Thursday, 19 January 2023 - Annual Climate Summary for Greater Adelaide - Product code IDCKGC53L0

Greater Adelaide in 2022: wetter than average, with generally cooler days

Rainfall in 2022 was higher than average at all sites across Adelaide and the Hills and averaged across Greater Adelaide as a whole, it was the wettest year since 2016. Daytime temperatures in 2022 tended to be close to average or cooler than average across Adelaide and the Hills and for Greater Adelaide as a whole it was the lowest annual mean maximum temperature since 1996. Night-time temperatures tended to be warmer than average and the annual mean minimum temperature averaged across Greater Adelaide was the highest since 2014.

Wetter than average year

  • Rainfall in 2022 was higher than average at all sites across Adelaide and the Hills.
  • Annual rainfall totals tended to be above to very much above average in areas north of the city and closer to average in southern suburbs.
  • The highest recorded annual rainfall total in 2022 was at Ashton, which had 1368.0 mm, its wettest year since 2016.
  • Rainfall in 2022 ranged from 107% of average at Noarlunga to 134% of average at Mount Crawford.
  • Averaged across Greater Adelaide as a whole, it was the wettest year since 2016.
  • On 30 May, a cold front and associated low pressure system brought widespread showers and strong to gale force and gusty winds over much of South Australia, including isolated thunderstorms in the south, with Gould Creek (Hermitage) recording a daily total of 72.4 mm, its highest daily rainfall on record.
  • Heavy rain continued during the first week of June, with some sites having their wettest June day on record and parts of the Adelaide Hills recording weekly totals of more than 100 mm.
  • Rainfall in November was very much above average, with many sites having their wettest November on record as severe thunderstorms left thousands of customers without power.

Generally cooler than average days, with night-time temperatures slightly warmer than average

  • Daytime temperatures in 2022 tended to be close to average or cooler than average across Adelaide and the Hills.
  • Averaged across Greater Adelaide as a whole, the mean maximum temperature for 2022 was the lowest since 1996.
  • Mean maximum temperatures were very much below average during November, with some sites having their coolest November mean maximum temperature on record.
  • Mean maximum temperatures ranged from 0.9 °C cooler than average at Kuitpo Forest Reserve and Mount Crawford to 0.5 °C warmer than average at Mount Lofty.
  • Several sites had either their lowest mean daily maximum temperature on record or their lowest mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years.
  • Night-time temperatures in 2022 were generally warmer than average across Adelaide and the Hills.
  • Averaged across Greater Adelaide as a whole, the mean minimum temperature for 2022 was the highest since 2014.
  • Mean minimum temperatures were warmer than average during several months, including January, April, June, August, and October.
  • Mean minimum temperatures ranged from 0.2 °C cooler than average at Mount Crawford to 1.0 °C warmer than average at Adelaide Airport.

Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira)

  • Total rainfall for Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) was 612.4 mm, which is 116% of the long-term average of 527.3 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) was 21.8 °C, equal to the long-term average.
  • The warmest day was 41.0 °C on 27 December, and the coolest day was on 19 July when the temperature reached 11.2 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) was 12.6 °C, which is 0.6 °C above the long-term average of 12.0 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 2.7 °C on 10 July, and the warmest morning was on 11 January when the minimum temperature was 27.2 °C.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in 2022
Hottest day 42.2 °C at Edinburgh RAAF and Parafield Airport on 27 Dec
Warmest days on average 22.6 °C at Parafield Airport
Coolest days on average 16.3 °C at Mount Lofty
Coldest day 5.2 °C at Mount Lofty on 19 Jul
Coldest night -1.0 °C at Mount Barker on 10 Jul
Coolest nights on average 8.7 °C at Mount Lofty
Warmest nights on average 12.8 °C at Noarlunga
Warmest night 28.4 °C at Noarlunga on 27 Dec
Warmest on average overall 17.2 °C at Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) and Parafield Airport
Coolest on average overall 12.5 °C at Mount Lofty
Wettest overall 1368.0 mm at Ashton
Wettest day 91.0 mm at Cherry Gardens on 5 Jun
Strongest wind gust 106 km/h at Adelaide Airport and Parafield Airport on 12 Nov

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Record highest daily rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record
Gould Creek (Hermitage) 72.4 on 30 May 61.6 on 28 Dec 2016 22


Record lowest annual mean daily maximum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Annual
average
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 18.3 18.5 in 2003 23 19.2
Noarlunga 21.2 = 21.2 in 2001 22 21.7

Lowest annual mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)		 Most recent
lower		 Annual
average
Edinburgh RAAF 22.1 21.8 in 1996 22.7
Parafield Airport 22.6 21.9 in 1996 22.5
Adelaide Airport 21.3 21.2 in 1998 21.6


Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for 2022
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean
for
2022		 Diff
from
average		 Highest
for
2022		 Mean
for
2022		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest
for
2022		 Total
for
2022		 Average
annual
total		 Rank
of
2022		 Fraction
of annual
average
Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) 21.8 0.0 41.0 27 Dec 12.6 +0.6 2.7 10 Jul 612.4 527.3 high 116%
Adelaide Airport 21.3 -0.3 40.0 27 Dec 12.5 +1.0 1.5 10 Jul 480.4 437.5 average 110%
Edinburgh RAAF 22.1 -0.6 42.2 27 Dec 11.6 +0.4 -0.2 10 Jul 562.0 429.2 v high 131%
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 18.3 -0.9 37.6 27 Dec 10.4 +0.1 2.4 10 Jul 893.0 722.5 v high 124%
Mount Crawford AWS 18.2 -0.9 37.5 27 Dec 9.5 -0.2 2.4 23 Aug 886.4 662.0 high 134%
Mount Lofty 16.3 +0.5 35.3 27 Dec 8.7 0.0 0.8 20 Jul
Noarlunga 21.2 -0.5 40.8 27 Dec 12.8 +0.1 3.6 15 Jul 480.4 448.5 average 107%
Parafield Airport 22.6 +0.1 42.2 27 Dec 11.7 +0.5 -0.4 10 Jul 510.4 448.5 high 114%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notes

The Annual climate summary, lists the main features of the weather in Greater Adelaide using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated.

This summary includes data from observing sites in or near the Greater Adelaide “Greater Capital City Statistical Area” (GCCSA). The Australian Bureau of Statistics designed the GCCSAs to “include the population within the urban area of the city, as well as people who regularly socialise, shop or work within the city, and live in small towns and rural areas surrounding the city. It is important to note that GCCSAs do not define the built up edge of the city. They provide a stable definition for these cities and are designed for the output of a range of social and economic survey data.”

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 8 am on Thursday 19 January 2023. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.

Averages for individual sites are long-term means based on observations from all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site. They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median is sometimes more representative than the mean of long-term average rain.

The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site, based on the decile ranking (very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3, average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9 and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a percentage of the long-term mean.

Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.

Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057

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