Annual climate statements

Bureau of Meteorology Annual Australian Climate Statement 2011

The Bureau of Meteorology has released its Annual Australian Climate Statement for 2011, and subsequent Special Climate Statement, with data showing 2011 was Australia's second wettest year on record following consecutive La Niña events. The 2010-11 La Niña was one of the strongest on record and resulted in 2011 being Australia's first cooler-than-average year since 2001. Despite these cooler conditions, the 10 years from 2002 to 2011 are Australia's equal-warmest 10-year period on record.

2011 saw a number of extreme events:

  • The 2010-2011 La Niña event contributed to numerous floods that were amongst the most significant in Australia's recorded history. 
  • Tropical Cyclone Yasi was the strongest cyclone to make landfall in Queensland since at least 1918. 
  • Southern Australia experienced two notable heatwaves, with Sydney experiencing its longest hot spell in 152 years.

Australia was one of the few places on the globe to experience cooler than average temperatures in 2011. Globally, 2011 is likely to rank as the equal-tenth warmest year and the warmest La Niña year on record. (The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) will release its 2011 Statement on the status of Global Climate on 23 March 2012).

World Meteorological Organization Statement on the Status of Global Climate in 2011

The World Meteorological Organization has released the Statement on the Status of Global Climate in 2011 finding that globally 2011 was the warmest La Niña year on record. Overall, temperatures were well above the long-term average, making 2011 the eleventh-warmest year on record.

A year of extremes, 2011 had the second highest amount of rain and snow falling over land on record—only ranking behind 2010. There were marked differences across the globe with areas of intense flooding and drought.

Of the world’s 23 land regions all, except northern Australia, experienced above normal temperatures in 2011.

This figure demonstrates the annual global surface temperature anomaly from 1950 to 2011 compared to the baseline period of 1961 to 1990. The figure demonstrates a clear warming trend. The decade of 2002 to 2011 is equal to the decade of 2001 to 2010 as the warmest on record. The 2000s are warmer than the 1990s which are warmer than the 1980s. This figure demonstrates that years which start with a moderate or strong La Niña already in place are typically cooler than the preceding and following years. Despite this, La Niña years have become warmer with 2011 being the warmest La Niña year on record.

Figure 1: Global surface temperature anomalies (relative to the period 1961 to 1990), for the period 1950 to 2011. Years that started with a moderate or strong La Niña already in place are shown in blue.

This figure demonstrates the annual global surface temperature anomaly from 1950 to 2011 compared to the baseline period of 1961 to 1990. The figure demonstrates a clear warming trend. The decade of 2002 to 2011 is equal to the decade of 2001 to 2010 as the warmest on record. The 2000s are warmer than the 1990s which are warmer than the 1980s. This figure demonstrates that years which start with a moderate or strong La Niña already in place are typically cooler than the preceding and following years. Despite this, La Niña years have become warmer with 2011 being the warmest La Niña year on record.