Friday, 31 August 2012 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC23R0

South Australia in August 2012: A drier finish to winter

• Below average rainfall in the west, tending above average in some areas in the east and south of the state.
• No rainfall was recorded in some parts of the Pastoral Districts.
• Close to average daytime temperatures for most areas.
• Cold August nights in central South Australia.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall

In August 2012, South Australia received less than half of the long term average August rainfall for the state as a whole. Apart from the southern agricultural districts where rainfall was average, most locations received below average rainfall through August 2012. Parts of the lower south east of the state were the only areas to receive above average rainfall this August. The wettest periods for much of the state occurred between the 14th and 17th and between the 23rd and 25th. In the earlier period, a series of cold frontal systems and shower activity crossed southern parts of the state. The passage of a strong cold front on 16th produced squally showers and isolated thunderstorms with daily rainfall totals in excess of 30mm in the central and southeast districts. On the 23rd, a cold pool associated with a deep low pressure system produced heavy showers, hail and strong gusty winds for central and coastal areas. Daily rainfall totals for this event generally ranged between 20 to 35mm about central districts.

Pastoral Districts

Rainfall totals over the pastoral districts were mostly below average tending to very much below average across the Northwest. Rainfall totals were typically less than 10mm, with a number of locations across the Northwest and Far North recording no rainfall though this is not unusual for this time of year across northern South Australia.

The wettest period for the Pastoral districts was on August 17th as a strong cold frontal system extended showers into the northern parts of the state. Most of the remainder of the month was without rain. Monthly totals generally ranged from 2 to 6 mm in the Northeast and Far North. Higher rainfall totals were observed in the far south of the northwest pastoral; the wettest overall was at Yardea in the Northwest Pastoral district with 17.0 mm.

Agricultural Districts

Above average rainfall was generally recorded across the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas, Kangaroo Island, the Mount Lofty Ranges, the Murray Valley and Murray Mallee during August. The lower South-east and much of the Fleurieu Peninsula and Murray Lower Lakes received above average rainfall this August. Otherwise rainfall was near average.

Totals were in the range of 20 to 60mm in most locations, but tending to higher totals up to about 100mm across the Mount Lofty Ranges and the southeast of the State. The wettest overall for the month in the agricultural districts was Bridgewater in the Mount Lofty Ranges with 161.3 mm.

Some sites had their lowest total August rainfall on record.
See a map of rainfall deciles.

Temperature

The mean temperature (the average of the maximum and minimum temperatures) for South Australia as a whole in August 2012 was 0.6 °C above the long-term average. By contrast, August 2011 was 2.0 °C average. Mean temperatures at particular stations ranged from 7.2°C at Mount Lofty to 15.6°C at Oodnadatta Airport in the Far North.

Maximum

Mean maximum temperatures over South Australia were generally above average in the Pastoral districts this August. Some locations were up 1.4 °C above average across the northwest of the state. Parts of the southeast coastal areas saw slightly below average daytime temperatures, elsewhere maximum temperatures were near normal.

The coldest periods for many locations occurred through the third week of August with a series of cold frontal systems crossing the state. A strong cold front brought daytime temperatures to well below average on the 23rd for several coastal and hills locations, and Mount Lofty recorded the coldest day of the month when its maximum temperature only reached 5.0°C, its coldest August day in 4 years.

The warmest day for much of the state occurred on the 22nd in the northerly air stream ahead of the strong cold front. The warmest day recorded was at Moomba Airport, reaching 34.3°C on the 22nd, the warmest August day at this location in 3 years.

Average daily maximum temperatures ranged from 9.8°C at Mount Lofty to 23.6°C at Oodnadatta Airport in the Northeast district.

See a map of maximum temperature anomalies.

Minimum

Apart from some coastal locations and northern parts of the state, mean minimum temperatures were widely slightly below average across South Australia. The coolest part of the state with respect to overnight temperatures was through the far south of the northwest pastoral district where minimum temperatures were in excess of 1°C cooler than normal. Marla (Police Station) observed average August night-time temperature 1.3°C below average and also observed a record lowest August minimum temperature of -2.3 °C on the 12th.

