Tuesday, 24 December 2002
MEDIA RELEASE - SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL OFFICE
Extreme December temperatures rewrite record books in SA
The heat wave conditions in Adelaide this month have typified the extreme temperatures
being experienced across South Australia in the lead-up to Christmas.
The city recorded three days in a row when maximum temperatures exceeded 38 degrees,
reaching 38.5, 39.2 and 41.3 degrees on 15-17 December. The record is four days
in a row, set 71 years ago on 28-31 December 1931. While heat waves are often recorded
in South Australia in January, it is unusual for extreme heat to occur in December.
Renmark recorded seven days in a row with maxima greater than 40 degrees -
a record for December. From 15 to 21 December, temperatures reached
40.9, 43.5, 41.7, 41.6, 40.3, 41.2 and 43.4 degrees.
At Loxton, there were two sets of three days with maxima over 40 degrees.
From 15 to 17 December, temperatures reached 40, 42 and 41 degrees, and from
19 to 21 December the mercury hit 40, 40 and 42 degrees. The sets were
separated by a "cool" day of 39 degrees on the 18th. Only once before had the
town experienced three December days in a row when temperatures exceeded
40 degrees - 10-12 December 1998. Had the 18th day of the month been a little hotter,
the six-day hot spell would have broken the town's all-months record of five days
in a row, set between 20 and 24 January 1982. Loxton wuzz robbed.
Leigh Creek also had a sustained hot spell for December, experiencing eight days in a row
when the maximum temperature topped 40 degrees. Between 15 and 22 December,
the temperature reached 40, 42.3, 42.7, 42.6, 40.3, 40.5, 41.5 and 42.4 degrees.
The previous longest run was seven days in a row on 21-27 December 1980. The record is
16 days in a row, set from 31 December 1978 to 15 January 1979.
At Snowtown, in the seven days between 15 and 21 December, five days were hotter
than 39 degrees. However only three consecutive days had temperatures exceeding
40 degrees. From 15-17 December, the mercury reached 41, 43 and 43 degrees.
The last time this happened in December was 17-19 December 1957 - the previous record.
For all months of the year, the town's record number of consecutive days with
temperatures above 40 degrees is seven, set on 18-24 January 1982.
Between 15 and 21 December, Kyancutta recorded six days when the mercury
tipped 40 degrees, reaching 43.6, 42, 44.7, 41, 40.4, 39.6 and 44.3 degrees.
The last time the town had five December days in a row of temperatures
above 40 degrees was 51 years ago, between 2 and 6 December 1951.
The December record of seven days in a row was set on 25-31 December 1951.
The record would have been broken this year had the sixth day of the run been
0.4 degrees hotter. The all-months record of 10 days in a row with temperatures
above 40 degrees was set between 27 February 1989 and 8 March 1989.
At Port Augusta, a spell of three days in a row with temperatures above 40 degrees
was recorded between 15 and 17 December. The temperatures were 42.6, 44.5 and 45.3 degrees.
This had occurred only once before, 15 years ago between 13 and 15 December 1987.
The all-months record is seven days above 40 degrees, set nearly 20 years ago, between 18
and 24 January 1982.
Whyalla experienced three consecutive December days with temperatures above 40 degrees
- a new monthly record. Between 15 and 17 December, temperatures reached 41.9, 40.1 and
40 degrees. The all-months record is four days, between 1 and 4 February 1993.
Ends
Further information:
Bruce Brooks, tel: (08) 8366 2600, e-mail: b.brooks@bom.gov.au
|
