Tuesday, 1 April 2014 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC23R0
South Australia in March 2014: Dry and warm across most parts though cooler in the south
March started with warmer than average temperatures across most of the State, cooler days and nights mostly occurred through the second half of the month following the passage of a cold front that extended from a deep low pressure complex to the south of the State. Most rainfall around the State was recorded in the wake of the front, with more rainfall being recorded at the end of the month as a upper level cold pool and a trough of low pressure near the eastern border brought a humid and unstable airmass over eastern and central parts of the State.
- Driest March for the State as a whole since 2005
- Maximum temperatures rank 18th warmest out of 105 years of observations
- Minumum temperatures rank 28th warmest out of 105 years of observations
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Rainfall
March was mostly dry across South Australia until a cold front extending from a deep low pressure complex to the south of the State moved over southern districts on the 15th. A band of middle level cloud produced gusty thundery showers near and ahead of the front. More rainfall was recorded over eastern and central districts at the end of the month as an upper level cold pool and a trough of low pressure near the eastern border brought a humid and unstable airmass over eastern and central parts of the State.
These systems resulted in average to above average rainfall totals for locations across eastern districts. Large parts in the west and north of the State recorded very much below average rainfall with some sites having their lowest total March rainfall on record and other sites having their lowest total March rainfall for at least 20 years. Rainfall totals averaged across the South Australia as a whole ranked 27th highest out of 115 years of observations.
Rainfall totals typically ranged from 20 to 50 mm across the eastern areas, with lower monthly totals of 5 to 10 mm across central areas while the northwest of the State received little or no rain throughout the month.
The wettest location in the state was at Gammon Ranges (The Plateau) where 61.2 mm was recorded for the month, more than half which was observed on the 7th from showers and thunderstorms that were observed about the Flinders Ranges
Temperature
Despite a milder finish to the month, March 2014 started with above average temperatures across most locations. March temperatures averaged across the whole of South Australia were 0.9 °C warmer than average. By comparison, March 2013 was 1.2 °C warmer than average.
Maximum temperature
Monthly mean maximum temperatures, were up to 2 °C above average across pastoral districts but nearer average and up to 1 °C above average across agricultral parts. Averaged across the State and month as a whole days were 1.2 °C warmer than average, which ranks as South Australia's 28th warmest March days out of 105 years of observations.
The hottest location on average for the month was at Marree Comparison where the maximum temperatures averaged 35.6 °C for the month which results in the highest March mean daily maximum temperature for 22 years at this location. In contrast, Cape Willoughby on Kangaroo Island was the coolest location for the month for daytime temperatures with maximum temperatures averaging 20.7 °C.
The hottest day was recorded at Marree Comparison on 10 March where the temperature reached 41.0 °C. Mount Lofty in the Mount Lofty Ranges reached 13.6 °C on the 25 March, resulting in the coolest day for any location in the State.
Minimum temperature
Monthly mean minimum temperatures, were 2 to 3 °C above average across pastoral districts, but nearer average and as low as 1 °C cooler than average across southern agricultral parts. Averaged across the State and month as a whole nights were 0.6 °C warmer than average, which ranks as South Australia's 28th warmest March nights out of 105 years of observations.
The warmest nights on average for any location were at Moomba where the minimum temperatures averaged 21.1 °C for the month. In contrast, Padthaway South had the coolest nights for the month with minimum temperatures averaging 9.4 °C.
The warmest night was recorded at Oodnadatta on 15 March where the temperature dropped to just 27.9 °C. Keith (Munkora) dropped to 0.7 °C on 22 March, resulting in the coolest night for any location in the State.
