Friday, 1 June 2007 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC13R0

South Australia in May 2007
A Warm May

Summary

Much of the State experienced above average autumn rainfall and above average temperatures for both autumn and May.

Mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were 1°C to 3°C above normal across most of the state through both autumn and May, with autumn records being set at many locations.

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Rainfall

Pastoral Districts

Rainfall for May was generally average over the Pastoral Districts, though much of the Far North reported above to very much above average totals. There were some isolated pockets of below average rainfall through southern parts of the Northwest and Far North districts.

Rainfall amounts across the Pastoral districts were mostly of the order of 10 mm or more, with the highest total reported from the Moomba Airport with 59 mm. Amounts below 10 mm were confine to the south-western region of the Northwest Pastoral district.

Agricultural Districts

Rainfall totals over the Agricultural Districts were generally average. Isolated pockets of below average rainfall were confined to northern parts of the Eyre Peninsula abutting the pastoral districts and Most of the Lower North. Most of Kangaroo Island, the southern tips of Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas and most of the Lower Southeast districts reported above average rainfall, with isolated pockets of very much above average falls.

Rainfall totals over 100 mm were confined to the higher parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges district and also most of the Lower Southeast and Kangaroo Island districts. Rainfall totals mostly between 50 and 100 mm were reported from the remainder of the Mount Lofty Ranges, and parts of the Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula, Upper Southeast, and much of the Adelaide Plains and Western Agricultural districts. Elsewhere, totals were generally between 20 and 50 mm.

The highest rainfall totals recorded in the Agricultural districts during May were 152 mm at Uraidla and 150 mm at Lenswood, both in the Mount Lofty Ranges district.

See a map of total rainfall. See a map of rainfall deciles.

Temperature

Maximum

All centres across South Australia recorded above average mean May maximum temperatures.

Mean maximum temperatures for May were about 1°C to 2°C above normal in the south of the state and up to 3°C above normal in the north. In the Pastoral districts mean maximum temperatures ranged from 20.6°C at Nonning and Yunta and up to 25.7°C at Marree. Mean maximum temperatures over the Agricultural districts ranged from 15.6°C at Mt Crawford in the Mount Lofty Ranges to 23.0°C at Port Augusta in the Upper North district.

The highest maximum recorded during May was 32.4°C at Oodnadatta Aerodrome on the 7th.

Minimum

Mean minimum temperatures for May were almost all above average.

In the Pastoral districts mean minimum temperatures ranged from 7.9°C at Nonning to 12.8°C at Moomba Airport. Mean minimum temperatures over the Agricultural districts ranged from 7.1°C at Yongala in the Flinders Ranges to 14.5 at Neptune Island.

Several centres in the southeast reported record May mean minimum temperatures (see table).

The lowest minimum temperature recorded during May was −2.2°C at Yongala in the Upper North on the 26th.

See a map of mean maximum temperatures. See a map of maximum temperature anomalies.

Some sites had their warmest May night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record.

Some sites had their highest May mean daily minimum temperature on record.

See a map of mean minimum temperatures. See a map of minimum temperature anomalies.

Significant Weather

Severe Winds

A strong front passed over the southern agricultural areas of the state on Tuesday 29, resulting in severe wind gusts with Minlaton AWS recording a peak gust of 95 km/h. In the wake of this front, strong and at times gale force west to southwest winds with showers and isolated thunderstorms, brought down a number of trees and damaged some roofs. The Port Lincoln SES recorded a gust of 105 km/h with a thunderstorm while the Minlaton AWS recorded squally conditions throughout the afternoon with showers resulting in peak gusts of 95 km/h on two occasions; similar squally conditions were recorded by the Cape Willoughby AWS where the peak gust was 100 km/h.

In the Adelaide Region numerous trees were downed or limbs snapped off particularly in the southern suburbs.

