Wednesday, 2 January 2008 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC13R0

South Australia in December 2007
Rainfall and temperatures above average across much of South Australia.

Summary

Rainfall in South Australia during December was generally above average across most of the state, chiefly due to a widespread rain event mid-month. Both maximum and minimum temperatures were significantly above average with December maximum temperatures records at some locations in the south. The month finished with widespread heatwave conditions and several new daily December maximum temperature records.

Jump to:  Extremes  Maps  Records  Summaries  Notes  the top

Rainfall

Pastoral Districts

Rainfall was patchy across the Pastoral districts, tending to very much above average in the west, though nearer average elsewhere.

Rainfall totals in the range 20 to 40 mm were widely reported in the west, though totals were 10 to 20 mm in the Northeast and Far North Pastoral districts. The highest total was 76.8 mm at Yardea in the Northwest Pastoral district.

Agricultural Districts

Rainfall totals over the Agricultural Districts were generally above average with rainfall totals of 20 to 40 mm widespread. Higher totals of 30 to 60 mm were recorded in the Mount Lofty Ranges while the Riverland had totals of 10 to 20 mm. Fowlers Bay in the Western Agricultural district saw a record for December since 1878 with 81 mm of rainfall. This was the highest in the state for this month.

Some sites had their highest total December rainfall on record.

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

Temperature

Maximum

Mean maximum temperatures over the pastoral districts of the state were generally within 1°C of average, with mean maximum temperatures ranging from 31.3°C at Yunta in the North East district to 37.0°C at Moomba in the Far North district. The highest recorded maximum temperature for December was 43.7°C at Gluepot on the 31st of the month.

Mean maximum temperatures over the agricultural districts of the state were generally 1 to 3°C above average, and ranged from 22.8°C at Robe in the Lower Southeast district to 33.0°C at Port Augusta Airport in the Western Agricultural. The highest recorded maximum temperature for December in the agricultural areas was 45.3°C at Keith also on the 31st December.

The last days of this month saw widespread heatwave conditions across the state with several locations in the south of the state creating new daily December maximum temperature records.

Minimum

Mean minimum temperatures over the Pastoral Districts were typically within 1°C of average, ranging from 14.3°C at Gluepot and Yunta in the North East District to 23.2°C at Moomba Airport in the Far North District. The lowest recorded minimum temperature for December in the Pastoral districts was 6.0°C recorded at Nonning in the North West Pastoral district on the 25th.

Mean minimum temperatures across agricultural areas this month were generally up to 1°C above average, and ranged from 9.9°C at Coonawarra in the Lower Southeast district to 18.1°C at Port Pirie (Nystar). The lowest recorded daily minimum temperature for December was 2.0°C recorded at Naracoorte Aerodrome on the 25th.

Some sites had their highest December temperature on record.

Some sites had their highest December mean daily maximum temperature on record.

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

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		 45.3°C at Keith (Munkora) on the 31st
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 37.0°C at Moomba Airport
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 21.8°C at Neptune Island
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 15.0°C at Mount Crawford Fire Tower on the 22nd
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 2.0°C at Naracoorte Aerodrome on the 25th
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 9.9°C at Coonawarra
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 23.2°C at Moomba Airport
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 28.6°C at Moomba Airport on the 21st
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 81.0 mm at Fowlers Bay
Highest wind gust
 115 km/h at Coober Pedy Airport on the 21st

Jump to:  Extremes  Maps  Records  Summaries  Notes  the top

Records

Record highest total December rainfall
Total rainfall
for December 2007 (mm) 		Previous highest
for December		 Years of
record		 Normal for
December
Fowlers Bay 81.0 59.5 in 1966 91 11.6



Record highest December mean daily maximum temperature
Mean daily maximum
temperature
for December 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for December		 Years of
record		 Normal for
December
Meningie 26.7 = 26.7 in 1994 42 24.4
Murray Bridge Comparison 30.3 30.1 in 2006 41 27.4


Record highest December temperature
Highest temperature
in December 2007 (°C) 		Previous highest
for December		 Years of
record		 Normal for
December
Mount Gambier Aero 43.3 on the 31st 42.4 on the 9th in 2006 66 22.8
Mount Barker 41.3 on the 31st 40.0 on the 17th in 2002 51 25.0
Warooka 40.5 on the 31st = 40.5 on the 30th in 2005 43 25.4
Meningie 42.2 on the 31st 41.7 on the 9th in 2006 42 24.4
Cape Willoughby 41.0 on the 31st 40.0 on the 10th in 1980 41 20.5
Murray Bridge Comparison 44.4 on the 31st 43.4 on the 31st in 2005 41 27.4