Further information
Bureau of MeteorologyPhone (03) 9669 4057
Email media@bom.gov.au
| Extremes in March 2014 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 41.0 °C at Marree Comparison on the 10th |
| Warmest days on average | 35.6 °C at Marree Comparison |
| Coolest days on average | 20.7 °C at Cape Willoughby |
| Coldest day | 13.6 °C at Mount Lofty on the 25th |
| Coldest night | 0.7 °C at Keith (Munkora) on the 22nd |
| Coolest nights on average | 9.4 °C at Padthaway South |
| Warmest nights on average | 21.1 °C at Moomba Airport |
| Warmest night | 27.9 °C at Oodnadatta Airport on the 15th |
| Warmest on average overall | 28.2 °C at Moomba Airport |
| Coolest on average overall |
16.0 °C at Mount Lofty 16.0 °C at Robe Airfield |
| Wettest overall | 61.2 mm at Gammon Ranges (The Plateau) |
| Driest overall |
0 mm at several locations |
| Wettest day | 33.2 mm at Gammon Ranges (The Plateau) on the 7th |
| Highest wind gust | 100 km/h at Mount Crawford (Mt Crawford AWS) on the 11th |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Maps | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Observed | Anomaly | Decile rank | |
| Total rainfall |
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| Mean daily maximum temperatures |
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| Mean daily minimum temperatures |
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Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window
| Record lowest total March rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for March 2014 (mm) |
Previous driest for March |
Years of record |
Average for March |
||
| Oodnadatta Airport | 0.0 | = 0.0 | in 2005 | 66 | 14.0 |
| Woomera Aerodrome | 0.0 | = 0.0 | in 2003 | 65 | 13.5 |
| Andamooka | 0.0 | = 0.0 | in 2008 | 49 | 13.8 |
| Marla Police Station | 0.0 | = 0.0 | in 2005 | 28 | 23.3 |
| Lowest total March rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall for March 2014 (mm) |
Most recent March at least this dry |
Years since drier |
Average for March |
||
| Whyalla Aero | 0.4 | 0.0 | in 1980* | 27 | 19.9 |
| Adelaide (Hope Valley Reservoir) | 8.2 | 0.0 | in 1994 | 20 | 30.1 |
| Caltowie | 2.4 | 0.0 | in 1994 | 20 | 20.3 |
| Coulta | 1.2 | 0.0 | in 1994 | 20 | 18.0 |
| Jamestown | 0.4 | 0.0 | in 1994 | 20 | 20.0 |
| Melrose | 0.6 | 0.0 | in 1994 | 20 | 25.3 |
| Mount Schank (Jethia) | 14.0 | 1.8 | in 1994 | 20 | 37.0 |
| North Adelaide | 3.8 | 0.0 | in 1994 | 20 | 25.4 |
| Port Elliot Caravan Park | 1.0 | 0.0 | in 1994 | 20 | 22.3 |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported.
| Highest March mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily maximum temperature for March 2014 (°C) |
Most recent March at least this warm |
Years since warmer |
Average for March |
||
| Marree Comparison | 35.6 | =35.6 | in 1992 | 22 | 33.9 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for March 2014 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for March (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for March (°C) |
