March 2022 Weather Report

 The month was very wet (OK, extremely wet) with warm nights and cool days.  Cloud was a notable feature with BoM on Gabo Island recording 30 readings of 7/8 or 8/8 out of a total of 62 readings. 

Rainfall

The total fall for the month was 203.6mm which is the 4th highest fall since records start in 1978.  It is just above the value for March 2021 but slightly over 3 times the median fall for March.

The month began with a continuation of a rain event from late February (we recorded >0.2mm of rain on 15 consecutive days from 24 February to 10 March).  The heaviest daily fall was 88mm on 8 March.

The prorata estimate of annual rainfall has maintained a high level finishing the month at 1,770mm: in the unlikely event that this case to pass it would be the highest annual fall by some 300mm!

Temperatures

The temperature anomaly finished the month slightly positive so not a cold month.

BoM daily extrema show that the warmth was largely due to above average minima rather than hot days.

A  similar pattern is shown by my Weather Station (WS).

Minimum temperatures

As would be expected from the foregoing the average minimum for March 2022 was above average and above the value for 2021.

My time series of minima for March shows an upwards sloping linear trend with a moderate value of r2 suggesting it is close to significant.

Maximum temperatures 

A little below the average, but somewhat above 2021.

In the time series the picture is rather messy.  While a linear trend slopes upwards the value for r2 is well below that required to suggest a significant trend.

Humidity

In a slight break from recent months after the wet period early in the month the afternoon reading somewhat less than the morning reading.  However with a minimum rH value of 55% for the month it could be regarded as quite a humid month overall.  Indeed looking at the overall average value of rH for March the value of 84% is well above the other 3 years for which I have records from my WS (which range from 73.6% to 78.4%).

The average values for both standard time periods are well above the average (again of the 3 previous years of WS values).

Wind

In contrast to the humidity series the wind readings indicate it was a rather calm month with the possible exception of 31 March.  But even that was only the 83rd longest run recorded of 1100 days.

 I was surprised at the low average run (88.7km compared to previous years ranging from 103km to 138km).  However checking the individual days showed 9 days with a run >100km; 11 days between 100km and 60 km; and 11 days <60km.  So the average is about right!

In summary, below 2021 and well below the average of the 3 previous years.