Monday, 1 February 2021 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC13R0
South Australia in January 2021: heavy rain at times, generally mild temperatures
Rainfall totals for January were close to average across large areas of South Australia, but it was a wetter than average month for parts of the West Coast and across southern areas of the Pastoral districts. There were widespread heavy falls later in the month, particularly on the 25th. Mean maximum and minimum temperatures for January were generally close to average across most of South Australia, though days were cooler than average in parts of the west.
Heavy rain at times
- Rainfall totals for January were generally close to average across large areas of South Australia.
- January rainfall for South Australia as a whole was 21% below the long-term average.
- Rainfall was above to very much above average in parts of the West Coast, the Lower Eyre Peninsula, and across southern areas of the Pastoral districts.
- It was a drier than average month in parts of the state's south-east and across much of the north-east.
- On the 25th, the remnants of a tropical low combined with a cold front to bring widespread showers, rain and thunderstorms to South Australia.
- A rain band with embedded thunderstorms saw Panaramitee (near Yunta) record 107.8 mm for the 24 hours to 9am on the 26th and was one of several sites that had their highest January daily rainfall on record.
- Widespread rain continued to fall on most days during the last week of the month.
- Wilpena (Oraparinna) recorded 105.4 mm in the 24 hours to 9am on the 26th and with more rain recorded 2 days later was enough for its highest total January rainfall on record.
Many cool to mild days, some hot spells
- Mean maximum and minimum temperatures for January were generally close to average across most of South Australia.
- Daytime temperatures for January were generally close to average in the east, but cooler than average in the state's west.
- The mean maximum temperature for South Australia as a whole was 0.03 °C below average, the lowest since 2015.
- The hottest day was the 24th, when the state's highest temperature for the month of 45.3 °C was recorded at Port Augusta Aero and Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) equalled its highest January temperature on record.
- Hawker had its lowest January mean daily maximum temperature since 1992.
- Night-time temperatures for January were close to average throughout most of the state.
- The mean minimum temperature for South Australia as a whole was 0.19 °C above average, the lowest since 2005.
- After having a January record of 11 consecutive nights with minimum temperatures below 15 °C from the 13th to the 23rd, Renmark Aero recorded a minimum of 31.0 °C on the 25th, its warmest January night on record.
- Robe had its lowest January mean daily minimum temperature since 1996.
Fires
- Severe to locally Catastrophic fire weather conditions affected the state several times during the month.
