South Australia in July 2019: warmer and drier than average

Rainfall in July was below average across large areas of South Australia, making it the State's eighth-driest July on record and driest since 1997. Both daytime and night-time temperatures were warmer than average, resulting in South Australia's third-warmest July on record.

Driest July since 1997

  • July rainfall for South Australia was 68% below average, the eighth-lowest on record and the driest July for the State as a whole since 1997
  • Some areas of the South East districts had close to average rainfall, but most areas of the State had below to very much below average rainfall for July
  • The highest monthly totals were in the Lower South East and in the Adelaide Hills, with several sites recording more than 100 mm for July
  • The Pastoral districts recorded little or no rain for the month
  • The State's wettest day was in the 24 hours to 9am on the 11th, when a cold front brought severe winds, rain, and hail to southern parts of the State, with more than 25 mm recorded at sites in the Lower South East
  • Numerous sites had either their lowest total July rainfall on record or their lowest total July rainfall for at least 20 years, many since 1997
  • For the year-to-date, it has been South Australia's driest first seven months of the year since 1970, with rainfall below average across most of South Australia and large areas very much drier than average

Third-warmest July on record

Strong winds at times

  • Cold fronts brought strong winds to southern areas several times during the month
  • Gusts in excess of 100 km/h were recorded at several sites in southern and elevated areas on the 10th as a cold front crossed the State
  • Another cold front on the 23rd brought strong winds and the State's highest recorded gust for the month, 113 km/h at Mount Crawford
  • Total wind run for July was above average at many sites around Adelaide and in the South East

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057
Enquiries

Extremes in July 2019
Hottest day 28.2 °C at Ceduna AMO on the 20th
Warmest days on average 22.2 °C at Oodnadatta Airport
Coolest days on average 10.4 °C at Mount Lofty
Coldest day 7.4 °C at Mount Lofty on the 14th
Coldest night -3.5 °C at Yunta Airstrip on the 2nd
Coolest nights on average 4.0 °C at Yongala
Warmest nights on average 12.1 °C at Neptune Island
Warmest night 16.0 °C at Adelaide (Kent Town) on the 6th
Warmest on average overall 14.1 °C at Oodnadatta Airport
Coolest on average overall 8.1 °C at Mount Lofty
Wettest overall 139.2 mm at Kalangadoo (Mirnat)
Driest overall 0 mm at several locations
Wettest day 33.0 mm at Kalangadoo (Mirnat) on the 11th
Strongest wind gust 113 km/h at Mount Crawford AWS on the 23rd

Maps
ObservedAnomalyDecile rank
Total
rainfall
Map of Rainfall totals Map of Percentage of normal rainfall Map of Rainfall deciles
Mean
daily
maximum
temperatures
Map of Mean maximum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean maximum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean maximum temperature
Mean
daily
minimum
temperatures
Map of Mean minimum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean minimum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean minimum temperature

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window


Record lowest July total rainfall
New record
(mm)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
July
Snowtown (Rayville Park) 16.6 24.2 in 2018 22 39.8

Lowest July total rainfall for at least 20 years
Observed
(mm)
Most recent
lower
Average for
July
Maitland 37.0 33.8 in 1934* 66.0
Coulta 38.0 29.2 in 1994 89.1
Edinburgh RAAF 22.0 13.8 in 1997 53.2
Elliston 35.2 21.2 in 1997 70.5
Happy Valley Reservoir 49.4 37.2 in 1997 86.6
Kimba 13.0 8.6 in 1997 41.0
North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) 23.2 18.6 in 1997 55.9
Port Germein 7.5 5.4 in 1997 30.8
Sedan (Sandleton) 8.3 4.3 in 1997 25.7
Bute 21.7 15.8 in 1997* 47.8
Cape Willoughby 38.0 37.4 in 1997* 81.4
Cowell (Winter Springs) 9.2 8.6 in 1997* 34.7
Mount Ive 5.1 1.8 in 1997* 22.7
Ceduna AMO 10.6 7.6 in 1999 38.8
Cleve Aerodrome 15.8 12.0 in 1999 42.5
Kingscote Aero 41.2 30.8 in 1999 67.1
Streaky Bay 29.7 26.4 in 1997* 61.0

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




Record highest July temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
July
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 20.4 on the 6th 20.1 on the 21st in 2016 22 12.4



Highest July mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)
Most recent
higher
Average for
July
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) 14.8 15.1 in 1993 14.0
Keith 16.1 16.5 in 1994 15.0
Coonawarra 14.6 14.8 in 1999 13.9



