Thursday, 2 April 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC23R0

South Australia in March 2009
A Typical Average Month.

Summary

• Good rainfall in the west of the state.
• Monthly average temperature near normal.
• Tornado observed near Cummins, Eyre Peninsula.

An archive of previous monthly summaries for South Australia is also available, as are summaries for other states and many other climate summaries and diagnostics.

Jump to:  Extremes  Records  Summaries  Notes  the top

Rainfall

Almost all of South Australia's rainfall recordings were average to above average. Several places, especially in the western areas of the state, received well above their long term average rainfall totals for March.

Pastoral Districts

Rainfall totals in the Northwest pastoral district were mostly between 25 mm and 50 mm with some places recording less than 10 mm but in the Far North district rainfall totals were generally less than 15 mm. Further south, in the Northeast district more than 20 mm were recorded in several locations.

The highest total was 53.2 mm at Yardea in the Northwest pastoral district.

Agricultural Districts

In the Western Agricultural and Lower Southeast districts rainfall totals were mostly above 25 mm with a few places, in the west, receiving more than 50 mm. For the remainder of the agricultural areas the rainfall totals were generally less than 25 mm with some places in the Murray Mallee district recording less than 10 mm.

The highest total was 102.2 mm at Nundroo in the western part of the Western Agricultural district which is also the highest rainfall total in the state.

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

Temperature

The average temperature in the north of the state was mostly 0.5°C to 1°C above the long-term average whilst in the remainder of the state the mean temperature was within 0.5°C of the normal for March.

Maximum

Mean maximum temperatures over the pastoral districts of the state graded from within 0.5°C of normal in the Northwest district up to 2°C above average in the northeastern parts of the state, with mean maximum temperatures ranging from 28.5°C at Yunta in the North East district to 36.0°C at Moomba Airport in the Far North district. The highest recorded maximum temperature in the pastoral districts for March was 45.2°C at Moomba Airport on the 3rd of the month.

In the southern agricultural and far southwestern parts of the state the mean maximum temperatures were mainly up to 1°C below the long term normal whilst the remainder of the agricultural districts was up to 1°C above the month's long-term average, and ranged from 19.2°C at Mount Lofty to 30.1°C at Hawker in the Upper North district. The highest recorded maximum temperature for March in the agricultural areas was 38.5°C at Renmark on the 21st closely followed by Edithburgh, on Yorke Peninsula, with 38.0°C.

Minimum

Mean minimum temperatures over the pastoral districts were typically up to 1°C above the long-term average, ranging from 12.1°C at the Gluepot Reserve in the North East district to 21.2°C at Moomba Airport in the Far North district. The lowest recorded minimum temperature for March in the pastoral districts was 5.0°C at the Gluepot Reserve in the North East district on the 28th, with the highest being 30.2°C at the Moomba Airport.

Across the agricultural areas the mean minimum temperatures this month were generally 0.5°C above or below the long-term average, and ranged from 9.3°C at the Naracoorte Aerodrome in the Lower Southeast district to 17.2°C at the Port Augusta Aerodrome. The lowest recorded daily minimum temperature for March was 0.9°C at Coonawarra on the 29th.

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

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Extremes

Hottest day Highest temperature	45.2°C at Moomba Airport on the 3rd
Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature	35.9°C at Moomba Airport
Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature	20.7°C at Cape Willoughby
Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature	15.6°C at Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) on the 16th
Coldest night Lowest temperature	0.9°C at Coonawarra on the 29th
Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature	9.3°C at Naracoorte Aerodrome
Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature	21.2°C at Moomba Airport
Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature	30.2°C at Moomba Airport on the 3rd
Wettest overall Highest total rainfall	102.2 mm at Nundroo
Highest wind gust	96 km/h at Coober Pedy Airport on the 11th

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Summaries

In this table, key sites have been highlighted to make them easier to find. This table is very wide and may not fit if printed.

