Clouds rare in baking North

TOWNSVILLE was the driest of the major cities in North Queensland last year and had 30 per cent less rain than the long- term average.

The city’s residents also endured a year of hotterthan- average temperatures.

Townsville received just 791mm in 2017, against the long- term average of 1128mm. It is the fifth consecutive year of below- average rainfall in Townsville.

The Bureau of Meteorology has released its report card for weather in Australia last year – the 2017 Annual Climate Survey.

Cyclone Debbie brought above- average rainfall to most of the coast from around Ayr southward.

But senior climatologist Blair Trewin said areas to the north of the Burdekin, including Townsville, received less than normal.

Areas north of Townsville had about 20 per cent less rainfall than average.

Mr Trewin said it was not unusual for Townsville to be the driest city in the North.

“Townsville tends to be drier than the places around it,” Mr Trewin said.

Queensland had its warmest year on record and was 1.4C above its day and night average of 23.2C.

The state also got 10 per cent less than the normal amount of rain of 623mm.

Coastal North Queensland did not experience record temperatures.

“Townsville came in 0.8C above average in both daytime maximum and overnight minimum temperatures,” Mr Trewin said. “It’s significantly above average but was cooler than 2016.”

The average maximum temperature in Townsville was 29.7C and the minimum 20.6C.

Similarly, 0.9C above temperature.

Some inland areas, including Georgetown, did receive more rainfall than normal last year.

Although it was a dry year, two months that were normally dry in Townsville had a lot of rain.

“Especially May when Townsville had its wettest May day on record when 121mm fell on the 19th,” Mr Trewin said.

But December was much drier than normal with only 17mm falling against an average of 125mm.

December rainfall in Townsville is up and down with some really wet years followed by very dry years.

It was not all bad news though as Mr Trewin said the North was now heading into the peak of the annual wet season. Cairns was the average