Thursday, 31 January 2013 - Monthly Climate Summary for Adelaide Metro & Hills - Product code IDCKGC13L0

Adelaide Metro & Hills in January 2013: A hot and dry start to the year

• A hot start to the month sees very high temperatures across the Adelaide region
• Rainfall was below average across the Adelaide Plains and Hills

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall

Much of the rainfall during January was recorded when a band of rain from a middle level cloud band streaming across the state from ex-Tropical Cyclone Narelle, extended across southern South Australia between the13th and 14th.

The rainfall total through January 2013 at Adelaide (Kent Town) was 11.6 mm received on 3 rain days. This is nearly 40% below the long term January average of 19.3 mm usually received on 4 to 5 rain days. The rainfall total this month is the driest January for Adelaide since 2010 when only 9.2 mm was observed. The long term median January rainfall for Adelaide (Kent Town) is 20.1mm, last time exceeded in January 2007 when 40.2 mm was observed. The driest January at Adelaide (Kent Town) was observed in 1992 when just 0.4 mm was recorded.

Most other locations in the Adelaide and Hills region received about 60% of their January average, with monthly rainfall totals typically ranging between 8 to 12mm on the Adelaide Plains, with higher totals in the 15 to 20mm range through the Adelaide Hills. The wettest location across the region was at Bridgewater where 21.2 mm was recorded for the month, 14.2 mm of which was observed on the 14th resulting in the wettest day for any location in the region.

Note that the Adelaide official climate rainfall record is taken from the manually observed 203mm rain gauge at the Kent Town site in Adelaide. These figures may differ from totals on some Bureau of Meteorology web pages as these may be from automatic tipping bucket rain gauge readings.

Temperature

The average maximum temperature recorded at Adelaide (Kent Town) for January 2013 was 30.4°C, 1.1°C warmer than the long term average January maximum temperature. By comparison, January 2012 saw average maximum temperatures of 31.1°C. The record warmest January average maximum in Adelaide is 34.2°C, observed at the West Terrace location in 1908.

High pressure systems, clear skies with above average sunshine hours dominated the weather throughout the month. The warmest period occurred during the first week of the month, Adelaide (Kent town) observed a maximum temperature of 45.0 °C on the 4th which was the hottest day in 4 years and the fourth hottest day in Adelaide since records began in 1887. Edinburgh RAAF also observed the hottest day for any location in the region on the 4th with 45.2 °C, while Adelaide Airport observed a highest January temperature on record since observations began in 1955 with a maximum of 44.1 °C. Parafield Airport reported the warmest days on average, with a monthly average of 30.6 °C, which is 1.0 °C above the long term January average.

Mount Lofty observed the coldest day of the month for any location in the Adelaide and Hills region when the maximum reached just 15.5 °C on the 31st. The coolest days on average were at Mount Lofty where the January maximum temperature averaged 25.1 °C.

Mean minimum temperatures were generally below average across the Adelaide Plains and Hills throughout the month. The minimum temperature at Adelaide (Kent Town) averaged 16.7 °C, 0.4 °C below the long term January average. Reduced cloud cover can be attributed to the below average overnight temperatures throughout the month.

The coldest nights through January for most locations occurred at the end of the second week of the month, the coldest minimum temperature was 6.9°C observed at Mount Lofty on the 14th. The coolest nights on average were recorded at Mount Lofty with 12.3 °C. Mount Barker observed an average January minimum of 12.4°C, 0.6°C above the long term January average. The warmest night was observed at Mount Crawford with 25.8 °C on the 4th.

Please Note: this information is provided on the last working day of the month; naturally, finalised figures cannot be provided until the first working day of the following month, when a more complete release will be issued. ADELAIDE WEATHER SUMMARY ISSUED 31/01/2013 CLIMATE SERVICES CENTRE, S.A. BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY For further information please contact Darren Ray on (08) 8366 2664.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top