Australia records fourth warmest July on record; first half of 2019 second warmest and fifth driest

Australia has recorded yet another unusually mild and dry July, providing no relief to the drought conditions gripping large areas, as the country struggles through its fifth driest start to a year on record.

Mean temperatures were above average for nearly all of the country, as persistent high pressure kept cloudiness and rainfall lower than normal, with the national mean temperature 1.62 degrees above average.

More remarkably, daytime temperatures were the third highest on record for July (+2.23c), following the second highest on record in 2018, and the highest on record in 2017. Night time temperatures were around 1.01 degrees above average.

Due to persistence of high pressure, rainfall was also very much below average, with Australia recording its 12th driest July on record, with a number of sites in QLD, SA, NSW, VIC, SA and WA registering their lowest July totals. However, a few sites in western Tasmania recorded their wettest July on record.

2019 has been a poor start for agriculture across the nation, with Australia now seeing its fifth driest January to July period on record, and second warmest. A number of locations across country NSW and QLD have less than a years supply left of water in their dams. Unfortunately, dry and warm conditions are expected to continue into spring.

Image 1: Temperature deciles for July across Australia

Image 2: Rainfall deciles for July across Australia

Image 3: Rainfall outlook for August-October in Australia