Thunderstorms

On the Monday14thunderstorms resulted in hail of about 3cm at Cleve and Heggaton (about 30km north of Cleve). Heavy rainfall associated with thunderstorms also resulted in 42 mm in 40 minutes near Kimba and flash flooding that washed a car off the road between Mangalo and Cleve.

Several houses were damaged and trees blown down or snapped off at Moana on Monday 21. Damage was assessed as a tornado of intensity F0.

Further information

South Australian Regional Office
South Australian Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 8366 2600
Email climate.sa@bom.gov.au

Extremes

Hottest day
Highest temperature		 33.0°C at Marla Police Station on the 7th
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 25.7°C at Marree Comparison
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 15.6°C at Mount Crawford Fire Tower
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 9.2°C at Mount Crawford Fire Tower on the 29th
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 −2.2°C at Yongala on the 26th
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 7.1°C at Yongala
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 14.5°C at Neptune Island
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 22.5°C at Arkaroola on the 3rd
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 166.2 mm at Flinders Chase (Rocky River)
Highest wind gust
 128 km/h at Cape Willoughby on the 29th

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Records


Record highest May mean daily minimum temperature
Mean daily minimum
temperature
for May 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for May		 Years of
record		 Normal for
May
Robe Comparison 13.1 12.4 in 1975 123 10.2
Mount Barker 9.8 9.7 in 1975 107 6.6
Lameroo Comparison 9.9 9.8 in 1988 93 6.9
Cleve 12.0 11.7 in 1990 67 9.9
Mount Gambier Aero 10.5 9.8 in 1988 66 7.2
Cape Borda Comparison 12.8 12.5 in 1975 60 11.2
Adelaide Airport 12.1 12.0 in 1958 53 9.5
Keith 10.6 10.2 in 1988 52 7.7
Maitland 11.9 11.8 in 1988 51 10.0
Meningie 11.6 11.3 in 1975 41 8.7
Adelaide (Kent Town) 12.1 11.6 in 1988 31 10.1
Arkaroola 11.4 10.1 in 1988 30 7.2


Record highest May daily minimum temperature
Highest daily minimum
temperature
in May 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for May		 Years of
record		 Normal for
May
Arkaroola 22.5 on the 3rd 19.1 on the 21st in 1999 30 7.2


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Summaries

 In the following table, certain key sites have been highlighted to make them easier to identify.