Record highest July daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
July
Adelaide (Kent Town) 16.0 on the 6th 15.5 on the 1st in 2011 43 7.6



Record highest July mean daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
July
Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) 9.4 = 9.4 in 1975 94 7.5
Adelaide Airport 9.0 8.8 in 2013 64 7.1
Warooka 8.8 = 8.8 in 2002 60 7.6
Eudunda 7.3 6.9 in 1975 54 5.0
Loxton Research Centre 5.7 5.4 in 1999 35 3.9
Coonawarra 6.8 6.4 in 2013 33 5.2
Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) 8.0 7.9 in 2013 25 6.9
Renmark Aero 5.5 = 5.5 in 1996 23 3.8
Stenhouse Bay 10.1 9.9 in 2009 23 9.1
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 7.9 7.7 in 2013 21 6.7
Roseworthy AWS 6.8 6.7 in 2013 21 5.8

Highest July mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)
Most recent
higher
Average for
July
Mount Barker 7.2 7.4 in 1862* 4.6
Keith 6.9 =6.9 in 1990 5.6
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) 9.2 9.3 in 1992 7.6
Yongala 4.0 =4.0 in 1996 2.2
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) 5.3 5.4 in 1999 3.6
Mount Gambier Aero 6.6 6.7 in 1999 5.2

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported. A Stevenson screen was installed at Mount Barker around 1892 and the site was moved in 1997.




Record highest July mean temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
July
Adelaide (Kent Town) 12.7 = 12.7 in 2013 42 11.5
Leigh Creek Airport 12.6 12.1 in 2009 35 10.7
Loxton Research Centre 11.5 11.1 in 2018 35 9.9
Coonawarra 10.8 10.6 in 1999 33 9.5
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) 12.0 = 12.0 in 1992 27 10.8
Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) 10.3 = 10.3 in 2013 25 9.3
Renmark Aero 11.6 11.3 in 2018 23 10.1
Stenhouse Bay 13.1 = 13.1 in 2002 23 12.3
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 10.5 10.4 in 1999 21 9.5
Roseworthy AWS 11.5 11.4 in 2018 21 10.6
Yunta Airstrip 10.6 10.5 in 2017 21 9.4
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) 11.5 11.4 in 1999 20 10.3

Highest July mean temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)
Most recent
higher
Average for
July
Mount Barker 10.9 11.0 in 1867* 8.7
Adelaide Airport 12.6 12.8 in 1975 11.0
Andamooka 13.6 14.2 in 1975 12.2
Eudunda 10.7 11.3 in 1975 9.1
Keith 11.5 12.3 in 1975 10.3
Woomera Aerodrome 13.0 13.6 in 1975 11.4
Hawker 11.2 11.5 in 1975* 9.8
Mount Gambier Aero 10.5 10.6 in 1988 9.2

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported. A Stevenson screen was installed at Mount Barker around 1892 and the site was moved in 1997.




