South Australia in May 2023

Rainfall

  • Rainfall in May was below to very much below average throughout most of the northern Pastoral districts.
  • Monthly rainfall totals were closer to average in southern and eastern Agricultural districts.
  • For South Australia as a whole, rainfall in May was 66% below average (based on 1961–1990), the lowest in May since 2006.

Temperature

  • Mean maximum temperatures were generally close to average across most of South Australia, though were below average in parts of the South East districts and in the far north-east of the state.
  • For South Australia as a whole, the mean maximum temperature was 0.09 °C below average (based on 1961–1990).
  • Hawker had its lowest May mean daily maximum temperature since 1968 and its lowest May mean temperature on record.
  • Mean minimum temperatures were below to very much below average throughout most of the Pastoral districts, including a area of lowest of record east of Arkaroola.
  • Mean minimum temperatures were closer to average in some southern and eastern Agricultural districts.
  • For South Australia as a whole, the mean minimum temperature was 1.60 °C below average (based on 1961–1990), the lowest since 2020.
  • Minnipa PIRSA and Padthaway South had their lowest May temperature on record.
  • Kimba had its lowest May mean daily minimum temperature since 1985.

Extremes in May 2023
Hottest day 29.0 °C at Oodnadatta Airport on the 25th
Warmest days on average 22.9 °C at Oodnadatta Airport
Coolest days on average 11.8 °C at Mount Lofty
Coldest day 8.9 °C at Mount Lofty on the 17th
Coldest night -2.7 °C at Padthaway South on the 17th
Coolest nights on average 4.1 °C at Yongala
Warmest nights on average 13.7 °C at Neptune Island
Warmest night 16.1 °C at Neptune Island on the 14th
Warmest on average overall 15.6 °C at Andamooka and Neptune Island
Coolest on average overall 9.5 °C at Mount Lofty
Wettest overall 182.6 mm at Ashton
Wettest day 46.8 mm at Wirrabara Forest on the 26th
Strongest wind gust 87 km/h at Neptune Island on the 25th

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


Lowest May mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)
Most recent
lower
Average for
May
Hawker 17.9 15.9 in 1968* 20.0

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




Record lowest May temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
May
Minnipa PIRSA 3.4 on the 26th 3.8 on the 30th in 2019 27 9.8
Padthaway South -2.7 on the 17th -1.8 on the 30th in 2006 24 7.1



Lowest May mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)
Most recent
lower
Average for
May
Kimba 7.1 6.5 in 1985 8.4



Record lowest May mean temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
May
Hawker 11.5 11.6 in 2006 48 13.6



