The rainfall total for Park Road for the month of March 2021 was 49.8mm.
How does this compare to other years?
“Not that well at all,” says Jim Cambray.
It is well below the average of 69.2mm and median at 70.3mm. Minimum for the month was 21.3mm in 2009 and maximum in 2000 at 180.2mm.
“So for April we can hope for good rains – although overall in April we
usually get less rain than in March.”
Rainfall-wise, in Grant Street it was “another miserable month” with total rainfall at 39.4mm and mean at 61.7mm.
At Darling Street, the March monthly rainfall was 43.0mm – “only slightly better than the February 2021 rainfall” reports Roger Rowswell
The March LTA (36 yrs) is 75.1 and LT Med 72.5mm.
To date March rainfall ranges from 18.5mm (1991) to 211.2mm (2000). 86% of data is below 100mm and 55% below 75mm. The March 1922 rainfall measured at the Old Gaol was 38.6mm. The first three months’ rainfall of 2021 is very similar to the pattern recoded by the Old Gaol in 1922.
Rainfall for both Darling Street 2021 and Old Gaol 1922 is not typical for March, as March is usually a peak for late summer rainfall. This can be seen when comparing rainfall measured for the specific stations and the respective LTAs.
“The weather for March 2021 has, in my opinion, not been typical for the month,” says Rowswell. “It has been cooler than I can recount for any previous March, due to cloud cover and easterly winds.”
The figure for the ONI for January 2021 is -1.1, slightly down from the December value of -1.2.
“This can be expected as it is likely to decline further in the following months but will then re-establish in July/August and strengthen, we hope.”
