Friday, 1 May 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC23R0

South Australia in April 2009
Welcome April Rain.

Summary

  • Good rainfall over most of the state.
  • Monthly average temperature within 1°C of normal.
  • Growing season breaking rain late in the month.

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.

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Rainfall

April rainfall over South Australia was average to well above average. Several places, especially in the agricultural areas of the state, received very much above their long term average rainfall totals for the month.

Pastoral Districts

Rainfalls in the pastoral districts were mostly average to very much above average. Totals predominantly ranged between 5 and 20 millimetres with a few places recording more than 30 millimetres.

The highest total was 46.0 mm at Arcoona Bluff in the Gammon Ranges in the Far North district.

Agricultural Districts

Over the agricultural districts rainfall totals were all either average or above average and was recorded mostly over a 4 day period during the last week of the month. Several locations received April monthly rainfall amounts that rank in the top 10% of their records, and many places in the Mount Lofty ranges recorded rainfall totals of over 100 mm.

The highest total was 158.3 mm at Woodhouse, near Piccadilly in the Mount Lofty Ranges, 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 over most of the state was within 1°C above the long-term average however in the southeast of the state and Kangaroo Island the mean temperature was within 1°C below the normal for April.

Maximum

The mean maximum temperatures over most of the coastal regions, Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and the central areas around Adelaide were mainly up to 1°C above the long-term normal, with some locations in the Mount Lofty Ranges up to 1.5°C warmer than average. Over the remainder of inland South Australia the mean maximum temperatures were up to 1°C cooler than average with the cooler anomalies being toward the northern areas of the state.

In the pastoral districts of the state the mean maximum temperatures ranged from 23.5°C at Yunta in the North East district to 28.8°C at Moomba Airport and Marree in the Far North district. The highest recorded maximum temperature in the pastoral districts for April was 36.7°C at Marree on the 2nd of the month.

In the agricultural districts the mean maximum temperature ranged from 15.6°C at Mount Lofty to 26.0°C at Port Augusta in the Western Agricultural district. The highest recorded maximum temperature for April in the agricultural areas was 39.0°C at Ceduna AMO on the 1st closely followed by 37.5°C at Streaky Bay both on Eyre Peninsula.

Minimum

Over the majority of the state the mean minimum temperatures were typically up to 1°C above the long-term average with only a handful of locations marginally below the normal.

In the pastoral districts of the state the mean minimum temperatures ranged from 8.2°C at the Gluepot Reserve in the North East district to 15.8°C at Moomba Airport in the Far North district. The lowest recorded minimum temperature for April in the pastoral districts was 3.1°C at the Gluepot Reserve and Yunta in the North East district on the 16th, with the highest being 22.3°C at the Moomba Airport.

The mean minimum temperatures in the agricultural regions this month ranged from 7.3°C at Coonawarra in the Lower Southeast district to 15.4°C at Neptune Island followed by 14.4°C at Cape Willoughby on Kangaroo Island. The lowest recorded daily minimum temperature for April was 0.2°C at Coonawarra on the 30th.

Some sites had their highest April temperature on record.

Some sites had their coldest April day (lowest 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		 39.0°C at Ceduna AMO on the 1st
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 28.8°C at Marree Comparison
28.8°C at Moomba Airport
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 18.9°C at Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS)
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 11.7°C at Mount Crawford Fire Tower on the 26th
11.7°C at Yongala on the 26th
11.7°C at Mount Gambier Aero on the 27th
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 0.2°C at Coonawarra on the 30th
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 7.3°C at Coonawarra
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 15.8°C at Moomba Airport
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 24.5°C at Port Pirie Nyrstar Comparison on the 2nd
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 158.3 mm at Piccadilly (Woodhouse)
Highest wind gust
 102 km/h at Neptune Island on the 25th

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Records

Record highest April temperature
Highest temperature
in April 2009 (°C) 		Previous highest
for April		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Streaky Bay 37.5 on the 1st 37.3 on the 1st in 1986 52 23.7


Record lowest April daily maximum temperature
Lowest daily maximum
temperature
in April 2009 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for April		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Hawker 14.7 on the 26th 14.8 on the 27th in 2008 36 25.5