Summary statistics for May 2023
Maximum temperatures
(°C)
Minimum temperatures
(°C)
Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
May
2023
Diff
from
average
Highest for
May
2023
Mean for
May
2023
Diff
from
average
Lowest for
May
2023
Total for
May
2023
Average
for
May
Rank of
May
2023
Fraction of
May
average
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka 22.1 -0.2 25.4 25th 9.0 -1.0 5.1 24th 0 14.8 lowest 0%
Coober Pedy Airport 21.1 -0.9 24.6 31st 8.3 -1.7 4.5 19th 0 9.6 lowest 0%
Ernabella (Pukatja) 20.6 -1.2 25.2 2nd 6.2 -2.1 0.4 28th 0 13.4 lowest 0%
Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) 21.7 -0.5 25.5 15th 6.0 -2.2 2.5 27th 0 8.3 lowest 0%
Tarcoola Aero 21.4 -0.9 25.4 15th 6.4 -1.7 1.2 26th 0.8 10.8 low 7%
Woomera Aerodrome 20.6 0.0 25.3 15th 8.4 -1.0 4.8 26th 1.8 17.3 low 10%
Far North (district 17)
Leigh Creek Airport 20.4 -0.6 24.8 25th 6.8 -2.0 2.2 19th 2.2 15.9 low 14%
Marree Aero 22.8 -0.4 27.3 25th 6.9 -2.3 2.1 27th 0 7.4 lowest 0%
Moomba Airport 22.7 -1.0 27.4 25th 8.1 -2.6 3.3 28th 0 9.0 lowest 0%
Oodnadatta Airport 22.9 -0.4 29.0 25th 7.5 -2.3 3.4 28th 0 11.9 lowest 0%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO 20.2 -0.7 25.8 31st 8.2 -0.4 1.7 7th 23.6 32.3 average 73%
Cleve 18.2 -0.8 23.9 14th 9.6 -0.5 6.3 18th 41.0 40.2 average 102%
Cleve Aerodrome 18.0 -1.3 23.4 14th 9.8 -0.5 6.1 18th 31.2 36.2 average 86%
Coffin Bay (Point Avoid) 18.5   22.8 15th 11.8   7.6 19th 48.8
Cultana (Defence) 19.8   24.4 14th 8.7   4.5 7th 8.8
Cummins Aero 18.7 -0.9 24.2 14th 7.2 -1.2 0.8 7th 36.4 43.4 average 84%
Elliston 19.4 -0.1 24.1 14th 10.3 -0.1 4.4 19th 42.8 52.2 average 82%
Kimba 18.4 -0.9 24.2 15th 7.1 -1.3 2.5 26th 23.8 35.0 average 68%
Kyancutta 20.9 -0.2 25.9 15th 5.8 -1.6 -0.6 7th 14.6 31.5 low 46%
Minnipa PIRSA 19.6 -0.5 24.4 15th 8.5 -1.3 3.4 26th 12.6 28.3 v low 45%
Neptune Island 17.6 -0.2 20.6 15th 13.7 -0.1 10.0 6th 44.4 53.3 average 83%
North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) 18.8 -0.7 23.6 15th 9.5 -0.9 5.4 7th 23.4 42.9 low 55%
Nullarbor 21.2 -0.3 27.2 31st 8.3 -0.6 3.7 9th 7.6 29.4 low 26%
Port Augusta Aero 21.0 -0.5 26.3 14th 7.7 -0.9 2.7 19th 6.4 16.8 low 38%
Streaky Bay 19.8 -0.3 23.8 14th 10.8 -0.1 6.4 7th 31.0 46.3 average 67%
Whyalla Aero 19.7 -0.8 24.2 2nd 7.7 -1.1 3.4 18th 6.6 22.8 v low 29%
Wudinna Aero 20.4 -0.4 24.9 15th 7.4 -1.1 0.2 7th 23.4 23.5 average 100%
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker 17.9 -2.1 23.1 15th 5.3 -1.9 -1.4 19th 9.5 29.9 low 32%
Yongala 16.6 -0.5 22.5 15th 4.1 -0.6 -2.2 19th 19.8 34.4 average 58%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) 20.2 -0.3 25.5 15th 5.2 -0.9 -2.5 18th 11.6 18.0 low 64%
Yunta Airstrip 19.0 -0.3 24.5 14th 4.2 -1.6 -2.1 23rd 4.0 11.0 low 36%
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School 15.6 -1.5 22.4 14th 5.7 -0.8 -1.0 19th 68.0 53.8 average 126%
Port Pirie Aerodrome AWS 19.8   25.5 14th 8.1   1.9 7th 33.4
Snowtown (Rayville Park) 19.0 -0.9 25.8 14th 6.6 -0.7 0.0 18th 31.4 35.6 average 88%
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh 18.3 -0.2 21.6 31st 10.1 -0.6 5.2 19th 35.4 44.7 average 79%
Kadina AWS 18.5 -0.9 23.0 14th 8.0 -0.3 1.2 19th 34.0 37.8 average 90%
Minlaton Aero 18.7 -0.7 23.5 14th 9.1 -0.8 3.4 7th 55.8 41.4 high 135%
Stenhouse Bay 18.2 -0.4 24.1 14th 12.0 0.0 8.5 11th 53.8 53.0 average 102%
