South Australian Monthly Climate Summary: July 2006
Dry in the South
Wednesday 2 August, 2006
In Brief
Rainfall for July ranged from very much below average over the
south and southeast of the State to very much above average over
the west and northern interiors. Maximum and minimum temperatures
were mostly near normal.
Details
Rainfall:
Pastoral Districts: Rainfall totals were above to very
much above average across most of the Pastoral Districts for
the month of July. In the region of Oodnadatta/Marree and also
south, near Leigh/Motpena, rainfall totals were near average.
Rainfall totals between 25 and 50 mm were confined to most
of the Northeast Pastoral District and isolated pockets in the
south of the North West Pastoral District. Elsewhere, rainfall
totals were mostly between 10 and 25 mm.
The highest rainfall total for the Pastoral districts was 51 mm
at Braemar, in the North East District.
Agricultural Districts: Below to very much below average
rainfall totals were recorded over much of the southern and
southeastern parts of the remainder of the Agricultural districts,
in particular the Adelaide Plains and the South East districts.
Above to very much above average rainfall for July was recorded
across the far west of the State approaching average across much
of the northern agricultural areas; isolated pockets of above
average rainfall were confined to an area west of Whyalla and
also the Nairne/Mount Barker area in the Mount Lofty Ranges.
The highest total for July was 164 mm at Uraidla, in the Mount
Lofty Ranges district, with several centres recording rainfall
totals in excess of 100 mm in the higher parts of the Mount Lofty
Ranges. The remainder of the Mount Lofty Ranges and the south of
the Lower South East districts received totals typically between
50 and 100 mm. Kangaroos Island recorded totals mostly between 25
and 50 mm. In remaining districts, (including the north of the Lower
South East district), rainfall totals were mostly between 25 and 50 mm.
Temperatures:
Mean maximum temperatures were generally within 1 degree of normal
across South Australia for July. There were two isolated pockets,
west of Port Lincoln and also in the Nullarbor area where temperatures
were up to minus 1.4°C of normal.
Mean maximum temperatures over the Pastoral Districts ranged from
14.0°C at Yunta to 19.5ºC at Marree. The highest maximum temperature
was 27.1°C recorded at Coober Pedy on the 10th, while the lowest maximum
was 7.3°C at Yunta on the 14th.
Mean maximum temperatures over the Agricultural Districts ranged from
10.6°C at Mount Crawford to 17.0°C at Port Augusta Airport.
The highest maximum temperature was 23.8°C recorded at Kyancutta on
the 10th, while the lowest maximum was 5.7ºC at Mount Crawford
on the 14th.
Mean minimum temperatures were within 1°C of normal over much of the
State, and up to 2°C above normal near Nullarbor grading to 3°C
above normal near Pukatja. Mean minimum temperatures were 1°C
to 2°C above normal between Moomba and Birdsville.
In the Pastoral Districts mean minimum temperatures ranged from 2.8°C
at Yunta Airport to 6.7ºC at Moomba Airport. The lowest minimum was
−4.7°C at Gluepot Station on the 13th while the highest minimum was
13.3°C at Tarcoola on the 28th.
Mean minimum temperatures over the Agricultural Districts ranged from
2.1°C at Yongala to 10.0°C at Cape Willoughby. The lowest minimum was
−5.0°C at Renmark Airport on the 13th while the highest minimum was
13.1°C at Coles Point on the 1st.
Significant Weather
Thunderstorms/Local Storms: A line of showers
associated with a small front moved over Fleurieu Peninsula on the
30th. This resulted in 8 houses with roof damage at Port Willunga
around 9:30pm CST.
Adelaide
Adelaide has experienced its third driest June on record and second
lowest average minimum temperature. Nights were cold with twice as many
frosts than the average of 4 for June.
Rainfall: Adelaide's rainfall for July 2006 to date is 34.2 mm,
recorded on 14 days. This is 42.3 mm below the average of 76.5 mm on
17 days. Last year 42.8 mm was recorded in July on 21 days. This has
been the driest July since 1997 when only 22.2 mm was recorded. The
driest ever July was in 1899 when only 10.1 mm was recorded.
The total rainfall for the first seven months of 2006 is 206 mm. Last
year 255.0 mm was recorded over the same period. The average rainfall
for the first seven months is 316.6 mm.
The total rainfall for the first two months of winter 2006 is 46.6 mm.
This is 112.6 mm below the average of 159.2 mm for the same period.
The 2006 June/July period is the second driest on record, the previous
driest was in 1913 when only 33.6 mm was recorded.
Temperatures: The mean maximum temperature for July 2006 was
15.3°C, which is equal to the normal July mean maximum of 15.3°C.
The mean July maximum last year was 15.5°C.
Maximum temperatures ranged from 12.0°C on the 14th July to
18.8°C on the 10th July.
The mean minimum temperature for July 2006 was 7.5°C, which is
0.1°C above the normal July mean minimum of 7.4°C. Last
July, the mean minimum was 7.8 °C.
Minimum temperatures ranged from 2.2°C on the 20th of July to
11.6°C on the 1st July.
Further information:
Bruce Brooks, tel: (08) 8366 2698,
e-mail: climate.sa@bom.gov.au
| 
