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Wednesday, 1 March 2006
MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL OFFICE Cool February over southern SARainfall over South Australia was mostly average to above average, while temperatures were mostly below normal.February temperatures Maximum: Mean maximum temperatures were up to 4°C below normal over the far west of the State grading up to 2°C above normal over the far northeast of the State.In the Pastoral districts, mean maximum temperatures ranged from 38.4°C at Moomba Airport, in the Far North district, to 31.5°C at Yunta, in the Northeast Pastoral district. In the Agricultural districts, mean maxima ranged from 21.0°C at Cape Willoughby, on Kangaroo Island, to 32.9°C at Hawker, in the Flinders Ranges. The highest maximum recorded during the month was 46.2°C at Marree in the Far North district, on the 1st. Minimum: Mean minimum temperatures were up to 2°C below normal over the southern half of the State, and up to 2 °C above normal over the north. In the Pastoral districts, mean minimum temperatures ranged from 14.1°C at Gluepot Station, in the Northeast Pastoral district, to 24.9°C at Moomba Airport, in the Far North district. In the Agricultural districts, mean minima ranged from 10.5°C at Coonawarra, in the Lower Southeast district, to 17.8°C at Port Augusta Aero, in the Western Agricultural district. The lowest minimum recorded during the month was 5.3°C at Coonawarra, in the Lower Southeast district, on the 7th. February rainfall Pastoral Districts:Rainfall totals were average to above average over most of the Northwest and Far North districts, and near average over the Northeast district. Central parts of the Northwest district reported below to very much below average totals.Rainfall totals varied widely ranging from zero at a few stations to over 50 mm at isolated stations. The highest total of 53mm was recorded at Blinman in the Far North Pastoral district. Agricultural Districts: Very much above average rainfall was reported from some western parts of the Western Agricultural district as well as parts of the Lower Southeast district. Above average rainfall was reported from the western half of the Western Agricultural district, western parts of Eyre Peninsula, the southern half of Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, most of the Fleurieu Peninsula, much of County Light and the Adelaide Plains as well as most of the Lower Southeast district. Over the remainder of these districts totals were mostly near average. Rainfall totals in excess of 50mm were confined to isolated parts of the Lower Southeast, County Light and Mount Lofty Ranges districts. Totals in the range 25 to 50 mm were reported from much of the Lower Southeast, Mount Lofty ranges, County Light and Upper North districts, as well as parts of the Western Agricultural and Yorke Peninsula districts. Totals below 10mm were mainly confined to the Riverland and parts of the Murray Mallee districts. Over the remainder of these districts rainfall totals were between 10 and 25mm. The highest rainfall in the Agricultural districts was 68 mm at Smithfield, in the Adelaide Plains district. Summer Rainfall:Over the Pastoral areas rainfall totals were below average over much of the Northeast district, and were above to very much above average over the western half of the Northwest district. Elsewhere in these districts totals were mostly near average. Over Agricultural areas rainfall totals were above to very much above average over most of the Western Agricultural and Kangaroo Island districts. Above average rainfall was also reported from most of Yorke Peninsula and Lower Southeast districts, as well as parts of the Adelaide Plains, County Light, Mount Lofty Ranges and Murray Valley districts. Over the remainder of the Agricultural districts totals were near average. Summer rainfall totals were in excess of 100 mm over much of the Mount Lofty Ranges and Lower Southeast districts and parts of Kangaroo Island and the Adelaide Plains. Totals below 50mm were reported from the Riverland district, while over the remainder of the State totals were mainly in the range 50 to 100mm. The highest summer rainfall in the State was 200 mm at Nullarbor, in the Western Agricultural district.
Significant February weather Thunderstorms: An infeed of surface moisture from the northeast and a middle level trough resulted in widespread instability on the 23rd and 24th. A thunderstorm southwest of Woomera produced very heavy rainfall at Mahanewo Station (33mm in 50 minutes). Also on the 23rd, a thunderstorm produced a gust to 58 knots (107 km/h) at Lameroo. On the 24th, thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall in the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges districts and possibly other districts. The more notable rainfalls were from the Heaslip Rd. rainguage which recorded 28mm in 30 minutes, and Edinburgh AWS which recorded 23 mm in 30 minutes.Fire weather: On the 8th, a hot northerly airstream ahead of an approaching front resulted in extreme fire danger in 11 districts. The passage of a weak front on the 16th produced extreme fire danger in 7 districts.
February weather in Adelaide Rainfall: Adelaide’s rainfall for February 2006 was 15.6 mm, recorded on 4 days. This is 2 mm above the average of 13.6 mm on 4 days. Last year, 10.4 mm was recorded in February on 6 days.Adelaide’s rainfall for summer 2005/06 was 94.4 mm, 34.1 mm above the normal summer rainfall of 60.3 mm. Rainfall for last summer was 79.4 mm. This was the wettest summer since 2002/03 when 95.0 mm was recorded in Adelaide. Temperatures: The mean maximum temperature for February 2006 was 27.2°C, which is 2.0°C below the normal February mean maximum of 29.2°C. The mean February maximum last year was also 27.2°C. In addition, there were only 6 days with a maximum temperature above 30°C this February, half the normal number of 12. The mean maximum temperature for summer was 28.9°C, which is 0.6°C above the average of 28.3°C. Last summer the mean maximum temperature was 27.9°C. This has been the warmest summer mean maximum temperature since 2003/4 when the mean maximum was 29.0°C. The mean minimum temperature for February 2006 was 15.5°C, which is 1.5°C below the normal February mean minimum of 17.0°C. Last February, the mean minimum was 15.2°C. The mean minimum temperature for summer was 17.1°C, which is 0.6°C above the average of 16.5°C. Last summer the mean minimum temperature was 15.8°C. This has been the warmest summer mean minimum temperature since 2002/3 when the mean minimum was 17.2°C.
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