Jump to:  Extremes  Maps  Records  Summaries  Notes  the top

Summaries

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

Summary statistics for December 2007
Maximum temperatures
for December
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for December
(°C)		 Rainfall
for December
(millimetres)
Mean for
December
2007		 Diff
from
normal		 Highest for
December
2007		 Mean for
December
2007		 Diff
from
normal		 Lowest for
December
2007		 Total for
December
2007		 Normal
for
December		 Rank of
December
2007		 Fraction of
December
normal
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka 34.5 0 42.0 31st 20.1 +0.8 13.2 23rd 19.2 18.6 high 103%
Coober Pedy Airport 33.7 41.3 31st 19.4 13.3 23rd 36.4
Nonning 31.9 +0.7 41.4 31st 15.3 +0.5 6.0 25th 36.0 18.0 high 200%
Roxby Downs 34.2 42.3 31st 19.6 14.3 10th 7.6
Tarcoola Aero 33.2 42.5 31st 17.4 9.6 10th 54.4
Woomera Aerodrome 33.1 +0.8 42.2 31st 18.6 +1.0 11.6 23rd 26.2 13.6 high 193%
Far North (district 17)
Leigh Creek Airport 34.3 +1.4 42.9 31st 18.9 +0.4 11.3 23rd 7.8 23.4 normal 33%
Marree Aero 36.2 43.1 31st 20.7 13.8 23rd 12.8
Marree Comparison 36.7 +0.7 43.3 31st 20.9 +1.4 13.5 23rd 12.4 16.1 normal 77%
Moomba Airport 37.0 42.1 15th 23.2 16.7 24th 0.0
Oodnadatta Airport 35.5 −0.8 42.1 31st 21.1 −0.1 14.1 23rd 19.8 16.5 normal 120%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO 29.4 +2.2 43.8 31st 14.8 +0.8 8.5 8th 33.0 20.3 high 163%
Cleve 28.4 +1.7 42.0 31st 15.3 +1.4 9.5 10th 43.0 25.7 high 167%
Cleve Aerodrome 28.8 42.6 31st 14.9 9.5 10th 38.0 23.4 high 162%
Coulta 26.9 39.2 31st 14.1 7.5 5th 25.0
Cummins Aero 29.0 42.9 31st 13.7 5.7 10th 38.6
Elliston 27.2 +2.9 39.3 31st 14.8 +0.3 7.9 8th 21.3 16.3 high 131%
Kimba 30.3 +1.1 41.5 31st 14.4 +0.5 7.2 10th 46.4 19.8 very high 234%
Kyancutta 31.6 +0.8 43.6 31st 14.2 +1.3 7.8 11th 53.4 20.8 very high 257%
Minnipa DPI 30.4 42.4 31st 15.2 8.1 23rd 52.2
Neptune Island 21.8 +1.4 33.2 31st 15.6 +0.9 10.2 22nd 28.4 17.2 high 165%
North Shields 26.4 43.0 31st 14.5 8.8 11th 33.2
Nullarbor 28.2 +1.7 43.4 31st 14.9 +0.8 8.3 7th 40.4 14.4 very high 281%
Port Augusta Aero 33.0 44.2 31st 18.0 13.2 23rd 21.0
Streaky Bay 28.7 +1.4 42.6 31st 16.2 +1.3 10.4 8th 33.8 14.3 very high 236%
Whyalla Aero 29.7 +1.5 42.8 31st 16.2 +0.4 10.6 4th 24.4 20.3 high 120%
Wudinna Aero 31.3 43.6 31st 14.8 6.8 11th 57.2
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker 32.6 +0.8 41.0 31st 16.9 +1.2 9.3 23rd 27.2 21.7 high 125%
Yongala 29.5 +1.0 40.1 30th 13.0 +1.5 4.5 23rd 20.6 24.0 normal 86%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve 32.0 43.7 31st 14.3 6.7 23rd 10.3
Yunta Airstrip 31.3 40.9 31st 14.3 7.3 23rd 14.4
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School 28.6 40.7 31st 13.1 6.4 11th 24.8
Port Pirie Aerodrome 31.5 42.8 31st 16.4 10.0 23rd 25.9
Port Pirie Nyrstar Comparison 31.4 +1.4 43.0 31st 18.1 +1.8 10.5 22nd 42.2 22.2 high 190%
Snowtown 31.2 42.9 31st 13.2 7.5 12th 23.8
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh 25.6 41.5 31st 14.7 7.9 8th 30.2
Kadina AWS 30.1 43.1 31st 13.8 7.8 23rd 28.0
