City sizzled in hot February

WA has notched up its second hottest February since records began, smashing the average temperature for the month by more than three degrees.

But if the rest of the State was sweltering, they should spare a thought for Kalgoorlie-Boulder, with weather bureau data showing the daily maximum temperature was 36.8C, 4.8C above the February average.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Meteorological Information Office station manager Steve Black said Kalgoorlie's daily maximum average was not a new annual record, but it was the highest recorded in February.

The average daily minimum of 20.8C did catapult Kalgoorlie to a new monthly and annual record.

"A lot of stations actually broke that annual record. We did it in Kalgoorlie, Leinster and Southern Cross," Mr Black said.

"The temperatures never really did cool down overnight."

Also careering into the record books was Esperance aerodrome, which recorded a new February and annual record for daily average maximums (30.8C), as well as Laverton (38.9C).

A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said the answer to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder February heat anomaly question would require careful collaboration between a climate expert and a forecaster.

According to the bureau's monthly climate summary, February was a warm month for all of Australia.

Averaged nationally, maximum temperatures were the second-warmest on record for February (2.35C above average) and minimum temperatures were the fifth-warmest for February (1C above average).

Maximum temperatures were above average everywhere except along parts of the east coast, the far northern tip of Queensland and an area around central Northern Territory.

A number of particularly warm days were observed between February 6 and 25, with pulses of heat travelling from the west of WA into western Queensland, resulting in daily records.