Hottest Australian August on record

The Bureau of Meteorology has released a report revealing that August 2009 was the hottest on record. The paragraphs below are quotes from the report (emphasis added):

"August 2009 was Australia’s warmest on record. National maximum temperatures averaged 3.20°C above the long-term average for the month, more than a degree above the previous record of +2.06°C set in 2006. August 2009 also broke the record set in April 2005 (+3.11) for the largest monthly maximum temperature anomaly ever recorded for any month. Overnight minimum temperatures were less extreme but still rank as the second highest on record (1.75°C above average), resulting in a monthly mean (day and night combined) well above the previous record.

"Maximum temperatures for the month have been the warmest on record in almost all of the Northern Territory and Queensland apart from the Top End and Cape York Peninsula, along with parts of northern New South Wales, northern South Australia and eastern border areas of Western Australia, covering in total 49% of Australia."

Full report (including charts, tables & references):
www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs18a.pdf (PDF)