Summary statistics for May 2007
Maximum temperatures
for May
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for May
(°C)		 Rainfall
for May
(millimetres)
Mean for
May
2007		 Diff
from
normal		 Highest for
May
2007		 Mean for
May
2007		 Diff
from
normal		 Lowest for
May
2007		 Total for
May
2007		 Normal
for
May		 Rank of
May
2007		 Fraction of
May
normal
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka 24.0 +1.6 29.3 7th 11.3 +1.3 4.1 31st 9.6 16.3 normal 59%
Coober Pedy Airport 23.6 30.7 7th 11.3 5.6 30th 8.4
Ernabella 23.0 29.5 6th 9.0 0.4 31st 17.4
Marla Police Station 25.3 +2.1 33.0 7th 9.8 +0.5 1.0 31st 7.3 13.1 normal 56%
Nonning 20.6 +0.3 25.6 6th 7.9 +0.7 −0.2 26th 18.9 23.9 normal 79%
Roxby Downs 23.4 29.3 7th 10.6 2.2 31st 13.2
Tarcoola Aero 23.1 29.0 6th 9.0 1.1 31st 12.0
Woomera Aerodrome 22.7 +2.1 28.9 7th 11.1 +1.7 4.6 30th 16.2 18.9 normal 86%
Far North (district 17)
Arkaroola 22.7 +2.5 28.0 7th 11.4 +4.2 1.0 31st 20.9 17.8 normal 117%
Leigh Creek Airport 22.6 +1.7 27.7 7th 10.0 +1.2 2.9 31st 13.4 16.2 normal 83%
Marree Aero 25.1 30.3 3rd 11.1 2.2 31st 1.8
Marree Comparison 25.7 +2.6 31.0 6th 11.0 +2.1 2.7 31st 2.4 13.7 normal 18%
Moomba Airport 24.4 32.0 3rd 12.8 6.2 31st 58.6
Oodnadatta Airport 25.2 +2.0 32.4 7th 12.0 +2.3 4.3 31st 10.8 12.8 normal 84%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO 21.9 +1.1 29.2 6th 9.8 +1.3 3.3 11th 27.4 32.7 normal 84%
Cleve 20.4 +1.6 26.9 1st 12.0 +2.0 6.5 30th 30.8 40.6 normal 76%
Cleve Aerodrome 20.3 26.9 1st 11.9 6.6 30th 31.0 38.0 normal 82%
Coulta 18.8 24.4 13th 11.1 5.9 25th 85.0
Elliston 20.0 +0.6 25.9 13th 12.0 +1.8 6.5 25th 82.4 52.7 high 156%
Kimba 20.2 +0.8 26.5 13th 9.7 +1.5 3.0 30th 27.0 35.3 normal 76%
Kyancutta 21.7 +0.6 27.3 6th 9.3 +2.0 2.6 11th 20.6 32.3 normal 64%
Minnipa DPI 20.5 26.7 6th 10.4 5.5 30th 13.0
Neptune Island 18.7 +1.1 23.6 1st 14.5 +0.9 7.8 30th 85.0 55.7 high 153%
North Shields 19.8 26.3 13th 11.7 6.8 30th 57.6
Nullarbor 21.8 +0.3 28.0 6th 8.9 −0.1 2.5 24th 23.4 30.2 normal 77%
Port Augusta Aero 23.0 27.8 13th 9.5 1.0 26th 9.2
Streaky Bay 20.9 +0.8 28.2 6th 13.0 +2.2 6.9 11th 44.4 46.0 normal 97%
Whyalla Aero 22.0 +1.6 26.8 1st 10.0 +1.4 2.0 26th 7.6 23.7 low 32%
Wudinna Aero 21.3 26.9 13th 10.3 2.3 11th 19.0
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker 20.9 +0.7 26.4 7th 8.9 +1.7 1.7 25th 31.1 30.9 normal 101%
Yongala 18.3 +1.2 22.8 7th 7.1 +2.6 −2.2 26th 20.0 35.1 normal 57%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve 22.4 27.3 7th 8.4 −0.3 27th 9.9
Yunta Airstrip 20.6 24.9 3rd 9.1 3.0 30th 8.6
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School 17.9 23.0 1st 8.4 0.7 26th 25.2
Port Pirie Aerodrome 21.7 26.4 7th 10.6 2.1 26th 12.3
Port Pirie Zinifex Comparison 21.8 +1.5 27.0 7th 13.2 +2.5 6.5 26th 14.4 38.1 low 38%
Snowtown 20.9 25.8 14th 9.3 2.8 26th 23.8
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh 19.2 25.4 1st 11.8 6.5 30th 66.0
Kadina AWS 20.3 25.1 6th 11.0 4.4 26th 28.4
Maitland 19.0 +0.8 23.8 13th 11.9 +2.0 7.3 30th 62.4 63.0 normal 99%
Minlaton Aero 19.3 25.0 13th 12.0 6.9 11th 47.6
Stenhouse Bay 19.4 24.2 1st 12.7 8.1 30th 107.0
Warooka 18.9 +0.4 22.5 1st 12.1 +1.7 5.6 30th 78.4 54.4 high 144%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda AWS 17.6 21.7 1st 12.3 6.4 30th 125.2
Cape Borda Comparison 17.5 +1.2 21.0 1st 12.8 +1.7 8.9 22nd 155.8 79.6 very high 196%
