Annual Climate Statement for Australia for 2008 - Released January 2009The Bureau of Meteorology has just released its "Annual Climate Statement 2008" for Australia. Located at:-
http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/climate/change/20090105.shtmlThis is an excellent report as it highlights how Australia fared climate wise during 2008. It contains excellent graphs, maps, temperature deciles, temperature anomalies, rainfall and rainfall deciles from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008.
Of interest, some important notes of this are:-
a) Mean annual temperature across Australia for 2008 was the 14th warmest year on record being 0.41C above normal / standard 1961-1990 average.
b) Most regions recorded a warm year except parts of Queensland, northern New South Wales and the Kimberley in Western Australia.
c) Above average rainfall was recorded across the Top End, eastern Queensland, north east New South Wales and parts of far west of Western Australia but rainfall was below average in the remainder of the country.
d) The southern Murray Darling 2008 suffered again from the prolonged dry spell.
The recent La Nina event did affect temperatures especially across eastern New South Wales.
The mean average rainfall across Australia was 466 mm close to the long term average of 472 mm but some regions were still dry.
Of interest is the fact that most of Victoria and a large slice of southern New South Wales has suffered below average rainfall and rainfall has not been enough to break the long term drought in the affected areas.
Of particular interest is that Sydney has just experienced a year where the mean temperature deciles were "Lowest on record".
The statement provided at the website explains this in more detail.
Harley Pearman
