Wednesday, 1 November 2023 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC13R0
South Australia in October 2023
Rainfall
- Rainfall in October was below to very much below average across most areas of South Australia, particularly in the state's west.
- Rainfall for South Australia as a whole was 76% below the 1961–1990 average for October, the state's driest October since 2019 (2019 was South Australia's second-driest October on record).
- Cold fronts brought strong winds at times, with Port Augusta Aero recording at maximum daily wind gust of 107 km/h on the 2nd, the site's strongest gust on record in October.
Temperature
- Mean maximum temperatures in October were generally slightly warmer than average in most areas of South Australia, including above average areas in the state's far east and around the Eyre Peninsula.
- The mean maximum temperature for South Australia as a whole was 0.83 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the highest in October since 2019.
- The highest temperature recorded in South Australia during October was 40.7 °C at Moomba Airport on the 30th.
- Mean minimum temperatures were generally cooler than average in most areas of South Australia, including areas of below to very much below average in central and eastern agricultural districts.
- The mean minimum temperature for South Australia as a whole was 0.32 °C below the 1961–1990 average, the lowest in October since 2016.
- Cold air and settled conditions in the wake of cold fronts resulted in overnight temperatures that were very much below average several times during the month, with a few sites having their lowest October temperature on record.
- The lowest temperature recorded during the month was -3.3 °C at Keith (Munkora) on the 26th, which was the equal-fourth-lowest temperature on record in South Australia during October.
- Several sites had their lowest October mean daily minimum temperature on record or their lowest October mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years.
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Extremes in October 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 40.7 °C at Moomba Airport on the 30th |
| Warmest days on average | 30.9 °C at Moomba Airport |
| Coolest days on average | 16.1 °C at Mount Lofty |
| Coldest day | 10.0 °C at Mount Lofty on the 5th |
| Coldest night | -3.3 °C at Keith (Munkora) on the 26th |
| Coolest nights on average | 4.9 °C at Keith (Munkora) |
| Warmest nights on average | 15.4 °C at Moomba Airport |
| Warmest night | 26.3 °C at Oodnadatta Airport on the 2nd |
| Warmest on average overall | 23.2 °C at Moomba Airport |
| Coolest on average overall | 11.4 °C at Mount Lofty |
| Wettest overall | 66.2 mm at Mount Lofty |
| Wettest day | 30.8 mm at Uraidla (Sutton Creek) on the 6th |
| Strongest wind gust | 107 km/h at Port Augusta Aero on the 2nd |
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 October temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for October |
|||
| Meningie | -1.0 | on the 17th | -0.1 | on the 3rd in 1967 | 58 | 9.5 |
| Wudinna Aero | -1.9 | on the 26th | -1.4 | on the 7th in 2010 | 25 | 8.9 |
| Lameroo (Austin Plains) | -0.8 | on the 26th | -0.4 | on the 14th in 2014 | 20 | 7.5 |
