Monday, 1 December 2008 - Seasonal Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC23R0

South Australia in spring 2008
Dry and warm Spring, with a return to average for the finish.

Summary

  • Several locations had lowest Spring rainfall on record, with most of the agricultural areas seeing Spring rainfall in the lowest 10% of those on record, though rainfall was above average in the pastoral areas.
  • Agricultural area rainfall was the fifth driest in Spring 2008 in the area averaged rainfall record going back to 1900.
  • The first two months of Spring rainfall were generally very much below average, with November closer to average across the state.
  • Daytime temperatures were above average while nights were cooler than average in the agricultural areas.
  • September and October were much warmer than average, with a cooler finish in November.

An archive of previous seasonal summaries for South Australia is also available, as are summaries for other states and many other climate summaries and diagnostics.

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Rainfall

Spring 2008 rainfall, when averaged across the agricultural areas as a whole, has been the fifth driest in the area averaged record, which goes back to 1900. The driest years in order are 2006, 1982, 1967 and 1938.

Spring rainfall totals over South Australia were mostly below average, apart from the north of the state and some coastal locations. September and October generally saw very much below average rainfall across most of the state, with a return to near average conditions in November.

Rainfall totals in the Pastoral areas were generally 30 to 50 mm. Tieyon in the Northwest pastoral district recorded 90mm, the highest in the Pastoral districts.

Totals in the Agricultural areas were generally between 60mm and 100mm. This is at a time of year when the average rainfall ranges from around 100 to 200mm!! The highest rainfall for this Spring was 129.8mm at Mount Gambier Council Depot, most of this falling in September.

Several locations through the Adelaide Plains and adjacent Mount Lofty Ranges recorded lowest Spring rainfall on record. This included Mt Barker, Mount Bold Resorvoir, Belair Nursery, Blackwood, Myponga, Nairne, Woodside, and on the Adelaide plains, Adelaide Airport, Parafield Airport , Burnside, Glen Osmond and Seaton.

Some sites had their lowest total spring rainfall on record.

See a map of total rainfall. See a map of rainfall deciles. See a map of mean maximum temperatures. See a map of maximum temperature anomalies.

Some sites had their warmest spring night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record.

See a map of mean minimum temperatures. See a map of minimum temperature anomalies.

Temperatures

Across Spring as a whole, temperatures were generally slightly above average. The first two months were for the most part warmer than average, with November providing a cooler finish. Also, daytime temperatures, particularly in the agricultural areas tended to be above average more so than night time temperatures.

Maximum Temperatures.

Mean maximum temperatures over the pastoral districts of the state were generally 0 to 2 °C warmer than normal, and ranged from 25.4 at Yunta Airstrip in the Northeast Pastoral district to 30.4°C at Oodnadatta Airport in the Northwest. The highest recorded maximum temperature for this period was on the 27th November, and was 42.9 °C at Oodnadatta Airport.

Mean maximum temperatures over the agricultural districts of the state were mostly 1 to 2 °C above normal. Mean maximum temperatures ranged from 17.4°C at Parawa on the Fleurieu Peninsula to 27.2°C at Port Augusta Aero in the Western Agricultural district. The highest recorded maximum temperature in the agricultural areas for Spring was 40.2°C at Ceduna on the 12th November, with the lowest being 8.8°C at Mount Crawford Fire Tower on the 15th September.

Minimum Temperatures.

Mean minimum temperatures over the pastoral districts were generally up to 1°C above average, ranging from 8.8°C at Gluepot in the Northeast Pastoral district to 16.2°C at Oodnadatta Airport in the Far North district. The warmest recorded minimum temperature was 29.4 °C at Moomba Airport on the 14th November.

Over the agricultural districts mean minimum temperatures were also generally up to 1°C below average ranging from 6.2°C at Keith in the Upper South East district to 13.4 °C at Port Pirie in the Western Agricultural district. The lowest recorded minimum temperature for Spring 2008 was -3.5°C recorded at Mt Crawford Fire Tower on the 8th September.

