Perth tipped for warmer winter as mapping shows trend to hotter temps and less rain
Perth looks set for a warmer than usual start to winter, as annual mapping shows Western Australia registering record high temperatures and lower rainfall across most of the state.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s weather outlook for May to July has revealed Perth is expected to receive 359 millimetres of rainfall over the next three months, with a higher than average maximum temperature of 19.9 degrees expected and an average minimum temperature of 10.9 degrees.
The forecast follows an unseasonal cold chill over Easter which led to the earliest recording of snow on the Stirling Ranges, and the coldest April day in 13 years, with a maximum of 17.4 degrees.
Bureau mapping shows Western Australia over the past year has registered record high temperatures and lower rainfall across much of the state, with spokesman Neil Bennett saying it had become “almost default” to predict warmer than average conditions.
“Not every year gets hotter and hotter, but the trend is for temperatures to increase,” he said.
“There is a massive area that’s the highest on record [for temperature].
“It’s huge, it’s nearly the whole of the territory, great swathes of WA and large areas of New South Wales and Victoria as well,” he said.
Mr Bennett said the outlook for the next three months would be warmer than average, with the coastal strip between Jurien Bay to Albany more likely to also have less rain than usual.
“When you look at the temperature for late July, the average is around 20 degrees, so it is likely we will be above average, so warmer days and warmer nights for Perth for that three month period.
“I think the balmy part of April that we had, that’s slowly been replaced now, so we’re moving towards wetter conditions,” he said.
“The immediate future is suggesting the next batch of rain is going to arrive on Saturday ... and then another batch of rain arriving late Sunday and into Monday, with a chance of a thunderstorm.”
Temperatures are also expected to be cooler when clear skies are forecast, with temperatures to drop at night.
Thursday morning is forecast to be just seven degrees.
Perth 7-day weather forecast
Wednesday: 8 - 20, partly cloudy
Thursday: 7 – 21, sunny
Friday: 10 – 27, sunny
Saturday: 16 – 24, shower or two clearing
Sunday: 14 – 24, shower or two
Monday: 13 – 22, showers easing
Tuesday: 10 – 21, partly cloudy