The coldest nights for most of South Australia occurred on the 1st and 2nd as a high pressure ridge on the eastern border maintained mostly fine and clear skies across much of the state. The minimum temperature at Yunta fell to -4.5°C on the 1st; this was the coldest night for any location during the month, and the coldest August daily minimum since 2007.

The warmest nights for many locations occurred at the beginning of the second week of August in a warm north-westerly air-stream ahead of an approaching low pressure trough. Moomba Airport reported the warmest night for any location on the 23rd with a minimum of 16.8°C.

The warmest nights on average were observed at Neptune Island with 11.2°C. The coolest nights on average were observed at Yongala with 2.9°C.

Some sites had their lowest August temperature on record.
See a map of minimum temperature anomalies.

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Extremes in August 2012
Hottest day	34.3 °C at Moomba Airport on the 22nd
Warmest days on average	23.6 °C at Oodnadatta Airport
Coolest days on average	9.8 °C at Mount Lofty
Coldest day	5.0 °C at Mount Lofty on the 23rd
Coldest night	-4.5 °C at Yunta Airstrip on the 1st
Coolest nights on average	2.9 °C at Yongala
Warmest nights on average	11.2 °C at Neptune Island
Warmest night	16.8 °C at Moomba Airport on the 23rd
Warmest on average overall	15.6 °C at Oodnadatta Airport
Coolest on average overall	7.2 °C at Mount Lofty
Wettest overall	161.3 mm at Bridgewater
Driest overall	0 mm at Coober Pedy Airport 0 mm at Ernabella (Pukatja) 0 mm at Marla Police Station 0 mm at Moomba Airport 0 mm at Oodnadatta Airport 0 mm at Wilpena Pound
Wettest day	52.6 mm at Bridgewater on the 17th
Highest wind gust	106 km/h at Neptune Island on the 16th

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Record lowest total August rainfall
	Total rainfall for August 2012 (mm)	Previous driest for August		Years of record	Average for August
Oodnadatta Airport	0.0	= 0.0	in 2011	64	8.1
Wilpena Pound	0.0	= 0.0	in 2002	33	43.8
Marla Police Station	0.0	= 0.0	in 2011	27	7.9

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Record lowest August temperature
	Lowest temperature in August 2012 (°C)		Previous coolest for August		Years of record	Average for August
Marla Police Station	-2.3	on the 12th	-2.1	on the 16th in 2002	27	6.3

