Monday, 3 July 2017 - Monthly Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC13R0

South Australia in June 2017: dry with warmer days and cooler nights

June 2017 was much drier than average throughout the agricultural districts of South Australia. Daytime temperatures were warmer than average across the State, while night time temperatures were very much cooler than average in agricultural districts.

Much drier than average

• June 2017 was South Australia's driest June since 2007
• For the State as a whole, rainfall was 48% below average
• Agricultural districts had very much below average rainfall
• June rainfall in pastoral districts was closer to average, including an area of above average rainfall around Tarcoola
• Late in the month, daily totals of 10 mm or more were recorded in the pastoral districts and in the south as a mid-level cloudband with embedded isolated thunderstorms crossed the north and a cold front brushed the south
• Tarcoola (Mobella) received 24.0 mm on the 27th, and Port Victoria recorded 25.0 mm on the 28th, which were the top two daily totals of the month recorded in South Australia
• After a very wet April, South Australia recorded two very dry months in May and June
• Almost all sites across South Australia had less rain days than average for June
• Most sites in the agricultural districts received less than 25 mm for the month
• Many sites had either their lowest total June rainfall on record or their lowest total June rainfall for at least 20 years

Warmer than average days and cooler than average nights

• June mean maximum temperatures were 1.13 °C warmer than average for the State as a whole, which was the warmest for June since 2002
• Days were warmer than average for almost all areas of South Australia
• Daytime temperatures were more than two degrees warmer than average in the State's far northeast
• Generally clear skies and light winds also resulted in cooler than average nights
• South Australia's mean minimum temperature was 1.77 °C below average, which was the seventh-lowest on record for June and coolest since 2007
• Temperatures at Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges dropped to -5.4 °C on the morning of the 4th, the site's coldest June minimum temperature since records began in 1978
• In the Riverland, Renmark had five consecutive nights with temperatures below -2 °C at the start of June, which was a record run of such cold nights in June for the town
• Loxton recorded 20 nights in total with minimum temperatures of 2 °C or lower, which was the town's June record count of such cold nights
• Overall mean temperatures were close to average for the State as a whole
• Several sites in the south and the far northeast of the State had either their highest June mean daily maximum temperature on record or their highest June mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
• On the 3rd and 4th, some sites had their lowest June temperature on record
• Two sites had their lowest June mean daily minimum temperature on record

High pressure systems frequent southern Australia

• Mean sea level pressure was more than 5 hPa above average for June across much of southern Australia
• The dominant high pressure systems reduced the number of rain-bearing low pressure systems and cold fronts affecting southern Australia
• Most sites that measure air pressure daily in South Australia had their record highest monthly 9am mean sea level pressures for June
• At the start of the month, Mount Gambier recorded its highest 9am mean sea level pressure since July 2005, and many more sites recorded their highest June values for more than ten years
• Average wind speeds for the month were below average across southern South Australia

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 lower value has gone unreported

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

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top