Cape Willoughby 18.1 +1.2 22.0 1st 13.5 +1.0 7.2 30th 0.0 61.2 lowest 0%
Kingscote Aero 19.0 23.6 1st 10.5 4.8 12th 75.6
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide 20.1 +1.2 26.3 1st 12.1 +2.0 6.6 26th 44.0 59.8 low 74%
Adelaide Airport 19.8 +1.3 25.8 14th 12.1 +2.6 6.6 11th 34.4 54.3 low 63%
Edinburgh RAAF 19.8 +0.6 25.6 1st 10.9 +1.9 5.9 26th 57.4 43.0 high 133%
Parafield Airport 20.2 +1.4 26.2 1st 10.8 +1.5 5.9 11th 48.8 47.4 normal 103%
Roseworthy AWS 20.8 27.0 14th 10.3 4.0 10th 19.4
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa Viticultural 18.4 24.9 1st 9.0 2.0 26th 35.8
Rosedale 19.9 +1.3 26.0 1st 10.0 +1.8 3.9 10th 40.4 53.0 normal 76%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23°C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS 19.9 27.1 1st 12.2 6.8 26th 14.2
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 17.1 23.7 1st 11.2 6.1 30th 63.6
Mount Barker 18.0 +1.5 25.1 1st 9.8 +3.2 4.0 30th 98.8 88.1 normal 112%
Mount Crawford Fire Tower 15.6 22.2 1st 9.8 3.8 30th 76.4
Noarlunga 19.1 24.4 1st 13.1 8.8 30th 49.6
Parawa 16.0 20.4 14th 11.0 5.9 30th 70.6
Victor Harbor 19.6 26.0 1st 11.0 5.1 12th 51.2
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre 21.6 +2.2 27.3 14th 8.8 +2.5 1.5 26th 46.2 22.8 high 203%
Renmark Aero 21.6 27.4 14th 9.4 3.3 26th 19.4
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda 18.1 +1.2 24.2 1st 9.2 +1.7 3.8 30th 44.2 45.3 normal 98%
Meningie 19.7 +1.5 26.2 1st 11.6 +2.9 7.0 12th 60.4 54.5 normal 111%
Murray Bridge 20.6 27.4 1st 9.0 1.7 26th 19.6
Murray Bridge Comparison 21.3 +1.7 27.3 1st 9.7 +1.8 4.2 30th 21.0 34.9 low 60%
Strathalbyn Racecourse 19.7 26.9 1st 11.1 6.5 26th 37.0
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda 20.5 26.4 14th 9.3 2.8 26th 32.8 35.5 normal 92%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith 19.7 +1.4 25.1 1st 10.6 +3.0 4.0 30th 86.8 52.9 high 164%
Keith 19.4 25.2 1st 10.1 3.8 12th 91.4
Lameroo 19.6 26.0 14th 9.4 4.1 26th 41.4
Lameroo Comparison 20.4 +1.9 26.5 14th 9.9 +2.9 4.9 30th
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa 18.2 23.6 1st 11.9 5.2 12th 90.0
Coonawarra 19.0 +1.8 24.4 1st 10.2 +3.6 4.1 12th 71.6 50.7 high 141%
Mount Gambier Aero 17.8 +1.7 23.8 14th 10.5 +3.2 5.6 12th 122.6 71.8 high 171%
Naracoorte Aerodrome 19.0 25.0 1st 10.9 4.0 12th 55.2
Padthaway South 18.8 24.7 1st 10.4 4.4 12th 110.4
Robe Airfield 18.9 25.9 1st 11.6 3.1 12th 115.4
Robe Comparison 17.9 +1.5 22.7 1st 13.1 +3.0 7.1 12th 111.0 73.6 high 151%

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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 2 pm on Friday 1 June 2007. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Normals 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 20 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median is sometimes more representative than the mean of "normal" 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, normal in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9 and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of normal shows how much rain has fallen this time as a percentage of the long-term mean.

Further information

South Australian Regional Office
South Australian Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 8366 2600
Email climate.sa@bom.gov.au