BOM says Australia just had its hottest November on record
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has just finished crunching last month’s numbers and confirmed it was Australia’s hottest November on record for maximum, minimum and mean temperatures.
It was also the country’s hottest spring on record for mean and minimum temperatures.
Key points:
Australia has just broken the record for its warmest November on record
It was also our warmest spring for minimum and mean temperatures
Spring’s rainfall was well below the records but significantly greater than last year
November’s maximums came in at 2.9C above the 1961-90 average, surpassing the 2.4C mark set in November 2014.
The national minimums were at 2.04C above the average and means at 2.47C.
It wasn’t just the past few days that were hot — spring overall saw Australia’s mean and minimum temperatures reach the warmest on record at 2.03C and 1.91C above the average, respectively.
Spring’s maximum temperatures were only the fifth warmest on record at 2.15C above the 1961-90 average.
Rainfall near average for spring
Nationally, spring rainfall was 8 per cent below average and close to average for most of the country, according to BOM senior climatologist Blair Trewin.
But parts of eastern Queensland, north-east New South Wales and western Tasmania were drier than average.
Map of Australia, green through SA and the NW, indicating above average rain but orange indicating below average E QLD and mid W
Spring rainfall was just below average for the nation as a whole in spring.(Supplied: Bureau Of Meteorology)
Outback South Australia and far south-west New South Wales, however, had above-average rainfall.
November was particularly dry for the eastern states but wet in the west.
Many regions are still in drought, while for others this year has been a real turnaround.
Good winter rain in the south means farmers are on track to produce the second biggest grain crop ever, according the latest update from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).
The dry window over the past few weeks has been exactly what many farmers needed to get their crop out. How could it be hotter than last year?
Last spring was extremely dry, the driest on record.
Map of Australia yellow and orange indicating above average to highest on record mean temperatures
Australia went through it’s highest mean temperature average in over 100 years of records.(Supplied: Bureau Of Meteorology)
Dr Trewin said when it was extremely dry, there were very hot days but also very cool nights.
So we may remember the hot spring days last year — which were definitely hotter than this year — but last year’s cool nights drew the average down.
“This year the real standout has been the warm nights,” Dr Trewin said. ABC
