April was hot and dry in Tamworth, despite no records being broke, the average temperature was well above the norm and the average rainfall was well below the norm.
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According to weatherzone.com.au, the monthly minimum was two degrees hotter than normal, recording a 2018 average of 12 degrees Celsius and the monthly maximum was 3.3 degrees Celsius higher than the average recorded maximum temperature.
A beautiful sunrise in May
The Bureau of Meteorology backed this up when they released their monthly weather summary on Tuesday. The summary revealed the mean monthly maximum Australia-wide was the warmest ever at 3.17 degrees Celsius above average, almost matching the average in Tamworth.
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The national monthly mean temperature was 2.38C above average - just 0.28C behind the overall April record set in 2005.
The heat, which was unprecedented in many areas for its intensity and persistence, was more characteristic of mid-summer than mid-autumn, the bureau summary states.
The heat, which was unprecedented in many areas for its intensity and persistence, was more characteristic of mid-summer than mid-autumn.
- Bureau of Meterology
Tamworth also tolerated an unseasonably dry April with just 13 millimeters of rain for the entire month. Less than half of the average 27 milimetres of rainfall.
Climate Council scientist Professor Will Steffen says global warming is behind the April heat.
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"Australia must urgently slash its rising greenhouse gas pollution levels through continuing the transition to clean, affordable and reliable renewable energy and storage technology," he said in a statement.
"When it comes to tackling climate change Australia cannot sit on its hands while we suffer through increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather such as the record-breaking temperatures in April."
with Australian Associated Press