Summary statistics for March 2009
	Maximum temperatures for March (°C)				Minimum temperatures for March (°C)				Rainfall for March (millimetres)
	Mean for March 2009	Diff from average	Highest for March 2009		Mean for March 2009	Diff from average	Lowest for March 2009		Total for March 2009	Average for March	Rank of March 2009	Fraction of March average
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka	32.9	+0.6	43.5	2nd	18.5	+0.4	13.3	4th	5.0	14.0	average	36%
Coober Pedy Airport	31.9		43.9	2nd	18.1		12.9	4th	31.2
Ernabella	32.0		39.6	1st	17.6		12.7	4th	37.0
Nonning	28.9	−0.5	34.6	20th	14.5	+0.2	9.9	18th	7.7	14.5	average	53%
Roxby Downs	32.4		43.2	2nd	17.7		11.4	18th	1.6
Tarcoola Aero	31.4		40.3	2nd	16.1		10.1	4th	15.6
Woomera Aerodrome	30.9	+0.4	40.3	2nd	17.0	+0.2	11.2	4th	7.6	13.3	average	57%
Far North (district 17)
Arkaroola	32.0	+2.0	37.5	3rd	16.1	+0.3	9.0	27th	12.9	28.9	high	45%
Leigh Creek Airport	32.0	+0.7	38.8	2nd	18.1	+0.8	12.0	4th	23.0	16.9	high	136%
Marree Aero	34.7		44.3	2nd	19.4		14.3	18th	2.2
Marree Comparison	35.2	+1.3	44.3	2nd	19.3	+1.3	15.0	4th	2.8	14.0	average	20%
Moomba Airport	35.9		45.2	3rd	21.2		15.8	16th	0
Oodnadatta Airport	35.0	+1.3	44.6	2nd	19.9	+0.7	15.2	4th	5.4	12.0	average	45%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO	26.7	0.0	36.6	31st	13.7	+0.6	7.0	28th	39.0	16.4	high	238%
Cleve	25.7	−0.2	36.0	21st	14.3	−0.4	10.2	29th	11.2	20.3	average	55%
Cleve Aerodrome	26.1		36.6	21st	13.8		10.0	23rd	8.2	19.5	average	42%
Coulta	24.8		34.2	21st	13.7		8.9	23rd	36.6
Cummins Aero	26.6		36.6	21st	12.9		6.2	23rd	63.8
Elliston	24.9	+0.7	35.0	31st	14.4	+0.1	8.4	23rd	45.8	14.8	very high	309%
Kimba	27.5	−0.4	34.0	31st	13.7	−0.3	8.6	15th	14.4	15.9	average	91%
Kyancutta	28.9	−1.0	36.8	31st	12.2	−0.1	5.9	23rd	45.3	13.8	very high	328%
Minnipa DPI	27.2		34.7	31st	14.1		10.5	17th	62.2
Neptune Island	21.4	+0.3	27.4	21st	16.2	+0.2	14.2	15th	22.0	19.0	high	116%
North Shields	24.3		37.6	21st	14.3		9.8	20th	23.8
Nullarbor	25.4	−1.3	36.0	31st	14.3	+0.3	10.1	23rd	75.6	21.9	very high	345%
Port Augusta Aero	30.1		37.3	21st	17.2		10.1	4th	24.8
Streaky Bay	27.4	+0.2	35.6	31st	14.6	−0.1	9.8	23rd	28.5	14.6	high	195%
Whyalla Aero	26.8	−0.5	36.4	21st	15.6	+0.2	8.5	29th	9.0	18.6	average	48%
Wudinna Aero	28.2		35.8	31st	12.7		5.6	28th	54.4
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker	30.2	0.0	36.0	21st	15.3	+0.5	10.3	15th	3.0	16.1	average	19%
Yongala	27.2	+0.1	32.9	20th	11.3	+0.5	2.9	19th	17.0	16.2	average	105%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve	29.3		37.5	21st	12.1		5.0	28th	1.2
Yunta Airstrip	28.6		35.0	3rd	13.0		6.4	28th	31.6
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School	26.2		32.2	21st	12.2		5.7	17th	29.8
Port Pirie Aerodrome	28.8		36.9	21st	14.7		9.2	28th	14.5
Port Pirie Nyrstar Comparison	28.9	−0.6	35.5	31st	16.2	+0.2	11.5	17th	16.4	17.9	average	92%
Snowtown	28.7		35.8	21st	11.3		5.3	23rd	8.4
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh	23.4		38.0	21st	15.4		9.3	28th	12.4
Kadina AWS	28.1		36.2	21st	12.4		5.4	28th	5.0
Maitland	26.1	+0.2	34.4	21st	14.7	+0.3	10.5	27th	15.0	20.7	average	72%