Maitland 28.4 +2.3 41.8 31st 15.5 +2.0 9.0 10th 38.2 22.7 high 168%
Minlaton Aero 28.3 41.8 31st 14.0 7.1 10th 29.2
Stenhouse Bay 24.8 41.3 31st 15.3 9.7 22nd 26.0
Warooka 26.8 +1.4 40.5 31st 14.6 +1.0 9.4 23rd 30.4 17.4 high 175%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda 22.9 35.0 30th 13.4 9.1 10th 34.4
Cape Willoughby 22.8 +2.3 41.0 31st 15.0 +0.7 10.9 22nd 25.8 22.7 normal 114%
Kingscote Aero 27.1 43.0 31st 10.8 4.0 10th 18.6
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide 28.9 +2.0 42.2 31st 16.4 +0.8 10.2 23rd 37.2 27.9 high 133%
Adelaide Airport 27.6 +2.0 40.3 31st 15.3 +0.8 9.9 23rd 35.6 24.0 high 148%
Edinburgh RAAF 29.5 +1.7 42.7 31st 15.3 +0.5 8.7 10th 30.0 21.8 high 138%
Parafield Airport 29.6 +2.0 42.7 31st 15.4 +0.6 8.8 23rd 24.2 24.2 normal 100%
Roseworthy AWS 31.7 43.8 31st 13.3 5.0 10th 18.4
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa Viticultural 29.2 41.7 31st 12.8 5.5 10th 0.2
Rosedale 30.1 +1.9 43.1 31st 14.2 +0.8 5.9 11th 26.5 23.0 normal 115%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23°C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS 25.8 42.6 31st 14.5 8.5 25th 30.2
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 25.5 38.6 31st 13.1 7.9 25th 39.2
Mount Barker 27.5 +2.5 41.3 31st 10.9 +0.5 4.8 10th 59.6 34.5 high 173%
Mount Crawford Fire Tower 26.2 39.6 31st 13.1 7.0 10th 37.2
Noarlunga 27.2 40.5 31st 15.6 9.6 10th 31.8
Parawa 24.0 38.7 31st 12.6 8.1 22nd 47.2
Victor Harbor 25.2 41.7 31st 12.8 7.2 8th 38.3
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre 31.2 +1.7 42.9 31st 13.8 +0.9 8.7 23rd 13.8 20.5 normal 67%
Renmark Aero 31.8 44.1 31st 15.0 7.9 23rd 20.0
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda 28.7 +1.9 40.8 31st 13.4 +1.2 6.1 10th 27.6 25.3 normal 109%
Meningie 26.7 +2.4 42.2 31st 13.5 +0.6 7.5 25th 38.8 23.3 high 167%
Murray Bridge 30.0 44.9 31st 12.4 6.4 8th 22.6
Murray Bridge Comparison 30.3 +2.9 44.4 31st 13.5 +0.4 8.4 8th 26.7 23.1 high 116%
Strathalbyn Racecourse 28.0 43.2 31st 13.3 8.1 25th 28.0
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda 30.6 44.0 31st 13.4 7.0 10th 28.6 23.1 high 124%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith 29.4 +1.8 43.8 31st 12.9 +1.0 6.5 10th 31.8 26.0 normal 122%
Keith 30.2 45.3 31st 10.9 3.4 11th 30.2
Lameroo 30.3 44.0 31st 13.3 6.4 23rd 21.0
Lameroo Comparison 29.9 +1.0 45.1 31st 13.5 +1.5 7.1 23rd 21.6 24.0 normal 90%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa 24.6 40.3 31st 12.1 6.2 8th 15.4
Coonawarra 27.2 +2.6 42.8 31st 9.9 −0.1 2.5 25th 25.0 34.8 normal 72%
Mount Gambier Aero 25.8 +3.0 43.3 31st 10.7 +0.8 4.4 5th 20.6 36.9 low 56%
Naracoorte Aerodrome 29.1 45.0 31st 10.6 2.0 25th 17.4
Padthaway South 28.4 43.2 31st 11.1 3.8 10th 20.0
Robe Airfield 24.4 38.8 31st 11.3 3.4 25th 16.2
Robe Comparison 22.6 +1.3 34.2 31st 13.2 +0.5 7.6 25th 17.6 27.7 normal 64%

Jump to:  Extremes  Maps  Records  Summaries  Notes  the top

Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 5 pm on Wednesday 2 January 2008. 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