Warooka 18.3 -0.2 22.7 15th 10.3 -0.2 6.0 7th 37.1 53.9 average 69%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda 16.3 -0.6 19.3 15th 11.0 -0.3 6.9 7th 72.2 69.7 average 104%
Cape Willoughby 16.6 -0.4 20.9 14th 12.2 -0.4 9.5 26th 52.4 61.2 average 86%
Kingscote Aero 17.9 -0.7 21.9 15th 7.6 -0.3 1.5 15th 33.8 48.9 low 69%
Parndana CFS AWS 16.2 -0.9 19.7 14th 8.3 -0.9 3.5 7th 58.2 65.8 average 88%
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) 17.9 -0.7 25.2 14th 10.0 -0.4 4.6 7th 72.4 67.9 average 107%
Adelaide Airport 17.5 -1.1 23.8 14th 9.8 +0.1 3.9 7th 63.0 53.5 average 118%
Edinburgh RAAF 18.0 -1.2 25.1 14th 8.7 -0.5 2.6 7th 69.4 46.6 high 149%
Parafield Airport 18.4 -0.6 25.4 14th 8.6 -0.7 1.7 7th 59.8 48.0 high 125%
Roseworthy AWS 18.4 -1.3 25.8 14th 7.9 -0.7 0.7 18th 66.8 40.6 high 165%
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa PIRSA 16.3 -1.1 22.7 14th 5.7 -1.2 -1.6 18th 59.2 49.3 high 120%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS 17.4 -1.1 22.9 14th 11.0 +0.5 7.6 7th 72.8 45.9 high 159%
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 14.4 -1.5 21.0 14th 9.0 -0.3 4.7 7th 104.4 87.8 average 119%
Mount Barker 16.1 -0.5 23.0 15th 7.6 +0.8 2.2 18th 87.0 87.4 average 100%
Mount Crawford AWS 13.5 -1.4 20.4 14th 8.1 -0.5 3.7 7th 98.4 70.9 high 139%
Mount Lofty 11.8 -0.5 18.5 14th 7.2 -0.5 3.0 7th 139.2 111.8 average 125%
Noarlunga 17.4 -1.0 23.3 14th 10.7 -0.8 5.8 7th 62.6 55.4 average 113%
Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) 14.3 -0.6 20.0 14th 9.4 -0.2 6.4 11th 120.8 98.9 average 122%
Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay) 17.7 -0.9 22.8 15th 9.3 +0.6 4.1 13th 70.8 63.3 average 112%
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre 19.2 -0.4 24.9 15th 5.7 -0.8 -0.6 19th 13.8 23.1 average 60%
Renmark Aero 19.5 -0.5 24.9 14th 5.1 -1.5 -2.2 18th 17.6 16.9 average 104%
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda 15.4 -1.5 22.2 15th 8.2 +0.6 3.8 7th
Meningie 17.7 -0.6 23.0 15th 10.5 +1.6 2.2 17th 83.4 55.1 high 151%
Murray Bridge 19.0 -0.6 25.6 15th 8.4 +0.4 3.9 18th 32.4 35.2 average 92%
Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome) 18.5 -0.7 24.6 15th 7.4 0.0 2.8 18th 31.0 31.3 average 99%
Strathalbyn Racecourse 17.4 -1.1 23.1 14th 9.2 +0.1 4.1 18th 62.6 45.5 high 138%
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda 18.5 -0.6 24.5 16th 7.3 +0.2 1.6 11th 23.5 35.0 average 67%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith 17.3 -1.1 23.2 15th 7.4 -0.4 -0.6 17th 58.4 52.0 average 112%
Keith (Munkora) 17.2 -1.5 22.8 15th 6.1 -0.9 -1.7 17th 58.8 41.7 high 141%
Lameroo (Austin Plains) 17.7 -1.0 24.1 15th 5.8 -1.3 -0.2 7th 30.0 29.7 average 101%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) 16.4 -0.5 19.0 15th 10.4 +0.9 5.0 7th 49.8 55.6 average 90%
Coonawarra 16.2 -1.0 20.6 15th 6.5 -0.5 -0.5 7th 48.4 55.8 average 87%
Mount Gambier Aero 16.1 0.0 20.6 15th 7.9 +0.5 1.3 13th 59.4 73.0 average 81%
Naracoorte Aerodrome 16.4 -1.3 20.7 15th 7.1 -0.2 -2.2 17th 46.6 43.0 average 108%
Padthaway South 16.5 -1.1 20.9 15th 6.7 -0.4 -2.7 17th 57.8 46.0 high 126%
Robe 16.1 -0.3 18.4 15th 11.1 +0.9 7.1 7th 89.2 73.7 average 121%
Robe Airfield 16.4 -1.0 19.9 14th 9.7 +1.0 1.6 13th 73.4 68.6 average 107%

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 1 pm on Thursday 1 June 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.


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