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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 April 2009
Maximum temperatures
for April
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for April
(°C)		 Rainfall
for April
(millimetres)
Mean for
April
2009		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
April
2009		 Mean for
April
2009		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
April
2009		 Total for
April
2009		 Average
for
April		 Rank of
April
2009		 Fraction of
April
average
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka 27.3 0.0 36.0 2nd 14.2 +0.3 8.5 27th 6.4 12.5 average 51%
Coober Pedy Airport 26.4   35.7 1st 14.7   8.8 27th 6.4
Ernabella 26.6   35.0 1st 13.0   6.0 25th 13.2
Marla Police Station 27.8 −0.8 36.0 1st 14.2 +0.7 7.7 30th 7.4 10.6 average 70%
Nonning 24.9 −0.1 34.9 2nd 11.7 +1.0 6.4 16th 19.8 14.9 high 133%
Roxby Downs 26.6   34.9 1st 13.2   7.2 30th 4.2
Tarcoola Aero 26.8   35.3 2nd 12.7   7.2 27th 8.6
Woomera Aerodrome 25.6 +0.1 35.2 2nd 13.5 +0.5 7.8 27th 2.4 11.0 average 22%
Far North (district 17)
Arkaroola 25.3 +0.2 33.0 2nd 11.6 +0.5 6.2 30th 11.4 14.4 average 79%
Leigh Creek Airport 26.3 +0.2 35.8 2nd 13.6 +0.8 7.9 27th 12.4 10.2 average 122%
Marree Aero 28.1   36.2 2nd 14.2   8.7 7th 23.8
Marree Comparison 28.8 +0.4 36.7 2nd 14.0 +0.7 8.6 7th 24.0 10.8 high 222%
Moomba Airport 28.8   36.4 3rd 15.8   9.4 28th 1.0
Oodnadatta Airport 28.6 +0.1 36.5 1st 15.1 +0.8 10.8 27th 6.4 11.0 average 58%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO 24.2 0.0 39.0 1st 11.1 +0.5 5.6 12th 19.0 19.5 average 97%
Cleve 23.0 +0.4 35.5 1st 12.6 +0.4 8.7 26th 24.2 28.7 average 84%
Cleve Aerodrome 23.1   35.8 1st 11.8   8.5 16th 16.4 25.5 average 64%
Coulta 21.6   35.6 1st 12.7   7.8 10th 31.0
Cummins Aero 23.4   36.7 1st 10.3   4.4 10th 36.0
Elliston 22.9 +0.6 35.8 1st 13.1 +1.0 9.0 29th 43.8 27.5 high 159%
Kimba 23.5 −0.4 34.5 1st 11.2 0.0 6.5 16th 39.2 22.5 high 174%
Kyancutta 25.5 +0.2 37.1 1st 9.9 +0.4 4.9 16th 21.0 19.5 average 108%
Minnipa DPI 23.7   30.2 14th 12.3   8.1 16th 24.6
Neptune Island 19.7 +0.2 24.4 1st 15.4 +0.5 11.0 26th 38.4 31.6 high 122%
North Shields 21.9   35.2 1st 12.3   8.0 18th 33.6
Nullarbor 23.9 −0.9 35.6 1st 12.6 +1.1 7.1 30th 16.8 22.1 average 76%
Port Augusta Aero 26.0   36.9 2nd 13.1   8.7 27th 10.8
Streaky Bay 23.8 +0.2 37.5 1st 13.7 +1.0 10.1 12th 51.8 24.2 very high 214%
Whyalla Aero 23.7 0.0 33.6 1st 11.6 0.0 6.8 16th 7.6 19.0 average 40%
Wudinna Aero 25.0   36.3 1st 10.0   4.4 8th 18.2
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker 24.6 −0.9 34.5 2nd 10.9 −0.1 6.4 17th 18.0 19.6 average 92%
Yongala 22.0 +0.1 33.6 2nd 8.0 +0.9 1.3 16th 36.8 24.9 high 148%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve 24.4   35.0 2nd 8.2   3.1 16th 18.4
Yunta Airstrip 23.5   33.1 2nd 8.6   3.1 16th 3.6
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School 21.5   32.8 2nd 9.1   3.5 16th 68.6
Port Pirie Aerodrome 24.8   35.2 1st 11.1   5.5 7th 21.3
Port Pirie Nyrstar Comparison 25.0 +0.2 35.5 1st 13.7 +0.6 10.0 7th 37.4 27.8 high 135%
Snowtown 24.1   34.9 1st 9.2   5.0 10th 56.2
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh 20.9   29.9 1st 13.2   7.8 16th 41.0
Kadina AWS 23.5   34.1 1st 9.8   4.8 16th 43.0
