Monday, 3 February 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC13R0

South Australia in January 2020: rain in the west and some central districts, some cooler than average days

Rainfall in January was below average for South Australia as a whole, but it was a wetter than average month in the west and for some central districts. Both daytime and night-time temperatures were generally close to average, but it was a warmer than average month in the State's north.

Wet in the west and some central districts

• Rainfall in January was above average in some central and western areas of South Australia
• Large areas of the Northeast Pastoral district and some southern and eastern districts had less than 40% of their January monthly average rainfall
• For South Australia as a whole, rainfall for January was 25% below average
• The highest monthly totals were in the Mount Lofty Ranges east and south of Adelaide, with 73.8 mm at Prospect Hill the wettest location
• The wettest day for the State as a whole was the 6th, with widespread totals of 10 mm or more as a cloud band crossed the State, but there were areas of raised dust in the northeast of the State on the same day
• On the 20th, rainfall totals of more than 25 mm were recorded in the Mount Lofty Ranges, and Kuitpo Forest Reserve had its highest January daily rainfall on record
• A few sites had their highest total January rainfall since the 1970s

Warmer than average, but some cold days

• Daytime temperatures for January were generally close to average or warmer than average across South Australia, though slightly below average through western inland areas
• During the first half of the month, very hot days on the 3rd and 9th were offset by cold days on the 4th and 5th
• On the 4th and 5th, a band of very much below average temperatures behind a low pressure trough extended across the State from the northwest to the southeast, and many sites had their coldest January day on record
• Temperatures were generally near-average or cooler than average across the Agricultural districts during the second half of January, although the month ended with three days of hot weather across southern districts
• The mean maximum temperature for South Australia was 1.16 °C above average, but after several very warm years, it was the lowest for January since 2016
• Night-time temperatures for January were generally near-average or cooler than average in the south, but warmer than average in the State's north
• On the 17th, a cold morning in the South East saw Padthaway South have its lowest January temperature on record
• Heatwave conditions at the end of the month saw several sites have their warmest January night on record
• The mean minimum temperature for South Australia was 0.48 °C above average, the lowest for January since 2015
• Kimba and Streaky Bay had their lowest January mean daily minimum temperature since 1996

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 higher value has gone unreported

* 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