Far North swelters as temperatures climb
Climate survey shows mercury at highest on record as rainfall dwindles
FAR Northern residents have sweated through the warmest year on record with lower than usual rainfall and hot temperatures making their way into the record books.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s 2017 Annual Climate Summary has recorded warmer than usual days across much of the state, including in parts of the Cape York Peninsula where daytime temperatures were the hottest on record.
Coconut Island in the Torres Strait recorded the warmest nights on average at 25.4 degrees and was the warmest average overall at 28.6 degrees.
The island also recorded the highest December mean daily maximum temperature with 34.6 degrees, breaking the 20year record of 34.4 degrees.
Lockhart River Airport recorded the lowest December mean daily minimum temperature in 21 years with 23 degrees down from the previous 22.4.
Climatologist for the Bureau of Meteorology Tamika Tihema said the mean maximum temperature for Cairns was 29.9 degrees, 0.9 above the long-term average and the third-warmest mean maximum temperature on record.
She said the mean minimum temperature for Cairns in 2017 was 21.6 degrees, 0.8 above the long-term average and the equal fourth-warmest mean minimum temperature on record for the area.
The Annual Climate Summary also showed that parts of the northern interior and the Gulf Country received above average rainfall, before a particularly dry finish to the year with well below average December rainfall across much of the state.
This year the Russell River, located 37km south of Cairns, knocked Babina out of the top spot for the wettest town in the state, recording 3687.9mm.
“This was also the wettest place (with all 12 months of observations) in Australia in 2017,” Ms Tihema said.
“The 2017 annual rainfall for Babinda was 3471.5mm, but Babinda has not reported December rainfall correctly – it’s likely to be between 30mm and 40mm from surrounding sites.”
Cairns recorded 1688.6mm for 2017 (annual average is 1987.8mm), which is about 85 per cent of the long-term average.
“It was a very dry December for Cairns and surrounding locations with Cairns recording only 26.8mm for the month, the driest December since 1951,” she said.