Rainfall for March (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for March 2014 |
Diff from average |
Highest for March 2014 |
Mean for March 2014 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for March 2014 |
Total for March 2014 |
Average for March |
Rank of March 2014 |
Fraction of March average |
|||
| Northwest (district 16) | ||||||||||||
| Andamooka | 33.3 | +1.1 | 38.5 | 11th | 19.5 | +1.3 | 13.0 | 24th | 0 | 13.8 | lowest | 0% |
| Coober Pedy Airport | 33.7 | 38.8 | 14th | 19.6 | 12.5 | 24th | 0 | |||||
| Ernabella (Pukatja) | 33.4 | 37.9 | 14th | 18.2 | 9.8 | 27th | 0.8 | |||||
| Marla Police Station | 34.2 | +1.6 | 39.0 | 14th | 18.7 | +0.9 | 11.0 | 25th | 0 | 23.3 | lowest | 0% |
| Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) | 33.6 | 39.7 | 11th | 17.8 | 12.2 | 17th | 1.8 | |||||
| Tarcoola Aero | 32.9 | 40.4 | 10th | 16.3 | 8.8 | 24th | 0 | |||||
| Woomera Aerodrome | 31.8 | +1.4 | 39.2 | 11th | 17.8 | +1.0 | 12.4 | 24th | 0 | 13.5 | lowest | 0% |
| Far North (district 17) | ||||||||||||
| Arkaroola | 31.1 | +1.3 | 38.9 | 5th | 16.8 | +1.0 | 11.8 | 17th | 2.5 | 30.8 | average | 8% |
| Leigh Creek Airport | 32.7 | +1.6 | 38.7 | 11th | 18.1 | +0.7 | 11.3 | 28th | 5.6 | 19.8 | average | 28% |
| Marree Aero | 34.3 | 38.6 | 10th | 19.2 | 13.1 | 25th | 5.0 | |||||
| Marree Comparison | 35.6 | +1.7 | 41.0 | 10th | 19.4 | +1.4 | 13.2 | 24th | 5.6 | 14.3 | average | 39% |
| Moomba Airport | 35.3 | 39.4 | 9th | 21.1 | 14.2 | 25th | 0 | |||||
| Oodnadatta Airport | 35.3 | +1.6 | 40.7 | 14th | 20.9 | +1.7 | 13.8 | 24th | 0 | 14.0 | lowest | 0% |
| Western Agricultural (district 18) | ||||||||||||
| Ceduna AMO | 26.2 | -0.5 | 38.6 | 9th | 12.8 | -0.4 | 6.2 | 22nd | 0.8 | 16.2 | low | 5% |
| Cleve | 25.9 | 0.0 | 36.5 | 9th | 15.0 | +0.3 | 11.5 | 24th | 7.8 | 21.7 | average | 36% |
| Cleve Aerodrome | 26.2 | 36.5 | 9th | 14.6 | 11.1 | 13th | 4.2 | 22.2 | low | 19% | ||
| Cummins Aero | 27.0 | 36.3 | 4th | 13.1 | 6.2 | 13th | 3.4 | |||||
| Elliston | 24.3 | +0.1 | 34.6 | 4th | 14.6 | +0.3 | 9.0 | 13th | 10.6 | 15.1 | average | 70% |
| Kimba | 28.0 | +0.2 | 37.0 | 10th | 13.6 | -0.4 | 9.5 | 22nd | 0.4 | 16.9 | low | 2% |
| Kyancutta | 29.8 | 0.0 | 39.4 | 10th | 12.7 | +0.4 | 5.8 | 22nd | 0.2 | 14.5 | low | 1% |
| Minnipa Pirsa | 28.5 | 37.9 | 10th | 13.8 | 7.9 | 22nd | 6.8 | |||||
| Neptune Island | 21.2 | +0.1 | 25.0 | 4th | 16.1 | +0.1 | 13.7 | 23rd | 7.6 | 19.8 | low | 38% |
| North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) | 24.4 | +0.3 | 36.5 | 4th | 14.5 | -0.1 | 10.5 | 20th | 8.0 | 21.2 | low | 38% |
| Nullarbor | 27.1 | +0.5 | 39.0 | 9th | 14.2 | 0.0 | 9.8 | 29th | 3.0 | 21.6 | low | 14% |
| Port Augusta Aero | 31.0 | 40.5 | 10th | 17.0 | 11.8 | 14th | 1.2 | |||||
| Streaky Bay | 27.1 | -0.1 | 36.4 | 9th | 14.4 | -0.3 | 9.5 | 22nd | 5.8 | 15.0 | average | 39% |
| Whyalla Aero | 27.3 | +0.1 | 36.8 | 9th | 15.9 | +0.4 | 11.3 | 14th | 0.4 | 19.9 | v low | 2% |