- On the 11th, a grassfire started in the state's Lower South East and travelled in an easterly direction towards the town of Lucindale. The fire burnt through 16,800 hectares of land, with some properties damaged or destroyed, and significant losses to livestock and fencing. Electricity was also cut to over 3,000 homes.
- From the 24th, fires in the Adelaide Hills at Cherry Gardens destroyed property and burnt more than 2,500 hectares of land, while another fire began at Clarendon and burnt through 1,200 hectares.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Extremes in January 2021 | |
---|---|
Hottest day |
45.3 °C at Port Augusta Aero on the 24th |
Warmest days on average |
37.6 °C at Moomba Airport |
Coolest days on average |
21.2 °C at Cape Willoughby |
Coldest day |
16.3 °C at Cape Willoughby on the 5th 16.3 °C at Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) on the 16th |
Coldest night |
3.9 °C at Naracoorte Aerodrome on the 20th |
Coolest nights on average |
10.7 °C at Keith (Munkora) |
Warmest nights on average |
24.1 °C at Moomba Airport |
Warmest night |
33.2 °C at Oodnadatta Airport on the 24th |
Warmest on average overall |
30.8 °C at Moomba Airport |
Coolest on average overall |
17.5 °C at Robe |
Wettest overall |
110.4 mm at Yunta (Panaramitee) |
Wettest day |
107.8 mm at Yunta (Panaramitee) on the 26th |
Strongest wind gust |
85 km/h at Port Augusta Aero on the 25th |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Maps | |||
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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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Record highest January daily rainfall | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
||||
Yunta (Panaramitee) | 107.8 | on the 26th | 66.2 | on the 21st in 2007 | 115 | |
Wilpena (Oraparinna) | 105.4 | on the 26th | 45.4 | on the 20th in 2017 | 32 | |
Belair | 34.0 | on the 26th | 22.8 | on the 21st in 2007 | 24 | |
Adelaide (Keswick) | 28.2 | on the 26th | 25.2 | on the 20th in 2005 | 20 | |
Longwood Alert | 36.8 | on the 26th | 32.2 | on the 20th in 2020 | 20 |
Record highest January total rainfall | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for January |
||
Wilpena (Oraparinna) | 110.0 | 91.0 | in 2007 | 32 | 23.1 |
Record highest January temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for January |
|||
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) | 41.8 | on the 24th | = 41.8 | on the 24th in 2019 | 30 | 24.7 |
Lowest January mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for January |
|||
Hawker | 32.2 | 31.6 | in 1992* | 34.4 |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported
Record highest January daily minimum temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for January |
|||
Renmark Aero | 31.0 | on the 25th | 30.4 | on the 31st in 2020 | 26 | 16.4 |
Lowest January mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for January |
|||
