Wednesday, 28 February 2001
MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL OFFICE
Adelaide summer the warmest on record
Temperatures throughout South Australia were above average in February 2001, while rainfall was mostly near normal.
February rainfall
Pastoral districts: Near average rainfall was reported from the Pastoral districts, with only small areas of above and below average falls reported over the Far North district. The highest rainfall was 17 millimetres at Marree in the Far North district.
Agricultural districts: Above average falls were reported from the far west of the Western Agricultural district, and isolated pockets of Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas, the Upper and Lower North, Kangaroo Island and the Lower Southeast. The remainder of the Agricultural districts reported near average falls. The highest rainfall in the Agricultural districts was 41mm at Kadina on Yorke Peninsula.
February temperatures
February mean maximum and minimum temperatures over the whole state were well above average. Some stations broke both mean maximum and mean minimum records.
Maxima: Mean maximum temperatures were mostly 2 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal in both the Pastoral and Agricultural districts. In the Pastoral districts, mean maximum temperatures ranged from 35 to 40°C. In the Agricultural districts, mean maxima ranged from 24.1°C at Robe in the Lower Southeast to 36.7°C at Hawker in the Flinders Ranges. The highest maximum recorded during the month was 44.4°C at Lameroo, in the Upper Southeast district on the 8th.
Minima: Mean minimum temperatures were mostly 3 to 4°C above normal in Pastoral districts and 2 to 4°C above normal in the Agricultural districts. In the Pastoral districts, mean minimum temperatures ranged from 19 to 26°C, while in the Agricultural districts mean minima ranged from 14.3 at Mt Gambier to 21.7°C at Port Pirie in the Lower North. The lowest minimum recorded during the month was 7.0°C at Mt Gambier Airport on the 11th and at Coonawarra in the Lower Southeast district on the 15th.
Significant weather
Bushfires: A bushfire near Tulka on Eyre Peninsula, southwest of Port Lincoln, started on 1 February and continued the next day, spreading rapidly and burning fiercely. About 11,000 hectares were burnt. At Tulka, seven houses were destroyed and a number of others damaged. Property damage was estimated to be $1.5 million.
Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms along the Mt Lofty Ranges on 7 February delivered 46mm of rain in less than an hour at Currency Creek. Large tree branches were brought down by wind gusts and minor flooding was reported at Woodchester. Lightning strikes on the 7th also started small fires on the southern Eyre Peninsula.
Adelaide weather
Rainfall: Adelaide's rainfall for February 2001 was 10.4mm recorded on four days. This is 11.6mm below the estimated normal of 22mm on four days. Last year 44.4mm was recorded in February on five days. This has been the driest February since 1999 when 1.8mm of rain fell in Adelaide. Adelaide's summer rainfall was 43.4mm on nine days. This is 28.6mm below the estimated normal of 72mm on 14 days. This has been the driest summer since 1991-92 when 17.0mm of rain fell in Adelaide.
Temperature: The mean maximum temperature for February was 31.6°C - 2.3°C above the normal February mean maximum of 29.3°C. This has been the warmest February mean maximum since last year when 32.3°C was recorded. The mean minimum temperature for February was 19.9°C - 2.8°C above the normal February mean minimum of 17.1°C. This has been the warmest February mean minimum since last year when 20.3°C was recorded.
The mean maximum temperature for summer 2000-01 was 31.2°C - 2.8°C above the normal mean maximum of 28.4°C. This has been the warmest summer mean maximum since 1905-06 when 31.4°C was recorded.
The mean minimum temperature for summer was 18.8°C, 2.6°C above the normal summer mean minimum of 16.2°C, making it the warmest summer mean minimum ever recorded in Adelaide. The previous record summer mean minimum was 18.3°C in 1967-68. During summer, Adelaide also experienced 29 days when the temperature was at or above 35°C, equalling the previous record set in the summer of 1905-06.
Ends
Further information:
Dick Szkup, tel (08) 8366 2691, fax: (08) 8366 2693
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