Fed: Canberra has third hottest spring on record

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Fed: Canberra has third hottest spring on record

CANBERRA, Dec 3 AAP - Canberra had its third hottest spring on record and one of itsdriest, the Bureau of Meteorology said today.

The bureau said the average maximum temperature through spring was 22.2 degrees, afull three degrees above the long-term average.

There were 12 days when the temperature climbed over the 30-degree mark, well up onthe average of just two days.

November was the second warmest since records began in 1939, beaten only by November1982 which was also at the height of a drought.

Through spring just 80.4 millimetres of rain fell, less than half of the average of182.8 millimetres.

With the hot temperatures and stronger than average winds, evaporation rates were exceptionallyhigh.

The average spring evaporation is 464.1 millimetres, but this year it was 605.4 millimetres.

Canberra bathed in an average 9.4 hours of sunshine during spring, a full clear hourabove the long-term average.

AAP sw/tnf

KEYWORD: DROUGHT ACT