Category Archives: Monthly weather

May 2009 rain by-passed Manilla

Posted in Manilla NSW, Monthly weather by

The daily weather log

Weather log May 2009

More than half the month passed with sunny days, and cool nights (3°) that kept the average temperature down. The 18th was the 34th day without 5 mm of rain.
A lot of rain then came into the region carried on easterly winds from the very warm sea. The coast had five days of heavy rain, causing severe flooding. Manilla had only three rain days, totalling less than 16 mm. At the same time, areas near Mungindi had twice as much. Instead of rain, Manilla got a week of humid overcast days and very warm nights (11°). Thick fog on the 29th did not lift until after 10 am.

 Comparing May months

Climate May 2009

This month had normal temperatures, but it was cloudier than any May since 2001. There were seven mild frosts (normally six), but none was below zero in the screen.

(May 2007 was warm and humid; May 2006 was cool and remarkably sunny.)
The rainfall total (19.0 mm) was in the 34th percentile for the month. While this is below the May median (27 mm), it is well above the most common May reading (5 mm). The two-month total for April and May (73 mm) is on the 33rd percentile. The three-month total (81 mm) is worse: it is on the 14th percentile, but that is not a serious shortage. The four and five month rainfall totals have now fallen to 38th and 41st percentiles. Beyond that, totals are above the median for all periods up to 72 months, except for the 15-month total, which has now fallen to the 45th percentile.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Dew point values before August 2005 are from Tamworth Airport 6 am data supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology. Temperature and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.

 

April showers in 2009

Posted in Manilla NSW, Monthly weather by

The daily weather log

Weather log April 2009

For weekly average temperatures, the month began warm, due to warm nights. Normal temperatures followed until, in the last days, cold dry winds arrived from the Southern Ocean, driving temperatures several degrees below normal. At the end, days were 20° and nights 4°, but there were no frosts.
Twelve point four millimetres of rain on the 4th was the first reading over 5 mm in 46 days. Rather more rain followed a humid, overcast spell at Easter: 36.0 mm fell on the 14th. The month’s total was 53.8 mm. There were seven Rain Days, twice as many as usual.

 Comparing April months

Climate April 2009

Of the monthly mean temperatures, only the nights were warmer than normal. The daily temperature range was rather low. This related to a high mean Dew Point and skies more cloudy than usual for April.

April last year was much cooler, and April 2005 much warmer.
The rainfall total (53.8 mm) was in the 76th percentile for the month. This is above the April median (33 mm), and over twenty times the most common April reading (2 mm). The two-month total for March and April (62 mm) is on the 26th percentile: not a serious rainfall shortage, as happened last year (22 mm; 4th percentile).Beyond the two-month figures, totals are still above the median for all periods up to 72 months, except for the 36-month total, which has risen again to the 47th percentile.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Dew point values before August 2005 are from Tamworth Airport 6 am data supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology. Temperature and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.

 

Settled weather in March 2009

Posted in Manilla NSW, Monthly weather by

The daily weather log

Weather log March 2009

Sunny, settled weather prevailed in March. By Sunday the 8th several cool nights (9°) had brought the average temperature down to three degrees below normal. It fell no further for the rest of the month. Days were unseasonably warm (33°) from the 18th to the 27th. A little rain (8.0 mm) fell mainly on the 14th, 16th and 31st. By the end of the month there had been no falls over 5 mm for 42 days.

 Comparing March months

Climate March 2009

 

 

The mean daily mean temperature was normal. The mean daily maximum (30.7°) was rather high and the mean daily minimum rather low, taking the daily temperature range to 17.1°.
Humidity and cloudiness were rather low. March last year was even less humid, and had much cooler nights. Both set record lows for the decade.
The rainfall total (8.0 mm) was in the 16th percentile for the month. The most common March reading is 11 mm, and the median 38 mm. Because this is the first month of low rainfall since May, rainfall totals for groups of months remain high. Totals are still above the median for all periods up to 72 months, with the exception of the 36-month total, which has now fallen to the 43rd percentile.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Dew point values before August 2005 are from Tamworth Airport 6 am data supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology. Temperature and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.

 

February 2009: swelter and shiver

Posted in Manilla NSW, Monthly weather by

The daily weather log

Weather log February 2009

February days began hot (37.8°), and got hotter. The 9th reached 40.9°: that was 7.5° above normal, and the hottest day of the summer. At 20°, nights were unpleasantly warm, but it is normal for the first week of February to have the hottest nights of the year (18.4°).
The daily maximum on the 14th was an amazingly cool 17.8°, that is, 23.1° lower than five days before! The reading was 15.2° below normal. On that day, half of NSW, excluding only the borders on the east, south and west, had daily maximum temperatures more than 12° below normal.
A wet spell from the 11th to the 17th brought most of the month’s rain.At Manilla the highest reading was 51.2 mm on the 15th.
The month ended dry, with temperatures normal, except that nights became cool.

 Comparing February months

Climate February 2009

This month’s climate was normal, if rather wet. Other Februaries on the graph vary in every way:

February 2005 was sunny, dry, and not humid;
February 2006 was hot and humid;
February 2007 was very rainy;
February 2008 was very cloudy and very cold.
The rainfall total (94.5 mm) was in the 75th percentile for the month; well above the February average of 67 mm. This neatly makes up the January shortfall. Rainfall totals for groups of months remain very high. The 6 month total (525 mm) is in the 92nd percentile, and more than 200 mm above the median value. Totals are still above the median for all periods up to 72 months, with the exception of the 36-month total, and that has now risen to the 46th percentile.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Dew point values before August 2005 are from Tamworth Airport 6 am data supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology. Temperature and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.

 

January 2009 a bit dry

Posted in Manilla NSW, Monthly weather by

The daily weather log

Weather log January 2009

January was a bit on the dry side. Otherwise, it was close to normal, like December. Not only were the mean temperatures perfectly normal: there were few hot or cold days or nights.
The percentage of cloudy mornings (39%) was rather high and the number of cloud-free mornings (5) very low.
Four of the five rain days came in one short spell from the 21st, the 22nd having 30.8 mm. This spell was extremely humid, with Dew Points above 17°, typical of stormy weather. The evening of the 24th had a magnificent lightning display. Many storms, far and near, could be seen at once. Every second or two, flashes lit up the towers of cumulonimbus clouds from many different directions, or from inside.

 Comparing January months

Climate January 2009

 

Normal temperatures this month contrast with last January’s low values and the high values of the two before that.
The rainfall total (57.6 mm) was in the 39th percentile for the month. Although this is well below the January average of 87 mm, rainfall totals for groups of months remain very high. The four-month total, for example, is in the 91st percentile. Totals are still above the median for all periods up to 72 months, with the exception of the 36-month total, which has fallen to the 41st percentile.
Some January rainfalls in this decade were extreme. January 2006 (181 mm) was the eleventh wettest ever, and January 2003 (12 mm) was the third driest.

Data. Rainfall data is from Manilla Post Office, courtesy of Phil Pinch. Dew point values before August 2005 are from Tamworth Airport 6 am data supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology. Temperature and other data are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.