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Tuesday, 1 February 2005

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL OFFICE

Near normal January over most of South Australia

Rainfall was average to below average over northern parts of South Australia and average to above average over central parts of the state during January, but temperatures were generally near normal.

January Rainfall

Pastoral Districts:
Rainfall over the Pastoral Districts during January was average with isolated pockets of below to very much below average rainfall throughout. A large area of above average rainfall was located in the southeast of the North West Pastoral district. Rainfall totals over 25mm were confined to isolated pockets in the North West Pastoral district. Most readings throughout were between 10 and 25mm, with several centres recording no rainfall.

The highest rainfall during the month in these districts was 29 mm, recorded at Nonning, in the Northwest Pastoral district.

Agricultural Districts:
Rainfall over the Agricultural Districts was mainly near average with above average totals in southern parts of the Lower North district, northern parts of County Light and Lower Murray Valley districts and most of the Upper Murray Valley and Murray Mallee districts. Below average totals were recorded over southern parts of Eyre Peninsula and parts of the Lower Southeast district.

Several centres, in eastern districts, recorded over 50mm; this was due to localised thunderstorm activity during the last week of January. Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula, Lower North districts and parts of the Upper North district recorded rainfall totals between 10 and 25mm. The Western Agricultural district recorded totals that were mostly below 10mm. Elsewhere, across the Agricultural Districts, rainfall totals were primarily between 25 and 50mm.

The highest rainfall total for January was 57 mm, recorded at Truro in the Lower Murray Valley district.

January Temperatures

Maximum Temperatures:
Mean maximum temperatures were mostly within 1°C of normal across the state, though there was a large area extending from slightly north of Port Augusta to the state borders in the north-east corner where temperatures were over 1°C above normal. Mean maximum temperatures across the Pastoral Districts ranged from 32.4°C at Yunta, in the Northeast Pastoral district, to 38.3°C at Oodnadatta, in the Far North district. Marree, in the Far North district, recorded the highest maximum with 46.5°C on the 14th. Mean maximum temperatures across the Agricultural Districts ranged from 22.0°C at Cape Willoughby, on Kangaroo Island, to 34.6°C at Hawker, in the Upper North district. Price, in the Yorke Peninsula district, and Whyalla Airport, in the Western Agricultural district, recorded the equal highest maximum temperature across the Agricultural districts with 45.4°C on the 11th.

Minimum Temperatures:
Mean minimum temperatures were within 1°C of normal throughout the state. Mean minimum temperatures across the state ranged from 11.4°C at Coonawarra, in the Lower Southeast district, to 23.6°C at Moomba, in the Far North district. The lowest recorded minimum temperature across the state was 5.4°C at Clare, in the Lower North district, on the 7th.

Significant January Weather

Thunderstorms:
During the afternoon of the 2nd thunderstorms over the Northwest Pastoral district produced a wind gust of 113 km/h at Tarcoola.

On the 3rd thunderstorms produced large hail at Bridgewater and Aldgate, in the Mount Lofty Ranges district and a suspected tornado at Angaston, in the County Light district. Also, 29mm of rain was reported at Red Hill in 1 hour, and 24.6mm at Blackheath, and gusts to 109km/h were reported at Parafield airport, and to 91km/h at Snowtown and at Lameroo.

Severe Winds:
On the 3rd, a mean wind of 63km/h (gale force) occurred at Port Lincoln. Mean winds of 63km/h were briefly experienced at Port Lincoln and Hindmarsh Island on the 11th. On the 15th, mean winds of 63km/h were observed at Marree and Oodnadatta.

Fire Weather:
On the 3rd, extreme fire weather was observed in nine districts. Ten districts observed extreme fire weather on the 10th. On the 11th, fourteen districts observed extreme fire weather. Significant bushfires occurred at Wangary, on southern Eyre Peninsula, (and burnt for several days), and also at Mt Osmond, in the Mount Lofty Ranges. Extreme fire weather was also observed in eight districts on the 19th.

January weather in Adelaide

Rainfall:
Adelaide’s rainfall for January 2005 was 37.0 mm, recorded on 7 days. This is 18.5mm above the normal of 18.5 mm on 4 days. Last year, 9.8 mm was recorded in January on 6 days. This has been the wettest January since 1996 when 42.2 mm was recorded.

Temperatures:
The mean maximum temperature for January 2005 was 29.1°C, which is 0.3°C above the normal January mean maximum of 28.8°C. The mean January maximum last year was 25.9°C.

The mean minimum temperature for January 2005 was 16.8°C, which is equal to the normal January mean minimum. Last January, the mean minimum was 14.9°C.

Further information:
Richard Szkup, tel: (08) 8366 2691, e-mail: climate.sa@bom.gov.au

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