Robe | 13.0 | =13.0 | in 1996 | 13.6 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Summary statistics for January 2021 | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
Mean for January 2021 |
Diff from average |
Highest for January 2021 |
Mean for January 2021 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for January 2021 |
Total for January 2021 |
Average for January |
Rank of January 2021 |
Fraction of January average |
|||
Northwest (district 16) | ||||||||||||
Andamooka | 35.4 | -1.2 | 43.6 | 23rd | 20.9 | -0.6 | 15.3 | 16th | 16.6 | 18.1 | average | 92% |
Coober Pedy Airport | 34.9 | -2.0 | 44.2 | 23rd | 20.7 | -1.6 | 14.2 | 4th | 5.6 | 13.4 | average | 42% |
Ernabella (Pukatja) | 34.3 | -1.2 | 40.4 | 13th | 20.8 | -0.4 | 14.5 | 17th | 41.4 | 28.9 | high | 143% |
Mount Ive | 32.9 | 42.0 | 24th | 17.0 | 14.8 | high | 115% | |||||
Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) | 34.8 | -2.4 | 43.3 | 23rd | 20.2 | -1.1 | 14.8 | 16th | 15.4 | 13.0 | high | 118% |
Tarcoola Aero | 34.6 | -2.2 | 44.6 | 23rd | 18.1 | -1.7 | 12.9 | 6th | 3.4 | 11.7 | average | 29% |
Woomera Aerodrome | 34.0 | -0.7 | 42.9 | 23rd | 19.1 | -0.5 | 13.4 | 16th | 47.0 | 16.7 | v high | 281% |
Far North (district 17) | ||||||||||||
Arkaroola | 33.3 | -1.3 | 41.4 | 24th | 20.1 | -0.2 | 13.2 | 16th | 48.6 | 34.3 | high | 142% |
Leigh Creek Airport | 34.7 | -1.2 | 42.7 | 24th | 20.3 | -0.7 | 13.6 | 6th | 44.4 | 23.1 | high | 192% |
Marree Aero | 37.3 | -1.7 | 44.2 | 24th | 22.0 | -1.1 | 17.4 | 6th | 6.4 | 17.0 | average | 38% |
Moomba Airport | 37.6 | -1.4 | 42.7 | 23rd | 24.1 | -0.8 | 16.8 | 17th | 3.6 | 13.3 | average | 27% |
Oodnadatta Airport | 37.3 | -0.7 | 44.9 | 23rd | 22.2 | -0.9 | 17.7 | 4th | 26.8 | 23.5 | high | 114% |
Western Agricultural (district 18) | ||||||||||||
Ceduna AMO | 27.6 | -1.1 | 44.7 | 23rd | 15.4 | +0.1 | 8.7 | 17th | 21.6 | 12.6 | high | 171% |
Cleve | 27.0 | -1.4 | 42.1 | 24th | 16.5 | +0.8 | 11.1 | 15th | 12.8 | 16.0 | average | 80% |
Cleve Aerodrome | 27.4 | -1.8 | 42.8 | 24th | 15.7 | -0.4 | 10.9 | 15th | 7.6 | 16.0 | average | 48% |
Coffin Bay (Point Avoid) | 23.9 | 37.6 | 10th | 15.3 | 12.7 | 20th | 17.2 | |||||
Cultana (Defence) | 32.0 | 42.9 | 24th | 17.4 | 12.0 | 15th | 4.8 | |||||
Cummins Aero | 28.7 | -1.8 | 42.6 | 23rd | 14.5 | -0.7 | 6.3 | 15th | 13.4 | 14.7 | high | 91% |
Elliston | 26.3 | +0.3 | 41.3 | 23rd | 16.1 | +0.3 | 12.3 | 18th | 20.2 | 10.8 | high | 187% |
Kimba | 30.7 | -0.9 | 41.5 | 23rd | 15.4 | -0.3 | 9.0 | 16th | 15.0 | 17.4 | average | 86% |
Kyancutta | 32.5 | -0.6 | 45.1 | 23rd | 14.8 | +0.3 | 6.6 | 16th | 12.4 | 14.5 | average | 86% |
Minnipa PIRSA | 30.9 | -2.2 | 42.7 | 23rd | 15.3 | -0.8 | 9.3 | 16th | 18.0 | 11.5 | high | 157% |
Neptune Island | 21.4 | -0.7 | 30.2 | 24th | 16.1 | -0.1 | 14.1 | 6th | 20.2 | 13.1 | high | 154% |
North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) | 25.3 | -1.0 | 37.4 | 24th | 15.3 | -0.5 | 11.7 | 14th | 11.4 | 15.0 | average | 76% |
Nullarbor | 26.4 | -1.7 | 43.1 | 23rd | 15.9 | -0.1 | 10.0 | 27th | 50.4 | 12.6 | v high | 400% |