Minlaton Aero	26.4		37.9	21st	13.5		7.3	27th	7.6
Stenhouse Bay	23.2		36.4	21st	15.7		12.6	4th	20.4
Warooka	24.7	−0.4	33.5	31st	14.6	0.0	11.0	22nd	12.8	16.1	average	80%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda	21.3		27.7	31st	13.5		9.2	23rd	23.6
Cape Willoughby	20.7	+0.1	30.1	21st	15.8	+0.3	12.1	4th	30.2	21.2	high	142%
Kingscote Aero	24.7		34.4	21st	11.0		3.7	23rd	15.4
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide	26.3	0.0	35.0	21st	15.1	−0.1	10.2	28th	21.4	25.2	average	85%
Adelaide Airport	25.3	−0.1	36.4	21st	14.2	−0.1	8.7	28th	17.4	20.8	average	84%
Edinburgh RAAF	26.8	0.0	36.7	21st	14.2	−0.2	8.5	28th	10.6	23.5	average	45%
Parafield Airport	27.0	+0.2	37.0	21st	14.0	−0.6	7.7	28th	19.8	21.1	average	94%
Roseworthy AWS	27.8		36.9	21st	12.6		4.1	27th	9.0
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa Viticultural	26.1		32.5	21st	12.2		6.1	29th	16.2
Rosedale	27.7	+0.5	34.7	21st	12.7	−0.6	4.5	23rd	13.4	19.9	average	67%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23°C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS	23.1		36.4	21st	13.8		7.7	28th	14.2
Kuitpo Forest Reserve	23.4		33.7	21st	12.3		9.5	23rd	26.8
Mount Barker	25.9	+1.2	33.6	21st	10.6	+0.2	4.9	28th	33.4	31.1	average	107%
Mount Crawford Fire Tower	23.9		31.3	21st	11.9		7.5	27th	19.6
Noarlunga	25.3		34.8	21st	15.0		10.8	23rd	16.0
Parawa	20.8		31.6	21st	12.8		9.8	23rd	39.4
Victor Harbor	22.7		35.4	21st	12.6		4.6	28th	21.0
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre	28.6	+0.4	37.5	21st	12.3	+0.5	4.7	28th	0.2	10.5	very low	2%
Renmark Aero	29.1		38.5	21st	13.1		5.1	28th	1.8
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda	26.2	+0.6	31.9	13th	12.1	0.0	7.6	18th	12.6	20.3	average	62%
Meningie	24.3	+0.1	32.9	21st	11.8	−0.8	6.7	28th	19.6	22.0	average	89%
Murray Bridge	27.0		35.2	21st	11.6		4.2	28th	5.2
Murray Bridge Comparison	27.6	+1.0	35.0	21st	12.6	−0.3	7.0	28th	8.1	19.9	average	41%
Strathalbyn Racecourse	24.8		32.7	13th	12.5		7.4	18th	12.0
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda	27.1		35.6	21st	11.5		5.5	28th	6.0	15.9	average	38%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith	26.1	−0.8	36.4	21st	10.8	−0.6	4.2	27th	19.2	20.9	average	92%
Keith	26.7		37.1	21st	9.5		1.7	28th	17.6
Lameroo	27.5		37.2	21st	11.2		4.4	27th	6.0
Lameroo Comparison	27.3	−0.3	33.2	31st	11.8	+0.3	6.6	27th	7.8	18.0	average	43%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa	22.0		29.5	21st	11.9		5.2	28th	24.6
Coonawarra	24.9	−0.1	35.4	21st	9.5	−0.5	0.9	29th	33.4	27.5	average	121%
Mount Gambier Aero	23.1	0.0	34.9	21st	10.7	+0.2	3.2	29th	47.0	35.1	high	134%
Naracoorte Aerodrome	25.5		35.7	21st	9.3		2.3	28th	39.6
Padthaway South	25.2		36.1	21st	10.1		3.6	28th	43.8
Robe Airfield	22.3		32.2	21st	10.4		1.8	28th	34.6
Robe Comparison	20.9	−0.1	25.9	21st	12.3	−0.4	6.5	29th	37.2	26.6	high	140%

Jump to:  Extremes  Records  Summaries  Notes  the top

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Notes

Further information

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

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