Wednesday, 1 May 2019 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC13R0

South Australia in April 2019: drier than average and warm days

Rainfall for April was below to very much below average in most districts away from the West Coast and parts of the Flinders and Northeast Pastoral districts. Daytime temperatures for April were very much above average across large areas of South Australia, particularly across central and western districts. Night-time temperatures weren't as extreme, but were still warmer than average in most areas, with near average minimum temperatures in some northern and southeastern areas.

Driest April for two decades

• Rainfall during April was below average across parts of the northern Pastoral districts and in southeastern South Australia, including small areas of driest on record
• Most of the State had less than 40% of the monthly average rainfall for April
• For South Australia as a whole, it was the driest April since 1999, with monthly rainfall 81% below average
• The highest totals were in southern coastal districts, with 24.3 mm at Flinders Chase (Rocky River) on Kangaroo Island being the State's wettest spot for the month
• For the State as a whole, the wettest day was on the 21st as a result of light to moderate rainfall along the West Coast during the passage of a cold front
• Most areas of the State had less than 10 mm for the month and the Pastoral districts generally had little or no rain
• Lake Eyre (North) / Kati-Thanda is about one half full from river inflows earlier in the year and follow-up inflows are possible by June from major flooding in the Diamantina catchment during February and March
• For the January to April period, most districts across the State have had one of their ten driest starts to the year on record, including several eastern Agricultural districts that have had either their driest or second-driest (behind only 1923) start to the year since national rainfall records began in 1900
• Many sites in southeastern and northern South Australia, including in the Greater Adelaide region, had either their lowest total April rainfall on record or their lowest total April rainfall for at least 20 years

Warmer than average

• Daytime temperatures for April were very much above average across large areas of the State, particularly in the northwest and central districts
• The mean maximum temperature for South Australia as a whole was 2.46 °C above average, the sixth-highest on record for April
• For the January to April period, South Australia has had its warmest start to the year on record for mean maximum temperature (previous warmest January to April period was in 2018)
• Night-time temperatures in April weren't as extreme, but were still warmer than average in most areas, including a small area of very much above average minimum temperatures around Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula
• There were small, isolated patches of cooler than average minimum temperatures in some central and eastern districts
• The State's mean minimum temperature was 0.80 °C warmer than average for April
• On the 17th, several sites had their warmest April night on record

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

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* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top