| Record lowest October mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for October |
||
| Keith | 6.5 | 6.6 | in 1987 | 68 | 8.2 |
| Padthaway South | 5.7 | 6.3 | in 2021 | 23 | 7.7 |
| Lowest October mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for October |
|||
| Streaky Bay | 9.8 | 9.6 | in 1966* | 11.5 | |
| Cleve | 9.1 | 8.7 | in 2003 | 10.3 | |
| Kyancutta | 7.1 | 6.6 | in 2003 | 8.4 | |
| Snowtown (Rayville Park) | 6.0 | 4.6 | in 2003 | 7.2 | |
| Tarcoola Aero | 10.5 | 9.2 | in 2003 | 12.2 | |
| Wudinna Aero | 7.2 | 6.6 | in 2003 | 8.9 | |
* 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
| Summary statistics for October 2023 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for October 2023 |
Diff from average |
Highest for October 2023 |
Mean for October 2023 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for October 2023 |
Total for October 2023 |
Average for October |
Rank of October 2023 |
Fraction of October average |
|||
| Northwest (district 16) | ||||||||||||
| Andamooka | 28.4 | +0.1 | 38.8 | 2nd | 13.4 | -0.3 | 8.8 | 26th | 1.8 | 19.3 | low | 9% |
| Coober Pedy Airport | 28.4 | -0.5 | 39.3 | 2nd | 13.1 | -1.1 | 7.8 | 5th | 0 | 13.1 | lowest | 0% |
| Ernabella (Pukatja) | 29.3 | +0.1 | 37.7 | 30th | 13.4 | -0.9 | 7.7 | 27th | 0 | 21.9 | lowest | 0% |
| Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) | 28.3 | -0.2 | 39.6 | 2nd | 12.3 | -0.5 | 5.1 | 27th | 0.6 | 15.9 | low | 4% |
| Tarcoola Aero | 28.5 | 0.0 | 39.6 | 2nd | 10.5 | -1.7 | 2.9 | 5th | 1.0 | 18.6 | low | 5% |
| Woomera Aerodrome | 27.1 | +0.6 | 39.3 | 2nd | 12.4 | -0.1 | 6.6 | 5th | 1.2 | 16.7 | low | 7% |
| Far North (district 17) | ||||||||||||
| Leigh Creek Airport | 27.7 | +0.5 | 38.5 | 2nd | 12.3 | -0.4 | 5.4 | 5th | 4.2 | 18.6 | average | 23% |
| Marree Aero | 29.8 | -0.3 | 39.9 | 2nd | 13.2 | -0.9 | 6.3 | 27th | 0.2 | 12.2 | low | 2% |
| Moomba Airport | 30.9 | +0.1 | 40.7 | 30th | 15.4 | -0.4 | 9.7 | 27th | 0 | 9.9 | lowest | 0% |
| Oodnadatta Airport | 30.6 | +0.1 | 39.9 | 1st | 14.2 | -1.1 | 8.6 | 28th | 0 | 13.4 | lowest | 0% |
| Western Agricultural (district 18) | ||||||||||||
| Ceduna AMO | 23.8 | -0.2 | 39.2 | 2nd | 9.5 | -0.6 | -0.1 | 26th | 6.6 | 25.1 | low | 26% |
| Cleve | 23.3 | +0.9 | 34.8 | 2nd | 9.1 | -1.2 | 2.9 | 5th | 5.1 | 36.0 | v low | 14% |
| Cleve Aerodrome | 23.0 | -0.1 | 35.6 | 2nd | 8.9 | -1.1 | 4.7 | 8th | 4.8 | 28.7 | low | 17% |
| Coffin Bay (Point Avoid) | 20.2 | 28.9 | 2nd | 11.1 | 6.7 | 27th | 4.6 | |||||
| Cultana (Defence) | 25.8 | 37.8 | 2nd | 10.6 | 6.3 | 5th | 21.2 | |||||
| Cummins Aero | 22.6 | -0.6 | 33.5 | 19th | 6.5 | -1.6 | 1.4 | 26th | 6.4 | 26.2 | low | 24% |
| Elliston | 22.7 | +0.9 | 32.7 | 2nd | 11.2 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 26th | 10.6 | 30.0 | low | 35% |
| Kyancutta | 26.3 | +0.9 | 37.6 | 2nd | 7.1 | -1.3 | 0.5 | 26th | 2.9 | 25.5 | low | 11% |
| Minnipa PIRSA | 25.1 | -0.2 | 36.7 | 2nd | 8.9 | -1.4 | 1.8 | 26th | 6.2 | 22.6 | average | 27% |
| Neptune Island | 17.7 | +0.2 | 24.3 | 11th | 12.5 | +0.1 | 9.1 | 26th | 6.2 | 26.1 | low | 24% |
| North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) | 21.2 | +0.3 | 33.0 | 2nd | 9.4 | -0.2 | 5.3 | 29th | 5.8 | 29.1 | low | 20% |