Port Augusta Aero | 33.0 | -1.3 | 45.3 | 24th | 18.5 | -1.1 | 14.2 | 16th | 0.6 | 12.3 | low | 5% |
Streaky Bay | 28.5 | -0.9 | 42.9 | 23rd | 15.5 | -0.6 | 10.1 | 16th | 41.2 | 11.2 | v high | 368% |
Whyalla Aero | 29.4 | -0.9 | 43.7 | 24th | 17.6 | -0.2 | 14.2 | 23rd | 13.8 | 16.8 | average | 82% |
Wudinna Aero | 31.6 | -2.0 | 43.8 | 23rd | 15.1 | -0.5 | 7.1 | 16th | 14.0 | 14.1 | average | 99% |
Upper North (district 19) | ||||||||||||
Hawker | 32.2 | -2.2 | 41.5 | 23rd | 17.2 | -0.9 | 10.6 | 16th | 18.5 | 20.0 | high | 93% |
Yongala | 30.9 | 0.0 | 40.0 | 24th | 13.9 | +0.3 | 4.4 | 16th | 2.4 | 23.0 | low | 10% |
Northeast (district 20) | ||||||||||||
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) | 32.9 | -1.1 | 43.7 | 24th | 14.6 | -1.3 | 7.3 | 16th | 9.0 | 17.9 | average | 50% |
Yunta Airstrip | 31.9 | -2.1 | 40.5 | 23rd | 15.6 | -1.1 | 9.2 | 16th | 34.4 | 21.0 | high | 164% |
Lower North (district 21) | ||||||||||||
Clare High School | 29.6 | -0.8 | 41.2 | 24th | 13.8 | -1.1 | 7.4 | 18th | 11.6 | 22.6 | average | 51% |
Port Pirie Aerodrome AWS | 32.3 | 44.9 | 24th | 15.4 | 8.9 | 16th | 7.0 | |||||
Snowtown (Rayville Park) | 31.7 | -1.2 | 43.8 | 24th | 13.9 | -0.7 | 9.5 | 15th | 6.6 | 16.1 | average | 41% |
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A) | ||||||||||||
Edithburgh | 25.1 | -0.4 | 44.5 | 24th | 16.4 | -0.4 | 11.5 | 13th | 10.8 | 12.8 | average | 84% |
Kadina AWS | 30.1 | -2.0 | 43.8 | 24th | 15.1 | -0.6 | 10.5 | 19th | 14.8 | 13.7 | average | 108% |
Minlaton Aero | 28.9 | -0.8 | 41.9 | 24th | 14.9 | -0.4 | 8.7 | 14th | 5.2 | 13.2 | average | 39% |
Stenhouse Bay | 24.0 | -1.3 | 37.4 | 24th | 16.2 | -0.6 | 13.8 | 6th | 1.6 | 13.8 | low | 12% |
Warooka | 27.1 | -0.2 | 39.6 | 24th | 16.0 | +0.4 | 11.1 | 14th | 13.8 | 14.3 | average | 97% |
Kangaroo Island (district 22B) | ||||||||||||
Cape Borda | 23.6 | -1.2 | 37.0 | 24th | 14.5 | 0.0 | 10.6 | 13th | 22.4 | 15.6 | high | 144% |
Cape Willoughby | 21.2 | -0.6 | 37.8 | 24th | 15.8 | -0.1 | 13.1 | 15th | 19.6 | 18.4 | high | 107% |
Kingscote Aero | 25.7 | -1.1 | 40.9 | 24th | 13.2 | -0.2 | 8.0 | 21st | 16.0 | 14.8 | average | 108% |
Parndana CFS AWS | 25.0 | 40.5 | 24th | 13.0 | 8.8 | 14th | 19.0 | 17.5 | average | 109% | ||
Adelaide Plains (district 23A) | ||||||||||||
Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) | 28.9 | +0.3 | 42.7 | 24th | 16.7 | +0.1 | 12.2 | 14th | 30.6 | 19.9 | high | 154% |
Adelaide Airport | 27.9 | -0.3 | 42.0 | 24th | 16.6 | +0.5 | 12.4 | 18th | 26.0 | 17.9 | high | 145% |
Edinburgh RAAF | 29.8 | -0.3 | 44.6 | 24th | 15.6 | -1.0 | 10.0 | 19th | 15.0 | 20.9 | average | 72% |
Parafield Airport | 30.5 | +0.7 | 43.9 | 24th | 15.6 | -0.8 | 9.0 | 18th | 16.8 | 20.9 | average | 80% |
Roseworthy AWS | 30.8 | -1.2 | 44.8 | 24th | 13.1 | -1.9 | 5.9 | 18th | 16.4 | 17.0 | average | 96% |
County Light (district 23B) | ||||||||||||
Nuriootpa PIRSA | 29.5 | -0.7 | 41.4 | 24th | 13.4 | -1.2 | 5.5 | 14th | 5.8 | 16.0 | low | 36% |
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C) | ||||||||||||
