Climate Change Chart of Canberra, Australia

Overview of climate changes

Temperature changes

Averaged across calendar months, monthly mean temperature shows a difference of +0.29 °C in the more recent period; this is an unweighted comparison of monthly means, not a day-weighted annual average or a measure of daytime maximum temperatures. The largest monthly increase was in January, with a difference of +1.05 °C. By contrast, May had the largest monthly decrease, a difference of -0.29 °C; these monthly extremes do not mean every month changed in the same direction.

Changes in rainfall

Mean daily rainfall, rather than monthly rainfall totals, had an unweighted across-month average difference of +0.57 mm/day in the more recent period. This summarizes the differences between calendar-month means and should not be read as a day-weighted annual average. The largest monthly increase was in June, at a difference of +1.22 mm/day. In February, the largest monthly decrease was a difference of -0.13 mm/day, showing that the overall average does not describe every month's direction.

Changes in sunshine duration

Averaged across calendar months, mean daily sunshine duration had a difference of -0.25 hours/day compared with the earlier reference period; this is an unweighted mean of monthly averages, not a day-weighted annual figure. The monthly pattern was not uniform: March had the largest decrease, a difference of -0.57 hours/day, while May had the largest increase, a difference of +0.24 hours/day. These extrema describe monthly mean daily sunshine, not every day within those months.

Changes in snowfall

Mean daily snowfall had an across-month average difference of 0.00 mm/day at the displayed precision. This rounded, unweighted comparison does not establish that snowfall was absent or that there was no difference beyond the displayed precision. The largest monthly increase in mean daily snowfall was in July, with a difference of +0.08 mm/day; the largest decrease was in August, at a difference of -0.05 mm/day. These are daily mean amounts, not monthly totals, and the monthly changes can occur even when their average rounds to unchanged.