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Summary statistics for August 2012
	Maximum temperatures for August (°C)				Minimum temperatures for August (°C)				Rainfall for August (millimetres)
	Mean for August 2012	Diff from average	Highest for August 2012		Mean for August 2012	Diff from average	Lowest for August 2012		Total for August 2012	Average for August	Rank of August 2012	Fraction of August average
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka	20.8	+0.2	28.8	22nd	6.7	-0.5	1.6	2nd	0.2	13.0	v low	2%
Coober Pedy Airport	21.6		32.6	28th	6.9		1.3	1st	0
Ernabella (Pukatja)	22.7		30.4	28th	6.0		-0.1	24th	0
Marla Police Station	23.2	+1.0	33.8	28th	4.7	-1.6	-2.3	12th	0	7.9	lowest	0%
Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome)	20.8		28.8	22nd	3.4		-4.0	1st	0.6
Tarcoola Aero	21.5		32.7	28th	3.7		-1.7	12th	1.8
Woomera Aerodrome	19.5	+0.6	27.8	22nd	5.7	-1.1	1.6	1st	0.8	13.5	v low	6%
Far North (district 17)
Arkaroola	19.5	+0.5	28.0	22nd	4.5	-0.2	-2.9	2nd	1.8	14.2	low	13%
Leigh Creek Airport	19.6	+0.5	27.8	22nd	4.5	-1.7	-0.3	1st	2.0	15.6	low	13%
Marree Aero	21.9		29.9	22nd	4.9		-0.6	2nd	0.4
Marree Comparison	22.6	+1.2	30.0	22nd	6.6	+0.3	1.4	2nd	0.5	9.1	low	5%
Moomba Airport	23.1		34.3	22nd	5.7		1.4	1st	0
Oodnadatta Airport	23.6	+1.5	32.1	22nd	7.3	-0.1	-0.1	1st	0	8.1	lowest	0%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO	19.2	+0.5	28.2	7th	5.9	-0.3	-1.9	12th	11.8	34.4	low	34%
Cleve	16.6	0.0	22.0	7th	7.3	-0.1	4.0	31st	35.6	48.0	average	74%
Cleve Aerodrome	16.4		21.8	7th	7.2		3.7	1st	26.2	43.7	low	60%
Coulta (Coles Point)	16.0	-0.4	22.8	7th	7.4	-0.4	3.1	1st	41.0
Cummins Aero	16.2		21.5	7th	4.3		0.0	1st	54.8
Elliston	17.5	+0.4	24.0	7th	8.1	-0.2	1.6	11th	32.3	59.1	low	55%
Kimba	16.1	-0.9	21.8	28th	5.0	-0.5	1.2	1st	34.4	41.9	average	82%
Kyancutta	18.6	0.0	25.2	28th	4.3	-0.7	-2.0	10th	29.4	38.9	average	76%
Minnipa Pirsa	17.5		24.4	28th	6.4		2.5	31st	18.2
Neptune Island	15.5	+0.2	19.5	7th	11.2	+0.1	6.4	23rd	47.2	63.2	low	75%
North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS)	16.8	0.0	22.3	7th	6.7	-0.5	3.1	1st	60.8
Nullarbor	20.0	+0.4	29.4	7th	5.2	-0.6	0.7	26th	4.6	24.5	v low	19%
Port Augusta Aero	19.9		27.1	22nd	4.9		-1.8	1st	8.2
Streaky Bay	18.2	+0.6	24.6	27th	8.8	0.0	2.6	12th	20.0	50.2	low	40%
Whyalla Aero	18.4	-0.1	26.0	22nd	6.2	+0.2	-0.6	1st	9.8	22.1	low	44%
Wudinna Aero	18.1		24.9	28th	4.6		-2.3	12th	28.4
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker	17.9	+0.1	25.8	22nd	3.3	-1.0	-1.2	31st	5.6	31.8	v low	18%
Yongala	14.6	+0.2	21.5	22nd	2.9	+0.4	-2.7	1st	27.4	43.5	low	63%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot)	18.6		25.5	22nd	4.5		-3.4	1st	13.1
Yunta Airstrip	17.5		24.8	22nd	3.5		-4.5	1st	4.2
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School	13.6		20.3	22nd	4.7		-0.8	1st	41.2
Port Pirie Aerodrome	17.4		23.1	22nd	5.7		0.1	1st	27.4
Port Pirie Nyrstar Comparison	17.9	-0.2	23.2	22nd	8.6	+0.4	3.5	1st	25.9	34.9	average	74%
Snowtown (Rayville Park)	16.5		23.4	22nd	4.3		-1.6	1st	31.0
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh	16.0	+0.2	20.3	7th	6.5	-0.9	2.4	27th	48.6	46.2	average	105%
Kadina AWS	16.2		21.1	22nd	4.8		-1.2	1st	35.8
Maitland	15.0	-0.4	20.0	22nd	7.5	+0.3	4.5	1st	55.8	61.3	average	91%