Further information

South Australian Regional Office
South Australian Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 8366 2600
Email climate.sa@bom.gov.au

Extremes

Hottest day
Highest temperature		 42.9°C at Oodnadatta Airport on 27th Nov
Warmest days on average
Highest mean daily maximum temperature		 30.4 °C at Oodnadatta Airport
Coolest days on average
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature		 17.4 °C at Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS)
Coldest day
Lowest daily maximum temperature		 8.8 °C at Mount Crawford Fire Tower on 15 Sep
Coldest night
Lowest temperature		 -3.5 °C at Mount Crawford Fire Tower on 8 Sep
Coolest nights on average
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature		 6.2 °C at Keith (Munkora)
Warmest nights on average
Highest mean daily minimum temperature		 16.2 °C at Oodnadatta Airport
Warmest night
Highest daily minimum temperature		 29.4 °C at Moomba Airport on 14 Nov
Wettest overall
Highest total rainfall		 129.8 mm at Mount Gambier Council Depot
Highest wind gust
 152 km/h at Coulta (Coles Point) on 2 Nov

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Records

Record lowest total spring rainfall
Total rainfall
for spring 2008 (mm) 		Previous lowest
for spring		 Years of
record		 Average for
spring
Mount Barker 63.4 71.6 in 1982 148 192.2
Woodside 62.6 64.8 in 1896 126 198.6
Belair (State Flora Nursery) 44.4 56.2 in 1896 125 185.4
Nairne 66.4 69.9 in 1888 125 172.3
Meadows 58.4 64.6 in 2006 122 219.1
Adelaide (Glen Osmond) 48.0 = 48.0 in 1982 121 151.3
Adelaide (Seaton) 30.2 31.5 in 1967 97 111.8
Myponga 64.4 66.7 in 1938 88 180.5
Port Lincoln (White Flat) 19.9 27.7 in 2006 84 110.0
Mount Bold Reservoir 72.4 72.6 in 1982 71 182.8
Port Kenny (Mount Cooper) 19.4 20.3 in 2006 69 102.6
Parafield Airport 39.6 41.2 in 1982 61 113.7
Adelaide (Morphettville Racecourse) 20.2 21.1 in 1967 57 111.2
Adelaide Airport 27.4 31.0 in 1982 54 109.8
Edinburgh RAAF 38.0 40.8 in 1982 36 113.1
Bolivar Treatment Works 41.8 44.9 in 1982 35 111.8
Adelaide (Kent Town) 34.6 44.6 in 1982 32 136.6
Blackwood (Wittunga) 68.1 71.1 in 1982 30 171.2
Kensington Upper (Burnside) 51.6 55.2 in 2006 28 138.8
Whyalla Aero 12.5 20.8 in 2006 28 71.2


Record highest spring daily minimum temperature
Highest daily minimum
temperature
in spring 2008 (°C) 		Previous highest
for spring		 Years of
record		 Average for
spring
Keith 27.0 on 13 Nov 24.7 on 25 Nov 1991 47 8.4


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Summaries

In this table, key sites have been highlighted to make them easier to find. This table is very wide and may not fit if printed.

