Hobart sees the warmest start to Winter since 1991

Despite a spell of cold days forecast for the beginning of July this week, the June just gone has been the warmest since 1991 for Hobart, according to weatherzone.com.au.

Average daytime maximums for the southern city were 14 degrees, 2 above the long term average of 12, and the warmest monthly mean for June in 18 years. A string of strong cold fronts crossing Tasmania in the last week of the month kept daytime temperatures below the average, but could not overcome the warm anomaly built up earlier in the month, when a high pressure ridge sat over the country, keeping days mostly sunny and warm.

Minimums for the month were fairly close to average, coming in at 6 degrees, just 1 degree above the long term average of 5. This was due to a period of well below average nights between the 18th and 20th, which saw temperatures drop within 1 degree of freezing for 3 nights in a row - the first time this has happened since 1992. The 3 day cold snap was due to a very strong high pressure system lingering over the southeast, leading to clear, dry skies overnight.

Combined maximum and minimum temperatures for the month averaged to 20 degrees, 3 above the 1882 to 2006 mean of 17. This is one of many warm years recently however, and is overtaken by June months averaging over 18 degrees between 1999 and 2003.

The lingering high pressure ridge also meant that there were not many days this month which saw cold, showery westerly winds - usually responsible for much of Hobarts Winter rainfall. The best rain for the month occurred just a few days ago on the 27th, as a strong front crossed the state, dropping 25 mm over the city.

Although the month was on average, dry, this was the highest daily rainfall in ten months, and the highest daily June rain since 2005.

“Over the next few months rainfall should return to close to normal, whilst overnight temperatures are likely to remain slightly below the normal,” said Trevena.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2008

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