Summary statistics for July 2019
Maximum temperatures
(°C)
Minimum temperatures
(°C)
Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
July
2019
Diff
from
average
Highest for
July
2019
Mean for
July
2019
Diff
from
average
Lowest for
July
2019
Total for
July
2019
Average
for
July
Rank of
July
2019
Fraction of
July
average
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka 20.5 +2.0 26.0 28th 6.8 +0.9 2.4 2nd 0.1 11.4 low 1%
Coober Pedy Airport 20.8 +2.2 28.0 20th 6.8 +0.4 2.9 17th 0 4.7 lowest 0%
Ernabella (Pukatja) 20.8 +2.3 26.6 28th 6.1 +1.7 1.4 22nd 2.4 12.1 average 20%
Mount Ive 18.5   23.0 21st 6.2   2.0 19th 5.1 22.7 v low 22%
Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) 20.2 +1.6 25.6 28th 5.5 +1.3 -0.6 2nd 0 6.1 lowest 0%
Tarcoola Aero 20.7 +1.8 28.0 20th 4.9 +0.3 -1.8 2nd 2.8 11.3 low 25%
Woomera Aerodrome 19.1 +2.1 23.3 27th 6.9 +1.1 2.7 14th 0.6 14.1 v low 4%
Far North (district 17)
Leigh Creek Airport 19.3 +2.5 24.9 28th 6.0 +1.3 0.4 3rd 1.4 15.0 low 9%
Marree Aero 21.5 +2.2 26.5 28th 5.4 +0.4 0.5 2nd 0 4.5 lowest 0%
Moomba Airport 21.2 +1.4 26.1 28th 6.8 +0.5 2.6 2nd 0 12.8 lowest 0%
Oodnadatta Airport 22.2 +2.5 28.0 28th 6.1 +0.3 0.5 3rd 0 9.3 lowest 0%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO 18.5 +1.0 28.2 20th 5.3 -0.5 0.3 2nd 10.6 38.8 v low 27%
Cleve 16.3 +1.0 21.2 20th 8.0 +0.9 3.8 19th 25.4 45.9 low 55%
Cleve Aerodrome 16.2 +0.6 21.3 20th 8.0 +0.5 3.5 19th 15.8 42.5 v low 37%
Coffin Bay (Point Avoid) 16.3   20.4 20th 10.1   6.2 5th 28.2
Cultana (Defence) 18.0   22.0 28th 7.6   4.2 13th 7.8
Cummins Aero 16.1 +0.5 21.2 20th 6.2 +0.7 1.5 31st 39.8 65.4 v low 61%
Elliston 17.5 +1.0 24.6 21st 8.3 +0.4 2.9 19th 35.2 70.5 low 50%
Kimba 16.6 +1.1 21.0 20th 5.6 +0.6 2.2 14th 13.0 41.0 v low 32%
Kyancutta 18.4 +1.2 24.0 20th 5.2 +0.4 -0.4 19th 19.4 40.0 low 49%
Minnipa Pirsa 16.8 +0.6 23.7 20th 7.0 +0.3 3.4 5th 15.6 35.0 low 45%
Neptune Island 15.5 +0.2 17.1 22nd 12.1 +0.8 9.9 13th 33.2 75.6 v low 44%
North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) 16.3 +0.2 21.2 20th 8.1 +0.6 4.4 31st 23.2 55.9 v low 42%
Nullarbor 19.1 +0.8 25.2 19th 5.1 -0.1 0.1 18th 8.4 26.9 low 31%
Port Augusta Aero 18.8 +0.9 23.6 5th 6.3 +1.8 -0.4 2nd 3.0 15.5 v low 19%
Streaky Bay 17.0 +0.5 23.9 20th 7.7 -0.8 3.6 19th 29.7 61.0 low 49%
Whyalla Aero 18.0 +1.0 22.8 5th 6.3 +1.0 1.5 31st 3.4 21.9 v low 16%
Wudinna Aero 17.8 +0.8 23.9 20th 5.7 -0.6 -0.2 31st 14.6 34.4 low 42%
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker 17.0 +1.0 21.5 28th 5.4 +1.7 -1.1 2nd 12.9 33.0 low 39%
Yongala 14.0 +1.1 19.0 6th 4.0 +1.8 -0.5 31st 18.6 38.9 low 48%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) 17.8 +0.8 22.7 6th 5.3 +1.7 -0.8 19th 14.4 19.4 average 74%
Yunta Airstrip 17.3 +1.7 21.2 5th 4.1 +1.0 -3.5 2nd 6.0 14.4 average 42%
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School 13.7 +0.8 18.8 6th 5.0 +0.9 -0.1 19th 43.6 66.3 low 66%
Port Pirie Aerodrome AWS 17.5   23.1 6th 6.7   1.2 9th 17.0
Snowtown (Rayville Park) 16.0 +0.6 21.2 6th 5.1 +0.4 -0.9 30th 16.6 39.8 lowest 42%
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh 15.5 +0.4 18.7 20th 8.2 +0.7 4.2 24th 39.4 48.2 average 82%
Kadina AWS 16.1 +0.5 21.0 6th 5.5 +0.1 -0.1 19th 15.0 31.3 v low 48%
Minlaton Aero 15.8 +0.5 21.6 6th 8.0 +1.0 3.7 30th 30.8 49.0 low 63%
Stenhouse Bay 16.2 +0.7 20.8 6th 10.1 +1.0 6.8 27th 58.2 70.2 average 83%
Warooka 15.9 +0.9 20.1 7th 8.8 +1.2 5.6 13th 42.6 65.3 low 65%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda 14.8 +0.5 17.8 6th 9.6 +0.4 5.2 31st 48.4 89.6 v low 54%