| Nullarbor | 24.2 | -0.5 | 38.1 | 2nd | 9.8 | -0.6 | 3.5 | 5th | 7.4 | 17.9 | average | 41% |
| Port Augusta Aero | 26.4 | -0.7 | 39.1 | 2nd | 11.9 | 0.0 | 6.2 | 5th | 8.2 | 18.9 | average | 43% |
| Streaky Bay | 23.5 | +0.5 | 37.0 | 2nd | 9.8 | -1.7 | 4.4 | 5th | 6.8 | 25.8 | low | 26% |
| Whyalla Aero | 23.3 | -0.8 | 37.6 | 2nd | 10.5 | -0.3 | 5.4 | 5th | 11.2 | 22.9 | average | 49% |
| Wudinna Aero | 25.9 | -0.1 | 37.7 | 2nd | 7.2 | -1.7 | -1.9 | 26th | 8.0 | 21.0 | average | 38% |
| Upper North (district 19) | ||||||||||||
| Hawker | 25.2 | -0.6 | 35.0 | 2nd | 9.6 | -0.4 | 4.0 | 22nd | 26.2 | 24.8 | average | 106% |
| Yongala | 22.8 | +0.8 | 32.9 | 2nd | -1.7 | 26th | 4.4 | 32.8 | v low | 13% | ||
| Northeast (district 20) | ||||||||||||
| Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) | 26.0 | +0.2 | 38.5 | 2nd | 7.8 | -1.0 | 1.5 | 26th | 7.2 | 24.2 | average | 30% |
| Yunta Airstrip | 25.4 | +0.3 | 37.5 | 2nd | 8.3 | -1.1 | 2.6 | 5th | 22.0 | 23.9 | average | 92% |
| Lower North (district 21) | ||||||||||||
| Clare High School | 21.3 | +0.2 | 31.0 | 2nd | 7.8 | -0.2 | 1.3 | 5th | 18.0 | 46.3 | low | 39% |
| Port Pirie Aerodrome AWS | 24.7 | 36.6 | 2nd | 9.3 | 0.6 | 26th | 21.2 | |||||
| Snowtown (Rayville Park) | 24.3 | -0.2 | 34.6 | 2nd | 6.0 | -1.2 | -0.2 | 26th | 3.0 | 25.7 | low | 12% |
| Yorke Peninsula (district 22A) | ||||||||||||
| Edithburgh | 20.9 | +0.5 | 34.2 | 11th | 10.9 | +0.1 | 7.5 | 30th | 16.4 | 29.1 | low | 56% |
| Kadina AWS | 22.9 | -1.2 | 33.8 | 11th | 7.7 | -0.8 | 1.3 | 17th | 6.4 | 22.6 | low | 28% |
| Minlaton Aero | 22.0 | -0.6 | 33.3 | 11th | 9.0 | -0.4 | 3.7 | 26th | 8.8 | 26.0 | low | 34% |
| Stenhouse Bay | 19.8 | -0.2 | 29.1 | 2nd | 11.9 | +0.2 | 5.6 | 23rd | 6.0 | 29.5 | low | 20% |
| Kangaroo Island (district 22B) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Borda | 17.4 | -0.7 | 26.8 | 19th | 9.4 | -0.7 | 5.6 | 23rd | 14.8 | 29.0 | average | 51% |
| Cape Willoughby | 18.2 | +0.5 | 28.1 | 19th | 11.8 | +0.3 | 8.5 | 4th | 11.8 | 40.9 | v low | 29% |
| Kingscote Aero | 20.5 | +0.3 | 31.1 | 19th | 5.8 | -1.5 | -0.1 | 23rd | 9.6 | 30.6 | low | 31% |
| Parndana CFS AWS | 18.7 | 0.0 | 28.9 | 19th | 7.4 | -1.0 | 3.1 | 29th | 15.8 | 34.2 | low | 46% |
| Adelaide Plains (district 23A) | ||||||||||||
| Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) | 21.5 | +0.1 | 32.4 | 11th | 10.8 | -0.4 | 5.0 | 26th | 11.6 | 44.1 | v low | 26% |
| Adelaide Airport | 20.9 | -0.3 | 32.0 | 11th | 10.7 | -0.1 | 5.3 | 26th | 13.0 | 35.6 | low | 37% |
| Edinburgh RAAF | 22.5 | +0.1 | 34.1 | 11th | 10.2 | +0.1 | 4.0 | 26th | 8.6 | 37.0 | low | 23% |
| Parafield Airport | 23.0 | +0.9 | 33.7 | 11th | 10.1 | -0.1 | 2.6 | 26th | 9.8 | 39.8 | v low | 25% |
| Roseworthy AWS | 23.3 | -0.4 | 34.4 | 11th | 7.7 | -0.1 | -1.2 | 26th | 15.8 | 34.0 | average | 46% |
| County Light (district 23B) | ||||||||||||
| Nuriootpa PIRSA | 21.4 | 0.0 | 31.6 | 19th | 7.8 | -0.5 | 0.4 | 26th | 16.4 | 37.7 | low | 44% |
| Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C) | ||||||||||||
| Hindmarsh Island AWS | 20.6 | -0.4 | 32.2 | 11th | 10.3 | -0.6 | 6.0 | 8th | 26.4 | 29.1 | average | 91% |