Minlaton Aero	15.7		20.5	22nd	6.0		1.7	1st	38.2
Stenhouse Bay	15.9		20.1	7th	9.0		2.9	1st	70.0
Warooka	15.4	-0.3	17.8	22nd	7.3	-0.4	4.4	1st	48.8	59.1	average	83%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda	14.1		16.5	7th	9.0		5.2	24th	68.2
Cape Willoughby	14.4	-0.1	16.9	28th	9.2	-0.4	6.4	17th	91.8	73.9	high	124%
Kingscote Aero	15.7		18.3	8th	5.6		1.7	13th	77.0	56.6	high	136%
Parndana Cfs AWS	13.7		16.9	7th	6.0		3.3	4th	81.8
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide (Kent Town)	15.9	-0.8	21.1	22nd	7.7	-0.5	2.2	1st	68.0	68.8	average	99%
Adelaide Airport	15.6	-0.3	20.8	22nd	7.4	-0.2	1.3	1st	52.4	50.3	average	104%
Edinburgh RAAF	15.9	-0.6	21.3	22nd	6.2	-0.3	0.1	1st	38.6	49.7	average	78%
Parafield Airport	16.1	-0.2	21.0	22nd	5.8	-0.9	-0.3	1st	50.4	53.9	average	94%
Roseworthy AWS	15.7		21.4	22nd	4.7		-0.9	1st	34.4
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa Viticultural	14.1		21.2	22nd	4.9		-1.7	1st	41.0
Rosedale (Turretfield Research Centre)	15.4	-0.4	22.0	22nd	5.1	-0.6	0.0	1st	49.9	57.3	average	87%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS	15.9		22.0	28th	8.1		3.0	13th	46.8
Kuitpo Forest Reserve	12.7		17.8	22nd	6.4		2.9	1st	102.2
Mount Barker	13.2	-1.0	17.8	28th	5.5	+0.5	0.0	1st	97.2	102.4	average	95%
Mount Crawford (Mt Crawford AWS)	11.5		17.6	22nd	5.6		2.3	24th	80.6
Mount Lofty	9.8		15.1	22nd	4.6		1.3	24th	111.4
Noarlunga	15.2		19.9	22nd	8.6		4.2	1st	61.0
Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS)	12.0		14.9	7th	6.6		3.7	1st	98.2
Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay)	16.0		20.9	28th	6.1		0.9	27th	69.0
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre	17.8	+0.3	23.2	22nd	4.7	+0.3	-2.2	1st	14.4	27.4	low	53%
Renmark Aero	18.4		24.2	28th	4.6		-3.1	1st	9.6
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda	14.3	-0.1	22.0	22nd	5.3	0.0	0.4	1st	38.2	55.8	low	68%
Meningie	15.6	-0.5	18.1	22nd	7.3	+0.1	1.5	1st	76.0	56.9	high	134%
Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome)	16.3		20.8	22nd	4.7		-1.8	13th	31.4
Murray Bridge Comparison	17.2	-0.3	21.5	22nd	5.7	-0.2	0.2	13th	39.3	37.2	average	106%
Strathalbyn Racecourse	15.5		20.9	28th	6.8		1.8	13th	56.8
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda	16.6		21.0	7th	4.9		-1.1	1st	39.5	38.4	average	103%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith	15.7	-0.5	20.0	28th	5.7	-0.2	-0.2	1st	57.6	58.2	average	99%
Keith (Munkora)	15.3		19.4	28th	3.8		-1.1	1st	57.2
Lameroo (Austin Plains)	15.7		21.1	28th	4.0		-0.3	13th	38.4
Lameroo Comparison	16.4	0.0	22.0	28th	5.1	+0.3	0.4	1st	40.2	44.1	average	91%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone)	14.2	-0.4	16.4	22nd	8.2	+0.4	3.4	13th	80.4
Coonawarra	14.5	-0.3	18.2	28th	5.4	+0.1	-2.0	1st	99.8	81.4	average	123%
Mount Gambier Aero	14.0	-0.1	17.4	22nd	6.0	+0.5	0.2	1st	106.6	95.2	average	112%
Naracoorte Aerodrome	14.5		19.0	28th	5.2		-1.4	1st	86.0
Padthaway South	14.9		19.4	28th	5.1		-1.5	1st	68.2
Robe Airfield	15.0		19.2	22nd	7.3		0.0	1st	113.4
Robe Comparison	14.3	0.0	16.0	28th	8.7	+0.2	2.9	1st	119.2	85.6	high	139%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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