I’ve previously described 2006 as the year of climate change hysteria , but interestingly at least in Australia it wasn’t that warm.
While 2005 was the hottest on record, according to ABC Online quoting from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology last year, 2006, was the 9th warmest on record.
I’ve just received the report by email from the Bureau (7.30am, 3rd January) and they are now claiming last year was only the 11th warmest on record.
Here is the graph:
The report says:
“Data collected by the Bureau of Meteorology indicate that Australia’s annual mean temperature for 2006 was 0.47°C above the standard 1961-1990 average, making it the eleventh warmest year since comparable temperature observations became available in 1910.
“Despite record warm daytime temperatures in the drought-affected southeast, 2006 was cooler than the previous year when averaged across the whole country. This was largely due to a very active tropical wet season early in the year resulting in cooler temperatures through the north, and clear skies and low soil moisture associated with the drought resulting in cold overnight temperatures from April to July. The annual mean maximum temperature was 0.60°C above average (ninth highest), while the mean minimum temperature was 0.34°C above average (seventeenth highest). Temperature anomalies varied throughout the year but spring 2006 was particularly warm (+1.42°C), being Australia’s warmest spring season on record.”
And the 9 warmest years span an appromiate 26 year period.
That would mean last year was about the coolest year that we have had in Australia for about 26 years.
The full report is apparently due out tomorrow. I will update this post once it is available online at the Bureau.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.