Maitland 22.3 0.0 34.1 1st 12.7 +0.2 8.2 5th 73.8 41.3 high 179%
Minlaton Aero 22.9   33.3 1st 11.6   7.1 10th 35.2
Stenhouse Bay 21.0   35.0 1st 14.3   10.2 26th 48.6
Warooka 22.4 +0.4 31.8 1st 13.0 +0.5 9.2 26th 37.2 33.1 average 112%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda 19.2   28.6 1st 12.9   9.3 9th 56.0
Cape Willoughby 19.2 +0.1 27.9 1st 14.4 +0.3 8.8 26th 60.6 39.8 high 152%
Kingscote Aero 22.2   33.3 1st 8.6   4.5 10th 52.0
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide 22.9 +0.3 34.1 1st 13.0 +0.6 8.6 30th 73.6 39.6 high 186%
Adelaide Airport 22.2 +0.1 33.8 2nd 12.5 +0.8 8.0 10th 51.2 35.1 high 146%
Edinburgh RAAF 23.0 +0.1 34.4 2nd 12.3 +0.7 7.2 9th 57.4 31.5 high 182%
Parafield Airport 23.4 +0.8 34.7 1st 11.7 −0.1 6.5 10th 84.2 40.1 very high 210%
Roseworthy AWS 23.6   35.8 2nd 10.6   5.1 9th 48.2
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa Viticultural 21.8   33.9 2nd 9.1   3.6 10th 54.8
Rosedale 23.1 +0.1 35.7 2nd 10.7 0.0 5.0 10th 57.9 36.6 high 158%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23°C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS 21.2   34.8 1st 11.9   6.9 30th 40.6
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 19.9   31.4 1st 11.3   6.8 26th 91.6
Mount Barker 22.0 +1.6 32.5 2nd 9.0 +0.7 4.7 29th 75.7 58.8 high 129%
Mount Crawford Fire Tower 19.3   31.7 2nd 10.8   5.8 26th 90.6
Noarlunga 21.8   33.0 2nd 13.8   9.2 29th 70.2
Parawa 18.9   30.5 1st 11.5   7.1 26th 95.2
Victor Harbor 21.3   33.7 1st 10.2   4.9 13th 39.0
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre 23.9 0.0 34.1 2nd 8.1 −0.2 2.8 16th 25.4 16.6 high 153%
Renmark Aero 24.1   34.1 2nd 8.7   3.7 16th 34.2
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda 21.5 +0.2 34.8 2nd 10.0 +0.2 6.0 30th 59.0 33.1 high 178%
Meningie 22.1 +0.5 32.5 2nd 10.9 +0.2 5.4 10th 54.0 37.3 high 145%
Murray Bridge 23.3   36.5 2nd 9.0   3.4 22nd 35.4
Murray Bridge Comparison 23.9 +0.5 37.0 2nd 10.1 −0.1 6.1 30th 35.8 28.8 high 124%
Strathalbyn Racecourse 22.7   34.9 2nd 10.8   5.9 30th 29.4
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda 23.0   34.5 2nd 9.3   4.5 30th 32.4 25.1 high 129%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith 22.3 −0.2 34.9 2nd 9.2 0.0 4.9 20th 53.2 33.0 high 161%
Keith 22.6   35.1 2nd 8.0   2.3 10th 50.0
Lameroo 22.7   34.3 2nd 8.6   3.8 10th 44.6
Lameroo Comparison 23.3 +0.5 34.9 2nd 9.5 +0.6 5.5 10th 49.0 27.3 high 179%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa 19.9   31.0 1st 10.6   4.7 30th 46.8
Coonawarra 20.6 −0.4 33.5 2nd 7.3 −0.3 0.2 30th 55.2 35.3 high 156%
Mount Gambier Aero 19.6 +0.2 32.8 2nd 8.4 −0.2 1.9 13th 65.6 54.8 average 120%
Naracoorte Aerodrome 21.3   34.2 2nd 7.9   2.4 20th 31.4
Padthaway South 21.4   34.0 2nd 8.0   3.0 30th 37.2
Robe Airfield 20.2   31.9 1st 9.3   1.7 12th 49.0
Robe Comparison 19.3 +0.5 29.1 1st 11.6 +0.1 6.3 10th 56.0 46.3 average 121%

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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Friday 1 May 2009. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Averages 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 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.

Further information

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