Dry finish, but wettest Summer since 2021

It has been a dry finish to the wettest Tasmanian summer since 2020-21, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Meteorology.

The Bom says rainfall totals in February were below to very much below average for most of Tasmania, and close to average for parts of the east.

Tasmania's area-averaged rainfall total in February was 31.4 mm, 51 per cent below the 1961–1990 average and it was the driest February in Tasmania since 2007.

Overall for summer, the Bom says rainfall totals in summer were below average for most of the western half of Tasmania and the Furneaux Group, and close to average for most of the east.

Tasmania's area-averaged rainfall total in summer was 206.3 mm, 14 per cent below the 1961–1990 average.

However, it was the wettest summer in Tasmania since 2020-21 and the BOM says some sites had their highest summer daily rainfall on record.

Mean maximum temperatures in February were above to very much above average across the whole state.

Tasmania's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 21.25 °C, 1.14 °C above the 1961–1990 average. 

Tasmania had its highest mean maximum temperature for February since 2014.

Mean minimum temperatures in February were average to above average for most areas, and very much above average for the Furneaux Group.

Tasmania's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 9.64 °C, 0.08 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

The BOM says Tasmania had its lowest mean minimum temperature for February since 2021 and the state’s area-averaged mean temperature as 15.45 °C, 0.61 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

A couple of sites also had their hottest February day on record on the 3rd including Cape Sorell where it got to 33.5C and Scott’s Peak Dam which reached 36.8C. 

In contrast Dover had its coolest February day on record on the 15th when it reached just 12.2C.

A cold front and a low pressure trough that crossed south-eastern Australia on 13 and 14 February were followed by a strong southerly airflow with gusty winds and daily maximum and minimum temperatures up to 10C cooler than average across south-eastern South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales.

A cold front brought strong winds across Tasmania on 23 February, hampering the efforts of firefighters to bring long-burning fires under control in the state's west.