Wettest spring since 2010 and the wettest November since records began in 1900, Australia

Australia has experienced its wettest spring since 2010 and the wettest November since records began in 1900, according to data provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) on December 1, 2021.

Spring rainfall was above to very much above average for most of Australia, and 57% above average for Australia as a whole.

Large areas of eastern Australia had rainfall in the highest 10% of historical observations (decile 10) for spring.

A large number of stations across the eastern seaboard and a few scattered elsewhere in Queensland's Gulf Country and the Northern Territory observed their highest total rainfall on record for the three months September – November.

Image credit: BOM

Rainfall was close to average or below average for western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, much of the south of Western Australia and along the north-west coast, parts of the Top End, and parts of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula.

While September was a little drier than average, and October a little wetter than the average for Australia as a whole, November was exceptionally wet, with the national area-averaged rainfall more than twice the average and the highest on record for November.

Thunderstorms and severe storms were frequent during spring, and included:

• in the south-eastern mainland and Queensland at the end of September
• parts of Queensland and New South Wales at various times throughout October, with a number of tornados and reports of giant hail
• giant to gargantuan hail in Yalboroo (between Proserpine and Mackay in Queensland) on October 19, with a hailstone measured at 16 cm, the largest hailstone measurement verified in Australia
• heavy rainfall leading to areas of flash flooding and riverine flooding in eastern Australia during November

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 122 (highest). A rank marked with ’=‘ indicates the value is tied for that rank. Departure from mean is relative to the long-term (1961–1990) average. Credit: BOM

Reference:

Australia in spring 2021 – BOM – December 1, 2021

Featured image credit: BOM