An annual report on the nation’s weather has shown what we’ve all suspected. Things are getting hotter.
The year 2020 was the fourth-warmest year on record for Australia, with the Logan area recording above average mean maximum temperatures.
The report showed mean minimum temperatures were above average.
Good news was that rainfall was close to average throughout the year.
This eased drought conditions in many areas.
Senior Climatologist Dr Lynette Bettio, said: “The mean temperature for the 10 years from 2011 to 2020 was the highest on record, at 0.94 °C above average, and 0.33 °C warmer than the previous 10 years.
“Rainfall for Australia was close to average for the nation as a whole at 483.4 mm: 4% above the 1961–1990 average of 466.0 mm.”
She said nights were especially warm in Brisbane.
“Globally, every year from 2013 onwards has been among the ten warmest on record, with 2016 and 2019 being the hottest (0.85 ± 0.1 °C and 0.81 ± 0.1 °C above the 1961–1990 average respectively) and 2020 was among the top three, despite the onset of La Niña which has a suppressing effect on global temperatures.”
Australia had its warmest spring on record in 2020.