| Wudinna Aero | 29.2 | 39.5 | 10th | 12.3 | 5.1 | 22nd | 1.6 | |||||
| Upper North (district 19) | ||||||||||||
| Hawker | 30.4 | +0.4 | 36.3 | 10th | 15.5 | +0.6 | 9.0 | 24th | 5.4 | 16.6 | average | 33% |
| Yongala | 27.5 | +0.4 | 34.3 | 10th | 12.5 | +1.7 | 4.8 | 24th | 3.7 | 16.4 | low | 23% |
| Northeast (district 20) | ||||||||||||
| Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) | 29.5 | 38.7 | 10th | 12.8 | 5.1 | 22nd | 9.8 | |||||
| Yunta Airstrip | 29.7 | 37.5 | 11th | 13.5 | 6.1 | 24th | 24.6 | |||||
| Lower North (district 21) | ||||||||||||
| Clare High School | 26.3 | 33.7 | 9th | 12.3 | 4.6 | 24th | 15.4 | 26.7 | average | 58% | ||
| Port Pirie Aerodrome | 29.2 | 37.9 | 9th | 14.7 | 8.1 | 24th | 1.1 | |||||
| Snowtown (Rayville Park) | 28.8 | 36.9 | 10th | 11.5 | 5.8 | 24th | 2.2 | |||||
| Yorke Peninsula (district 22A) | ||||||||||||
| Edithburgh | 23.3 | -0.2 | 30.3 | 9th | 15.5 | -0.2 | 11.8 | 16th | 6.4 | 19.0 | low | 34% |
| Kadina AWS | 27.7 | 36.6 | 9th | 12.8 | 8.1 | 25th | 15.2 | |||||
| Maitland | 26.9 | +1.0 | 35.5 | 9th | 15.1 | +0.6 | 10.5 | 24th | 27.6 | 21.0 | high | 131% |
| Minlaton Aero | 26.3 | 36.4 | 10th | 14.0 | 9.1 | 13th | 9.4 | |||||
| Stenhouse Bay | 23.0 | 32.1 | 9th | 15.9 | 13.3 | 16th | 9.2 | |||||
| Warooka | 25.1 | 0.0 | 34.6 | 9th | 14.9 | +0.2 | 11.6 | 24th | 5.6 | 16.6 | average | 34% |
| Kangaroo Island (district 22B) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Borda | 22.2 | 29.3 | 4th | 13.0 | 8.2 | 22nd | 16.4 | |||||
| Cape Willoughby | 20.7 | 0.0 | 31.1 | 4th | 15.6 | 0.0 | 12.1 | 16th | 10.2 | 21.4 | average | 48% |
| Kingscote Aero | 24.7 | 35.2 | 9th | 11.7 | 5.5 | 19th | 13.2 | 26.7 | average | 49% | ||
| Parndana Cfs AWS | 23.5 | 33.5 | 4th | 12.0 | 7.7 | 13th | 15.6 | |||||
| Adelaide Plains (district 23A) | ||||||||||||
| Adelaide (Kent Town) | 27.2 | +0.8 | 36.4 | 9th | 15.2 | -0.1 | 10.5 | 24th | 19.0 | 27.2 | average | 70% |
| Adelaide Airport | 25.8 | +0.3 | 35.2 | 9th | 14.6 | +0.2 | 10.1 | 24th | 21.0 | 22.1 | average | 95% |
| Edinburgh RAAF | 27.3 | +0.4 | 36.2 | 9th | 14.2 | -0.3 | 7.9 | 22nd | 15.8 | 26.0 | average | 61% |
| Parafield Airport | 27.6 | +0.8 | 36.2 | 9th | 13.9 | -0.7 | 8.2 | 24th | 12.2 | 22.8 | average | 54% |
| Roseworthy AWS | 28.6 | 37.9 | 9th | 12.8 | 3.3 | 22nd | 5.6 | |||||
| County Light (district 23B) | ||||||||||||
| Nuriootpa Viticultural | 25.7 | 35.1 | 9th | 12.0 | 3.8 | 24th | 15.4 | |||||
| Rosedale (Turretfield Research Centre) | 27.6 | +0.3 | 37.2 | 9th | 13.2 | -0.1 | 5.0 | 24th | 14.8 | 20.4 | average | 73% |
| Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C) | ||||||||||||
| Hindmarsh Island AWS | 23.8 | 36.3 | 9th | 14.2 | 10.6 | 6th | 9.8 | |||||
| Kuitpo Forest Reserve | 23.1 | 32.8 | 10th | 12.5 | 8.6 | 22nd | 33.8 | |||||
| Mount Barker | 24.5 | -0.1 | 34.5 | 9th | 11.5 | +1.1 | 7.3 | 14th | 29.6 | 31.5 | average | 94% |
| Mount Crawford (Mt Crawford AWS) | 23.2 | 32.3 | 11th | 12.0 | 5.9 | 22nd | 18.0 | 30.8 | average | 58% | ||
| Mount Lofty | 21.1 | 30.3 | 9th | 11.2 | 5.1 | 22nd | 46.4 | |||||
| Noarlunga | 25.4 | 34.8 | 9th | 15.5 | 11.5 | 22nd | 16.6 | |||||
| Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) | 21.2 | 32.3 | 10th | 12.7 | 9.7 | 13th | 36.6 | 39.6 | average | 92% | ||
| Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay) | 23.2 | 36.4 | 9th | 12.6 | 6.4 | 14th | 13.2 | |||||
| Upper Murray Valley (district 24A) | ||||||||||||
| Loxton Research Centre | 28.7 | +0.6 | 37.4 | 10th | 12.9 | +0.9 | 6.5 | 22nd | 6.2 | 12.8 | average | 48% |
| Renmark Aero | 29.2 | 38.4 | 10th | 13.6 | 6.9 | 22nd | 7.4 | |||||
| Lower Murray Valley (district 24B) | ||||||||||||
| Eudunda | 26.1 | +0.5 | 34.2 | 9th | 12.8 | +0.6 | 5.5 | 22nd | 6.4 | 20.8 | low | 31% |
| Meningie | 24.7 | +0.4 | 36.1 | 9th | 12.0 | -0.6 | 5.9 | 22nd | 28.4 | 22.3 | high | 127% |
| Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome) | 26.5 | 36.1 | 9th | 12.1 | 5.4 | 22nd | 11.2 | |||||
| Murray Bridge Comparison | 27.7 | +1.0 | 37.5 | 9th | 13.1 | +0.2 | 6.5 | 22nd | 16.2 | 20.4 | average | 79% |
| Strathalbyn Racecourse | 25.3 | 35.7 | 9th | 12.9 | 8.0 | 6th | 7.6 | |||||
| Murray Mallee (district 25A) | ||||||||||||
| Karoonda | 28.0 | 37.0 | 9th | 11.9 | 6.4 | 22nd | 9.2 | 17.6 | average | 52% | ||
| Upper Southeast (district 25B) | ||||||||||||
| Keith | 26.9 | 0.0 | 36.5 | 9th | 11.1 | -0.4 | 3.4 | 22nd | 16.1 | 21.3 | average | 76% |
| Keith (Munkora) | 27.6 | 37.8 | 9th | 9.7 | 0.7 | 22nd | 20.0 | |||||
| Lameroo (Austin Plains) | 28.0 | 37.3 | 9th | 4.0 | 22nd | 14.2 | ||||||
| Lameroo Comparison | 27.8 | +0.2 | 36.5 | 9th | 13.1 | +1.5 | 5.5 | 22nd | 22.5 | 18.8 | average | 120% |
| Lower Southeast (district 26) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) | 22.2 | -0.5 | 33.4 | 9th | 12.0 | -0.4 | 8.2 | 7th | 28.6 | 22.6 | high | 127% |
| Coonawarra | 25.0 | 0.0 | 35.3 | 9th | 9.8 | -0.3 | 2.2 | 7th | 18.8 | 26.5 | average | 71% |
| Mount Gambier Aero | 23.7 | +0.6 | 35.8 | 9th | 10.6 | +0.1 | 5.3 | 20th | 41.0 | 35.4 | high | 116% |
| Naracoorte Aerodrome | 26.5 | 36.6 | 9th | 9.5 | 2.6 | 22nd | 14.8 | |||||
| Padthaway South | 26.3 | 36.2 | 9th | 9.4 | 1.7 | 22nd | 15.2 | |||||
| Robe Airfield | 21.9 | 30.2 | 4th | 10.3 | 3.4 | 7th | 20.4 | |||||
| Robe Comparison | 21.2 | +0.1 | 26.8 | 4th | 12.2 | -0.5 | 7.4 | 7th | 26.4 | 26.7 | average | 99% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
A Monthly Climate Summary is prepared to list the main features of the weather in South Australia using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, usually published in the fourth week of the month.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 8 am on Tuesday 1 April 2014. 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
Bureau of MeteorologyPhone (03) 9669 4057
Email media@bom.gov.au
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