| Kuitpo Forest Reserve | 18.1 | -0.7 | 28.5 | 11th | 8.5 | -0.7 | 4.5 | 23rd | 24.8 | 52.3 | low | 47% |
| Mount Barker | 20.3 | +0.7 | 30.4 | 19th | 7.2 | -0.1 | 2.3 | 23rd | 23.2 | 65.5 | low | 35% |
| Mount Crawford AWS | 18.3 | 0.0 | 28.5 | 11th | 7.6 | -0.9 | 2.8 | 26th | 21.0 | 47.8 | low | 44% |
| Mount Lofty | 16.1 | +0.8 | 26.3 | 11th | 6.8 | -0.7 | 2.5 | 26th | 66.2 | 65.6 | high | 101% |
| Noarlunga | 20.9 | -0.5 | 31.3 | 11th | 11.2 | -0.4 | 5.4 | 26th | 8.2 | 32.0 | low | 26% |
| Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) | 16.7 | -0.2 | 27.1 | 19th | 8.6 | -0.4 | 4.9 | 26th | 14.2 | 60.7 | low | 23% |
| Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay) | 20.0 | -0.5 | 31.4 | 11th | 8.3 | -0.7 | 4.0 | 2nd | 28.2 | 39.4 | average | 72% |
| Upper Murray Valley (district 24A) | ||||||||||||
| Loxton Research Centre | 24.8 | +0.4 | 36.6 | 20th | 8.3 | -0.3 | 2.0 | 23rd | 14.0 | 26.4 | average | 53% |
| Renmark Aero | 25.8 | +0.4 | 38.0 | 2nd | 8.3 | -0.8 | 1.4 | 23rd | 5.4 | 28.0 | low | 19% |
| Lower Murray Valley (district 24B) | ||||||||||||
| Eudunda | 21.1 | +0.2 | 31.6 | 19th | 7.9 | -0.2 | 3.9 | 13th | 11.2 | 39.7 | low | 28% |
| Meningie | 21.1 | +0.3 | 32.0 | 19th | 8.9 | -0.6 | -1.0 | 17th | 19.0 | 38.5 | low | 49% |
| Murray Bridge | 23.8 | +0.7 | 34.5 | 11th | 8.9 | -0.2 | 4.6 | 8th | 12.1 | 33.2 | low | 36% |
| Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome) | 23.3 | -0.6 | 34.5 | 11th | 7.3 | -0.3 | 1.7 | 17th | 6.8 | 21.7 | low | 31% |
| Strathalbyn Racecourse | 21.4 | -0.1 | 32.5 | 11th | 8.1 | -0.8 | 2.7 | 27th | 12.2 | 34.5 | low | 35% |
| Murray Mallee (district 25A) | ||||||||||||
| Karoonda | 23.2 | -0.7 | 35.0 | 20th | 7.8 | -0.5 | 2.4 | 18th | 17.2 | 31.8 | average | 54% |
| Upper Southeast (district 25B) | ||||||||||||
| Keith | 22.0 | +0.3 | 34.2 | 20th | 6.5 | -1.7 | -0.2 | 26th | 15.2 | 41.2 | low | 37% |
| Keith (Munkora) | 22.1 | -0.4 | 35.3 | 20th | 4.9 | -1.2 | -3.3 | 26th | 14.4 | 28.3 | low | 51% |
| Lameroo (Austin Plains) | 23.0 | -0.9 | 35.7 | 20th | 6.4 | -1.1 | -0.8 | 26th | 8.8 | 23.1 | low | 38% |
| Lower Southeast (district 26) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) | 18.9 | +0.2 | 28.0 | 19th | 8.6 | -0.6 | 3.0 | 27th | 18.2 | 32.4 | low | 56% |
| Coonawarra | 19.6 | 0.0 | 31.7 | 20th | 6.0 | -1.4 | 1.1 | 17th | 23.6 | 45.6 | low | 52% |
| Mount Gambier Aero | 19.1 | +1.0 | 32.1 | 20th | 6.7 | -0.5 | 1.7 | 9th | 43.0 | 60.6 | average | 71% |
| Naracoorte Aerodrome | 20.7 | +0.1 | 32.7 | 20th | 5.7 | -1.3 | -1.3 | 27th | 21.0 | 40.2 | low | 52% |
| Padthaway South | 20.4 | -0.4 | 32.3 | 20th | 5.7 | -2.0 | -0.4 | 26th | 26.4 | 39.9 | average | 66% |
| Robe | 17.9 | +0.2 | 25.5 | 19th | 9.7 | -0.6 | 6.3 | 27th | 24.3 | 43.9 | low | 55% |
| Robe Airfield | 18.3 | -0.6 | 29.8 | 20th | 8.2 | -0.5 | 2.1 | 29th | 28.8 | 35.1 | average | 82% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
The Monthly climate summary, usually published in the first week of the following 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.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 11 am on Wednesday 1 November 2023. 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.
Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