Hindmarsh Island AWS | 24.4 | -1.3 | 43.1 | 24th | 15.7 | -0.5 | 9.9 | 20th | 10.0 | 16.9 | average | 59% |
Kuitpo Forest Reserve | 25.2 | -1.1 | 40.1 | 24th | 13.6 | -0.7 | 9.9 | 15th | 30.0 | 27.5 | average | 109% |
Mount Barker | 27.9 | +0.6 | 41.0 | 24th | 12.5 | +0.6 | 8.2 | 20th | 27.8 | 26.0 | average | 107% |
Mount Crawford AWS | 26.9 | -0.8 | 40.1 | 24th | 13.3 | -0.8 | 8.7 | 18th | 27.4 | 23.1 | average | 119% |
Mount Lofty | 24.6 | +2.1 | 37.2 | 24th | 12.3 | -0.1 | 8.0 | 18th | 33.0 | 36.2 | average | 91% |
Noarlunga | 27.8 | -1.0 | 42.9 | 24th | 16.7 | -0.5 | 12.0 | 14th | 16.2 | |||
Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) | 23.1 | -0.7 | 39.7 | 24th | 13.6 | -0.3 | 10.4 | 6th | 33.2 | 27.9 | average | 119% |
Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay) | 24.4 | -0.8 | 42.8 | 24th | 13.4 | -1.3 | 7.9 | 20th | 15.2 | 21.1 | average | 72% |
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A) | ||||||||||||
Loxton Research Centre | 31.9 | -0.2 | 43.2 | 24th | 14.4 | -0.4 | 9.1 | 14th | 12.6 | 18.6 | average | 68% |
Renmark Aero | 32.4 | -1.4 | 44.7 | 24th | 15.3 | -1.1 | 8.0 | 16th | 13.4 | 18.6 | average | 72% |
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B) | ||||||||||||
Eudunda | 29.8 | +0.4 | 41.2 | 24th | 13.7 | -0.4 | 8.5 | 16th | 10.6 | 22.0 | average | 48% |
Meningie | 26.4 | +0.1 | 43.2 | 24th | 14.4 | +0.3 | 9.2 | 20th | 12.6 | 18.6 | average | 68% |
Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome) | 29.2 | -1.5 | 45.1 | 24th | 13.7 | -0.8 | 8.3 | 22nd | 18.8 | 13.6 | high | 138% |
Strathalbyn Racecourse | 27.1 | -1.0 | 43.8 | 24th | 14.1 | -0.7 | 8.3 | 20th | 23.8 | 17.2 | high | 138% |
Upper Southeast (district 25B) | ||||||||||||
Keith | 30.5 | +0.4 | 43.6 | 24th | 13.2 | 0.0 | 7.0 | 16th | 18.2 | 19.2 | average | 95% |
Keith (Munkora) | 30.5 | -0.5 | 40.0 | 11th | 10.7 | -1.6 | 4.1 | 16th | 10.0 | 20.6 | average | 49% |
Lameroo (Austin Plains) | 31.6 | -0.8 | 43.4 | 24th | 13.0 | -1.3 | 5.4 | 16th | 24.8 | 25.7 | average | 96% |
Lower Southeast (district 26) | ||||||||||||
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) | 23.6 | -1.1 | 41.8 | 24th | 13.3 | -0.4 | 7.6 | 20th | 28.2 | 18.4 | high | 153% |
Coonawarra | 28.1 | +0.6 | 42.3 | 24th | 12.0 | +0.3 | 6.0 | 17th | 13.4 | 27.4 | average | 49% |
Mount Gambier Aero | 26.2 | +0.8 | 42.6 | 24th | 12.2 | +0.9 | 5.7 | 20th | 39.6 | 27.1 | high | 146% |
Naracoorte Aerodrome | 29.6 | -0.2 | 43.9 | 24th | 11.5 | -0.2 | 3.9 | 20th | 12.6 | 21.8 | average | 58% |
Padthaway South | 29.2 | -0.1 | 42.6 | 24th | 12.3 | -0.2 | 6.7 | 20th | 15.6 | 22.7 | average | 69% |
Robe | 21.9 | -0.6 | 35.4 | 24th | 13.0 | -0.6 | 8.1 | 16th | 53.0 | 20.5 | v high | 259% |
Robe Airfield | 23.6 | -0.9 | 42.1 | 24th | 12.9 | 0.0 | 7.8 | 20th | 47.2 | 22.2 | high | 213% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
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 Monday 1 February 2021. 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
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence