throughout 2019, with all months to November amongst the four warmest on record for their respective months. More details can be found in the report on severe tropical cyclone Veronica. A number of the large fires which had started in September in New South Wales and eastern Queensland continued to burn throughout October. The tables below give yearly averages for rainfall at large cities across Australia. This has been a significant contributor to the prolonged period of below average rainfall across much of Australia during the past three years, and the exceptional warmth of 2019. The very strong positive IOD during 2019 has contributed to another late start to the northern wet season in 2019–20, with no monsoonal activity seen across northern Australia before the end of 2019. Show all statistics (5) Emissions outlook Projected volume of fugitive emissions Australia 2018-2030. Sydney had many months with below-average rainfall, but also some wet months; its annual total rainfall was in the driest 15% of years. The transition of the monsoon trough into the southern hemisphere was very late, and the positive IOD persisted beyond the end of 2019. The global mean temperature is estimated using observational datasets from the UK Met Office Hadley Centre (HadCRUT4), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAAGlobalTemp), the US Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISTEMP v4); and reanalysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA5) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JRA-55). Fire weather was particularly severe in spring over the eastern half of Australia, and over most of the country in December, where the monthly (accumulated) Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) was the highest on record for any month. Despite many areas seeing unusually cold nights during at least one month between May and November, the overall mean minimum temperature for the year so far has also been above average for most of the country. Intensive and sustained efforts by several hundred fire fighters, augmented by aircraft, ensured that building losses were limited, although large tracts of wilderness and forests were burnt in the southwest, Huon Valley, and Central Plateau. The monsoon arrived later than usual during the 2018–19 wet season, with onset at Darwin not occurring until 23 January 2019, the equal third-latest since reliable records commenced in 1957. Warm and windy conditions during spring to early summer led to repeated periods of severe fire weather, with very large bushfires affecting eastern Australia from September, with many fires continuing to burn after the end of the year. Based on preliminary data for January–November 2019, temperatures were warmer than the 1961–1990 average across most of the world's land and oceans, and unusually warm over large areas of the Arctic, including Alaska and central northern Russia. The warmest year on record was 2016, 0.87 ± 0.1 °C above the 1961–1990 average. By the 12th, the Bees Nest fire had reached 78 600 hectares. On two consecutive days, the 17th and 18th, records were set for Australia's hottest day on record. A cool change with very dry air, and very strong and gusty winds led to a worsening of the fire situation with lightning leading to the ignition of many new fires on the 21st. On the 4th, strong and hot northerly winds saw around 200 fires across Victoria, including a large fire near Rosedale in Gippsland that burnt more than 550 hectares. Monthly mean minimum temperatures were very much below average for southwest Western Australia during May, with some stations having for their coldest May night on record during the middle of the month. Very much cooler than average monthly mean SSTs were seen to the south of the Indonesian island of Sumatra in October and November, when the event was at its strongest, with some areas coolest on record for their respective months. SSTs were in the highest 10% of historical observations for large areas around southeastern Australia and across the Tasman Sea throughout the year. Much of northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland, pastoral South Australia, the central and southern Northern Territory, and southeastern Western Australia received their lowest annual totals on record. Details on some of these fires, and the antecedent conditions, can be found in Special Climate Statement Dangerous bushfire weather and heat in spring 2019. A hail storm in the Riverland District of South Australia on the evening of 4 November caused crop damage along a narrow band between Murray Bridge and Renmark. Inflows into Lake Eyre / Kati Thanda from earlier in the year had left the Lake about half covered, with further inflows into Lake Eyre / Kati Thanda continuing throughout April, May, and June. It was the warmest year on record for New South Wales and Western Australia as a whole, and amongst the ten warmest years for the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia. Destructive cyclones caused significant impacts in many places, including east Africa in March (Idai), the Bahamas in September (Dorian), and Japan in October (Hagibis). The SES responded to 74 requests for assistance, most related to downed trees and other wind related damage. Even though 2019 was not as warm as the record set in 2016, the five warmest years on record are the most recent five years. The pattern of sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean was generally consistent with a positive IOD from late May, and firmly in positive territory between August and the end of the year. The Gell River fire in southwest Tasmania, which had started on 27 December 2018, continued to burn. The frequency of extreme heat events has increased approximately fivefold since the 1950s. There was major flooding in parts of South America during January, and in Iran during late March and early April, and in the Indian subcontinent at various times during the monsoon season. More details on dangerous bushfire weather and heat in spring 2019 can be found in the related Special Climate Statement. Heat continued to affect Australia until the end of the year, bringing repeated periods of severe fire weather to the southeastern States. A gust front associated with a line of thunderstorms developed over western parts of Victoria on 6 February. This very strong, positive IOD has contributed to very low rainfall across Australia. Flooding was extensive and long-lived in the Gulf Country, with major flooding at Walkers Bend on the Flinders River by 2 February. Significant flooding was also recorded in the Bulloo, Paroo, and Warrego catchments during early to mid-April but the most significant flooding was recorded further to the west. For the globe as a whole, 2019 is on course to be the second or third warmest year on record, continuing the recent pattern of very warm years. Although every period of rainfall deficiency is different, the extraordinarily low rainfall experienced this year has been comparable to that seen in the driest periods in Australia's recorded history, including the Federation Drought and the Millenium Drought. A positive IOD often results in below average winter–spring rainfall over southern and central Australia. "Natural variability in extreme rainfall in Australia is inherently very large, making it more difficult to discern climate change influences," the report said. While the effect of the protracted period of below average rainfall was severe across the Murray–Darling Basin, serious rainfall deficiencies on annual to multi-year timescales also affected coastal New South Wales; eastern Victoria; eastern South Australia, extending into far northwestern Victoria; east coast and north coast Tasmania; and much of the South West Land Division in Western Australia. Nights were also cooler than average for parts of the far north during October, and northern Australia, Central Australia, South Australia, and western Victoria for November. January was exceptionally warm, and was the hottest month on record for every State and Territory except South Australia and Western Australia. Fri 6 Sep 2019 16.00 EDT Last modified on Mon 9 Sep 2019 18.40 EDT. The second half of the year was particularly dry across most of the southern half of Australia, and followed several years of below average rainfall over parts of Queensland and New South Wales. A number of significant new fires commenced during February, in addition to fires still burning from earlier ignitions. Feb. 4, 2019 MELBOURNE, Australia — After weeks of unrelenting heat and bushfires across the continent, torrential rain and flooding in northern Australia have forced hundreds of … An active monsoon trough and a slow-moving low pressure system produced extremely heavy rainfall in tropical Queensland from late January into early February, causing flooding on Queensland's tropical coast between Daintree and Mackay, and parts of the western Peninsula and Gulf coast. In Tasmania, fires which had been burning since late December or mid-January remained alight, but contained, in inaccessible terrain. Further property losses occurred during the month in both New South Wales and Queensland, and several lives were lost in New South Wales. In fact, without action, Australia is expected to warm as much as 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2090. Extremely dry conditions and very much above average temperatures led to increased fire risk across New South Wales and Queensland during spring (see Special Climate Statement Severe fire weather conditions in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales in September 2019). The reduced cloud cover, low humidity, and low soil moisture seen during 2019 are typical of eastern inland Australia during the cool season in drought years. Opinion on government action on climate Australia 2019 by political affiliation. In both States above average annual totals resulted from tropical systems which caused flooding in the first quarter of the year. During the afternoon and early evening on 10 July cold fronts brought strong to gale force northwesterly winds to southern South Australia ahead of the front, followed by squally winds, heavy showers and thunderstorms with the passage of the front itself. Persistent warmth during 2019 has been driven by the combination of the long-term warming trend and natural climate drivers including a long-lived positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). The widespread warm and dry conditions, on top of well below average rainfall over multiple months, contributed to elevated fire danger over much of southeastern Australia during summer. Most of this warming has occurred since 1950. Annual mean temperatures for 2019 were above average for nearly all of Australia, and highest on record for a large area of northern and eastern New South Wales, southeast Queensland, most of Western Australia extending from the Pilbara coast to northwest South Australia, and for an area of the Victoria River District in the Northern Territory. Snow fell overnight in most parts of Canberra overnight of the 16th but had mostly melted by morning due to rain followed by warmer temperatures. A cold front and a low pressure system that crossed Victoria on 9 and 10 May brought heavy rainfall and flash flooding to Ballarat and Geelong, as well as snowfalls in the Victorian Alps. Large areas of the western Indian Ocean were also much warmer than average. An extended warm period with multiple heatwaves over much of Australia began in early December 2018 and continued into January 2019. There was significant drought in many parts of southern Africa during the 2018–19 wet season, and parts of Central America also experienced substantially below average rainfall during the first nine months of the year. A very dry year so far. Heavy rain began on 26 January in areas of the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands, and the Herbert and Lower Burdekin districts, and continued into early February. Rainfall for the month was above or very much above average across large parts of Western Australia, including in the Kimberley, Pilbara, and the South West Land Division. Numerous sites set records for runs of consecutive days at or above 40 °C while many other sites reported their highest daily maximum or minimum temperature on record for January, or for any month. Additional fires started as spring progressed, with significant fires across much of eastern New South Wales, including on the outskirts of Sydney, in East Gippsland in Victoria, in the Alpine region, and in southeast South Australia. From 1961 to 1990, the average rainfall for Australia … Further afield, SSTs were warmest on record for large areas around New Zealand. Severe drought affected large parts of the country. All values in this statement were compiled from data available on the issue date. Australia has a wide variety of climates due to its large geographical size. In Victoria there were around 60 fires active on 21 November, including large fires in northern Victoria at Rochester near Shepparton, three large fires in East Gippsland near Bruthen, Gelantipy, and Ensay, and a fast-moving grass fire at Mount Glasgow, north of Ballarat. ABC Weather / By Kate Doyle. On two consecutive days, the 17th and 18th, records were set for Australia's hottest day on record. Several fires had also started in October and November, particularly in the northeast quarter of the State, and some continued to burn for several weeks. All of the years since 2013 have been amongst the ten warmest on record for Australia. January–November was the warmest on record for just over one quarter of the country, and very much warmer than average for the remainder outside of areas of western and northern Queensland. The warmth was widespread, affecting nearly all of Australia at some point. The last four years—2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018—were the four warmest on record, and although 2019 is unlikely to reach the record set in 2016, this year will almost certainly be in that top group. Australia's climate is governed mostly by its size and by the hot, sinking air of the subtropical high pressure belt (subtropical ridge). January was an exceptional month: Australia's warmest month on record for any time of the year, with the monthly mean temperature 2.90 °C above average. Research suggests that the frequency of positive IOD events, and particularly the occurrence of consecutive events, will increase as global temperatures rise. Minimum temperatures have also been warmer than average, at 0.83 °C above average for January–November, the seventh-highest on record for the period. Major flood levels were recorded across the Channel Country catchments (Georgina/Eyre, Diamantina, and Thomson/Barcoo/Cooper). 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