Cape Willoughby 14.6 +0.4 17.6 6th 10.7 +0.9 7.4 13th 38.0 81.4 v low 47%
Kingscote Aero 16.0 +0.6 18.3 6th 7.1 +1.1 0.8 5th 41.2 67.1 low 61%
Parndana Cfs AWS 14.4   17.9 6th 7.6   4.4 13th 57.6
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide (Kent Town) 16.4 +1.1 21.8 6th 8.9 +1.3 5.4 30th 39.2 76.6 low 51%
Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) 16.1 +1.2 21.7 6th 9.4 +1.9 4.6 30th 39.8 66.3 low 60%
Adelaide Airport 16.1 +1.1 21.9 6th 9.0 +1.9 4.4 30th 33.8 59.6 low 57%
Edinburgh RAAF 16.0 +0.7 20.8 6th 7.5 +1.4 2.4 30th 22.0 53.2 v low 41%
Parafield Airport 16.3 +1.1 21.5 6th 7.3 +1.0 1.9 30th 34.8 59.0 low 59%
Roseworthy AWS 16.1 +0.7 22.3 6th 6.8 +1.0 1.9 4th 29.8 43.8 low 68%
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa Pirsa 13.9 +0.4 18.9 6th 5.7 +1.0 -0.2 31st 47.2 57.3 average 82%
Rosedale (Turretfield Research Centre) 15.6 +0.8 21.5 6th 5.9 +0.3 0.7 31st 45.2 59.3 average 76%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS 16.1 +0.8 21.3 6th 9.3 +1.3 5.5 5th 53.6 50.9 average 105%
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 13.1 +0.7 20.4 6th 7.9 +1.2 4.1 13th 86.2 111.5 low 77%
Mount Barker 14.6 +1.7 20.3 6th 7.2 +2.6 4.2 14th 80.0 107.4 low 74%
Mount Crawford AWS 11.6 +0.6 17.0 6th 6.6 +0.7 3.6 31st 71.2 96.4 average 74%
Mount Lofty 10.4 +1.7 16.3 5th 5.8 +0.8 2.4 31st 107.2 163.5 low 66%
Noarlunga 15.6 +0.8 21.8 6th 9.7 +1.0 6.1 30th 41.6 64.1 low 65%
Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) 12.5 +0.9 17.7 5th 8.0 +1.1 4.7 13th 96.2 128.1 low 75%
Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay) 16.1 +0.6 21.5 6th 7.9 +1.3 4.4 27th 70.6 82.3 low 86%
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre 17.2 +1.3 21.8 6th 5.7 +1.8 1.1 22nd 13.8 26.6 low 52%
Renmark Aero 17.6 +1.2 22.3 6th 5.5 +1.7 0.4 19th 13.2 18.3 low 72%
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda 14.0 +0.9 18.8 6th 7.3 +2.3 4.0 22nd 27.4 51.0 low 54%
Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome) 16.4 +0.7 20.9 20th 6.3 +1.6 1.2 5th 21.2 36.2 v low 59%
Strathalbyn Racecourse 15.8 +0.7 20.6 6th 7.9 +1.3 2.5 5th 42.0 55.3 average 76%
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda 16.6 +0.9 22.0 6th 6.3 +1.5 2.6 27th 21.6 34.9 low 62%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith 16.1 +1.1 21.5 6th 6.9 +1.3 1.6 30th 44.3 55.5 average 80%
Keith (Munkora) 15.6 +0.7 20.8 6th 6.5 +1.4 0.7 30th 43.0 55.6 low 77%
Lameroo (Austin Plains) 15.2 +0.5 20.3 6th 5.8 +1.4 1.8 30th 33.2 32.2 average 103%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) 14.8 +0.8 19.4 6th 9.2 +1.6 5.1 19th 65.4 82.5 average 79%
Coonawarra 14.6 +0.7 18.4 6th 6.8 +1.6 2.0 5th 72.8 80.4 average 91%
Mount Gambier Aero 14.3 +1.1 18.4 6th 6.6 +1.4 2.3 27th 112.0 100.8 average 111%
Naracoorte Aerodrome 14.6 +0.5 18.6 6th 6.9 +1.6 1.8 4th 61.4 61.3 average 100%
Padthaway South 15.0 +0.7 19.7 6th 7.0 +1.4 1.7 27th 58.8 64.7 average 91%
Robe Airfield 15.1 +0.6 19.4 6th 8.6 +1.9 1.3 19th 81.4 99.1 average 82%

Notes

The Monthly climate summary, generally published on the first working day of each month, lists 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. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Thursday 1 August 2019. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.

Averages for individual sites 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 10 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.

Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057
Enquiries

Creative Commons By Attribution logo Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence

Climate