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Friday, 1 April 2005

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL OFFICE

Dry March 2005 over most of South Australia

Rainfall was mostly below to very much below average over much of South Australia, maximum temperatures were mostly above normal whilst minimum temperatures were mostly below normal.

March Rainfall

Pastoral Districts:
Below average to very much below average rainfall was reported over much of the Far North districts, and Northwest district. Central parts of the Northeast district also reported below average rainfall. Elsewhere totals were near average.

The highest rainfall was 7mm at Gluepot Station, in the North East Pastoral district. However, many stations in these districts did not record any rain during March 2005.

Agricultural Districts:
Near average rainfall was confined to the far west of the Western Agricultural district, the southern half of Eyre Peninsula, as well as central parts of the Yorke Peninsula, extending into the Lower North, County Light, Adelaide Plains and the Upper and Lower Murray Valley districts to the border. Below average falls were recorded over remaining districts, with very much below average falls being recorded north and west of Ceduna and over most of Kangaroo Island. A pocket of lowest on record rainfall was located between Ceduna and Cook, in the Western Agricultural district.

Rainfall totals of 20 mm or more were confined to isolated sites in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges district. Rainfall totals between 10 mm and 20 mm were reported from much of the remainder of the Mount Lofty Ranges district and southern parts of the Eyre Peninsula and also parts of the Adelaide Plains, Lower North, County Light and the Lower Southeast districts. Elsewhere rainfall totals were less than 10mm, with several centres throughout the State recording no rainfall for March.

The highest rainfall reported in the Agricultural districts was 25 mm recorded at Kuitpo Forest, in the Mount Lofty Ranges district.

March Temperatures

Maximum Temperatures:
Mean maximum temperatures were mostly within 2°C of normal over the State. Temperatures were up to 2°C below normal in the South to 2°C above normal over the interiors. In the Pastoral districts, mean maximum temperatures ranged from 28.8°C at Yunta and Gluepot Station, in the North East district to 35.2C at Oodnadatta, in the Far North district. In the Agricultural districts, mean maxima ranged from 20.8°C at Robe, in the Lower Southeast to 31.1°C at Kyancutta, in the Western Agricultural district. The highest maximum recorded during the month was 44.0°C at Moomba Airport, in the Far North district on the 1st.

Minimum Temperatures:
Mean minimum temperatures were up to 3.0°C below normal over southern parts of the state, near normal over central northern agricultural parts and up to 2.0°C over the northwest interiors. In the Pastoral districts, mean minimum temperatures ranged from 10.7°C at Gluepot Station, in the northeast district to 18.7°C at Moomba Airport, in the Far North district. In the Agricultural districts, mean minima ranged from 9.1°C at Coonawarra, in the Lower Southeast to 15.9°C at Stenhouse Bay, in the Yorke Peninsula district. The lowest minimum recorded during the month was 0.0°C at Coonawarra on the 26th.

Significant March Weather

Fire Weather:
The 1st of March saw extreme fire danger observed in 7 districts. A total fire ban had been issued for the North West Pastoral, Flinders and Riverland districts. Extreme fire danger was observed in 9 districts on the 12th of March. A total fire ban had been issued for all districts except the Adelaide Metropolitan Area.

March weather in Adelaide

Rainfall:
Adelaide’s rainfall for March 2005 was 11.6mm, recorded on 2 days. This is 14.6 mm below the estimated normal of 26.2 mm on 6 days. Last year 24.2 mm was recorded in March on 3 days. The total rainfall for the first three months of 2005 was 59.0mm. Last year 39.2 mm was recorded over the same period. Average rainfall for the first three months of the year is 58.7 mm.

Temperatures:
The mean maximum temperature for March 2005 was 26.2°C, which is 0.1°C above the normal March mean maximum of 26.1°C. The mean March maximum last year was 27.7°C.

TThe mean minimum temperature for March 2005 was 14.3°C, which is 0.7°C below the normal March mean minimum of 15.0°C. The mean March minimum last year was 14.2°C.

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

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