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Monday, 3 April 2006

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL OFFICE

Warm March 2006 over most of South Australia

Rainfall was mostly above average over Agricultural districts of South Australia, while temperatures were mostly above throughout the State

March Rainfall

Pastoral Districts:
Above average rainfall was reported over the southern half of the Northeast district and over parts of the Northwest district. Below average rainfall was reported from much of the Far North district and some adjacent parts of the Northwest district. Elsewhere in these districts totals were near average.

The highest rainfall was 45mm at Braemar, in the North East Pastoral district.

Agricultural Districts:
Very much above average rainfall was confined to Kangaroo Island, parts of Eyre Peninsula and the Lower North district. Above average rainfall was reported from the Yorke Peninsula and Lower North districts as well as most of the Western Agricultural and Riverland districts. Only in the far south of the Southeast district were there reports of below average rainfall, while elsewhere in these districts totals were mostly near average.

Rainfall totals of 100 mm or more were confined to isolated sites in the Lower North district. Rainfall totals in excess of 50 mm were reported from most of the County Light district and parts of the Western Agricultural and Lower North districts. Totals below 25 mm were mainly reported from the Adelaide Plains and Southeast districts, while over the remainder of the Agricultural districts totals were mostly in the range 25 to 50 mm.

The highest rainfall reported in the Agricultural districts was 123 mm recorded at Yacka and 120 mm at Spalding, in the Lower North district, with both totals being record monthly amounts for March.

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 ranged from being within 1°C of normal over southern parts of the State to 3°C above normal in the north of the State. In the Pastoral districts, mean minimum temperatures ranged from 13.0°C at Gluepot Station, in the northeast district to 22.2°C at Moomba Airport, in the Far North district. In the Agricultural districts, mean minima ranged from 10.4°C at Coonawarra, in the Lower Southeast to 18.0°C at Port Augusta, in the Western Agricultural district. The lowest minimum recorded during the month was 4.0°C at Coonawarra on the 8th.

Significant March Weather

Thunderstorms:
On 28th March an upper level low brought thunderstorms with heavy rain to the Lower North district which resulted in some localised flooding in the town of Spalding and surrounding areas. Spalding and Yacka had record daily (94.2 mm and 62.6 mm respectively) and monthly ( 120 mm and 123 mm) rainfall totals for March.

March weather in Adelaide

Rainfall:
Adelaide’s rainfall for March 2006 was 20.2mm, recorded on 3 days. This is 5.5 mm below the normal of 25.7 mm on 6 days. Last year 11.6 mm was recorded in March on 2 days. The total rainfall for the first three months of 2006 was 58.2mm. Last year 59.0 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 2006 was 28.6°C, which is 2.4°C above the normal March mean maximum of 26.2°C. The mean March maximum last year was 26.2°C. This was the warmest March mean maximum temperature since 1986 when the mean maximum was 28.9°C. The record mean maximum for March was 31.3°C in 1940. During March 2006 there were 14 days when the maximum temperature was above 30°C, double the average of 7 days, and was equalled in 1988.

The mean minimum temperature for March 2005 was 16.5°C, which is 1.4°C above the normal March mean minimum of 15.1°C. The mean March minimum last year was 14.3°C. This was the warmest March mean minimum temperature since 1990 when the mean maximum was 16.8°C. During March 2006 there were 7 days when the minimum temperature was above 20°C, nearly double the average of 4 days.

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

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