Tuesday, 2 January 2002
MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL OFFICE
December cool and dry in the east of South Australia
Rainfall in South Australia in December was generally above average in the west of the State and below average in the east. Temperatures were below normal throughout.
Rainfall
Pastoral Districts: Rainfall was generally average to above average, with some isolated areas of very-much above-average rainfall in the North West and Far North districts. The highest rainfall total in these districts was 193 millimetres at Pukatja (Ernabella) in the North West district. Marla, in the North West district, with 122mm, and Oodnadatta, in the Far North district, with 106mm, reported their highest December rainfall totals on record. Tieyon, near the Northern Territory border, also reported 166mm of rain.
Totals of 50-100mm were confined to much of the North West district. The remainder of the Pastoral districts recorded falls of less than 25mm. The North East district reported average rainfall of 10mm and less.
Agricultural Districts: Rainfall totals over the Agricultural Districts ranged from average to above average in the Western Agricultural, to below average in the Murray Mallee and Riverland districts. Isolated pockets of very-much above-average rainfall were reported in the western coastal fringe of the Western Agricultural district. The highest rainfall total was reported at Parawa in the Mount Lofty Ranges, with 83mm. Rainfall totals of 50-100mm were confined to isolated pockets in the Western Agricultural, Lower Southeast and the Mount Lofty Ranges districts. Totals of 25-50mm were reported in the remainder of the Western Agricultural, the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Lower Southeast. The Riverland and Murray Mallee districts reported totals of less than 10mm. Elsewhere, rainfall was mostly 10-25mm.
Temperatures
Maximums: Mean maximum temperatures over South Australia were mostly more than 1 degree Celsius below normal for December, with some centres recording mean maximum temperatures of more than 4 degrees below normal. In the Pastoral districts, mean maximum temperatures ranged from 27.8 degrees at Nonning to 34.9 degrees at Moomba airport. In the Agricultural districts, mean maxima ranged from 16.5 degrees at Parawa on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula to 29.0 degrees at Hawker in the Upper North. The highest maximum temperature was 43.0 degrees at Moomba airport on the 20th. The following stations had their lowest December mean maximum temperatures on record: Kimba 25.6 degrees (previously 25.7), Warooka 22.1 degrees (previously 22.7), and Meningie 21.8 degrees (previously 22.0).
Minimums: Mean minimum temperatures were up to 3.8 degrees below normal. In the Pastoral districts, mean minimum temperatures ranged from 12.6 degrees at Nonning to 20.8 degrees at Moomba airport. In the Agricultural districts, mean minima ranged from 8 degrees at Coonawarra in the Lower Southeast district to 14.2 degrees at Port Pirie in the Lower North district. The lowest minimum recorded was 2.2 degrees at Yongala on 8 December. The following stations reported their lowest mean minimum temperatures on record: Elliston 12.7 degrees (previously 13.3), Edinburgh airport 12.1 degrees (previously 13.0), and Parafield airport 12.0 degrees (previously 12.3).
Significant weather
Wind: At Waikerie on the afternoon of 2 December, a brief wind squall - possibly associated with a dust devil - tore off part of a carport roof which then blew on to power lines.
On the evening of 19 December, squally winds with gusts of 85-95 km/h affected parts of the west coast of Eyre Peninsula and the northern Spencer Gulf region, causing some tree damage. The squally winds were associated with the passage of a strong front. The strongest recorded wind gust was 95 km/h at Minnipa.
Thunderstorms: Early on 5 December, thunderstorms caused flooding along the main railway line between Cook and Ooldea in the Western Agricultural district.
On the afternoon of 6 December, large thunderstorms produced localised heavy rain in the far north of South Australia, flooding local creeks and causing road washaways. At Oodnadatta (Northeast Pastoral district), 41mm of rain fell in 70 minutes, and at Marla (Northwest Pastoral district), 36mm fell in two hours, with most in the first hour.
On the evening of 29 December, a severe thunderstorm at Leigh Creek airport (Northeast Pastoral) generated a wind gust to 111 km/h. A total of 14mm of rain fell in four minutes.
Lightning: Lightning associated with widespread thunderstorms that crossed the State on 1-3 December started scrub fires and caused minor lightning strike damage to properties. The strikes also left about 11,000 homes across the Adelaide metropolitan area without power.
Adelaide
December rainfall: Total rainfall was 14.2mm recorded over seven days, 13.8mm below the estimated normal of 28.0mm over six days. Last year, 13.4mm of rain was recorded over four days.
2001 rainfall: Total rainfall for the year was 717.8mm, 132.8mm above the estimated annual average of 585mm. Last year, 643.8mm was recorded over the same period. It was the seventh wettest year in Adelaide since records began in 1839. The wettest year was in 1992 when 883.2mm fell. Adelaide has now had three consecutive years of above-average rainfall, an event last achieved in 1946-1948.
December temperature: The mean maximum temperature was 23.3 degrees, 3.5 degrees below the norm of 26.8 degrees. Last year the mean maximum was 28.3 degrees. This has been the coolest mean maximum for December since 1969, when the mean maximum was 23.0 degrees.
The mean minimum temperature was 12.8 degrees, 2.7 degrees below the norm of 15.5 degrees. Last December, the mean minimum was 16.1 degrees. This has been the coolest mean minimum for December since 1939, when the mean minimum was also 12.8 degrees.
Ends
Further information:
Richard Szkup, tel: (08) 8366 2691.
|