Summary statistics for spring 2008
Maximum temperatures
for spring
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for spring
(°C)		 Rainfall
for spring
(millimetres)
Mean for
spring
2008		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
spring
2008		 Mean for
spring
2008		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
spring
2008		 Total for
spring
2008		 Average
for
spring		 Rank of
spring
2008		 Fraction of
spring
average
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka 28.5 +0.4 40.1 13 Nov 13.7 +0.1 5.2 17 Sep 34.5 47.1 average 73%
Coober Pedy Airport 28.5   42.0 27 Nov 14.1   5.2 23 Sep 30.4
Marla Police Station 29.5 -0.4 39.6 12 Nov 15.0 +0.8 5.0 1 Sep 75.7 50.2 high 151%
Nonning 26.0 +0.9 36.8 27 Sep 10.5 +0.8 -0.5 1 Sep 37.2 64.1 average 58%
Roxby Downs 27.9   39.0 30 Oct 12.8   2.1 16 Sep 32.0
Tarcoola Aero 28.4   40.8 27 Nov 12.3   2.2 23 Sep 30.4
Woomera Aerodrome 27.2 +1.1 39.6 27 Nov 13.0 +0.7 4.4 1 Sep 44.6 47.6 average 94%
Far North (district 17)
Leigh Creek Airport 28.0 +1.3 41.1 30 Oct 13.2 +0.7 3.0 1 Sep 32.4 50.3 average 64%
Marree Aero 29.9   42.2 30 Oct 14.3   4.6 1 Sep 39.0
Marree Comparison 30.3 +0.9 42.4 30 Oct 14.3 +1.1 5.0 1 Sep 39.3 34.9 average 113%
Oodnadatta Airport 30.4 +0.2 42.9 27 Nov 16.2 +1.2 6.7 1 Sep 47.2 34.6 high 136%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO 25.5 +1.8 40.2 12 Nov 10.8 +0.9 -0.3 4 Sep 29.8 73.5 low 41%
Cleve 23.6 +1.5 36.0 12 Nov 11.0 +0.8 3.6 16 Sep 38.6 105.9 very low 36%
Cleve Aerodrome 23.9   37.4 12 Nov 10.3   3.4 4 Sep 29.4 86.1 very low 34%
Coulta 21.4   36.1 12 Nov 10.6   3.4 5 Oct 47.4
Cummins Aero 23.0   37.1 25 Oct 8.3   -0.9 24 Sep 64.0
Elliston 22.9 +1.6 37.5 12 Nov 11.6 +0.4 2.4 6 Sep 43.9 89.2 very low 49%
Kimba 24.8 +1.1 36.5 12 Nov 9.7 +0.4 2.5 16 Sep 19.8 90.3 very low 22%
Kyancutta 26.4 +1.2 38.5 12 Nov 8.4 0.0 -0.6 3 Sep 15.1 79.2 very low 19%
Minnipa DPI 25.2   37.5 25 Oct 10.8   3.1 16 Sep 28.6
Neptune Island 18.2 +0.6 24.9 25 Oct 13.0 +0.6 8.2 15 Sep 64.8 91.0 low 71%
North Shields 21.3   38.2 25 Oct 10.2   3.1 30 Sep 67.8
Nullarbor 24.6 +0.4 41.6 24 Oct 10.3 +0.3 2.1 1 Sep 44.0 52.8 average 83%
Port Augusta Aero 27.2   39.4 12 Nov 12.4   2.6 17 Sep 35.2
Streaky Bay 24.0 +1.2 36.2 24 Oct 12.2 +0.7 5.4 5 Oct 41.1 80.4 low 51%
Whyalla Aero 24.9 +1.0 38.0 27 Sep 11.0 +0.2 1.6 17 Sep 12.5 71.2 lowest 18%
Wudinna Aero 26.1   38.1 18 Oct 9.4   0.0 3 Sep 42.4
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker 25.8 +0.3 37.0 27 Nov 10.7 +0.8 1.5 16 Sep 73.0 75.0 average 97%
Yongala 23.2 +1.4 35.1 27 Nov 6.7 +0.3 -2.9 7 Oct 51.4 99.5 low 52%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve 26.0   39.0 30 Oct 8.8   0.0 7 Oct 27.4
Yunta Airstrip 25.3   37.9 30 Oct 9.0   -0.3 1 Sep 49.4
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School 21.9   33.8 12 Nov 7.8   0.1 24 Sep 61.4
Port Pirie Aerodrome 25.5   37.4 12 Nov 10.1   1.9 17 Sep 30.6
Port Pirie Nyrstar Comparison 25.6 +1.1 37.0 12 Nov 13.0 +1.0 2.4 24 Sep 31.9 92.1 very low 35%
Snowtown 25.0   37.6 12 Nov 7.2   -0.9 30 Sep 40.0
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh 21.0   36.2 25 Oct 10.4   2.0 24 Sep 33.4
Kadina AWS 24.3   37.7 12 Nov 8.0   -0.7 24 Sep 24.4
Maitland 22.6 +1.4 35.0 12 Nov 11.0 +1.0 5.2 24 Sep 39.0 121.5 very low 32%
Minlaton Aero 22.4   37.5 12 Nov 9.6   2.3 9 Sep 38.4
Stenhouse Bay 20.3   36.3 12 Nov 12.0   4.5 17 Sep 71.8
Warooka 21.6 +1.0 35.0 12 Nov 10.9 +0.7 4.5 4 Sep 36.7 104.2 very low 35%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda 17.9   30.7 12 Nov 10.8   5.1 9 Sep 45.5
Cape Willoughby 18.2 +0.7 32.4 12 Nov 12.2 +0.6 7.3 23 Sep 61.0 127.0 very low 48%
Kingscote Aero 21.0   35.6 12 Nov 7.6   -0.4 30 Sep 57.2
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide 23.1 +1.2 36.6 12 Nov 12.0 +0.3 5.4 5 Sep 34.6 136.6 lowest 25%
Adelaide Airport 22.2 +1.3 37.5 12 Nov 11.2 +0.5 2.8 5 Sep 27.4 109.8 lowest 25%
Edinburgh RAAF 23.4 +1.4 37.7 12 Nov 10.2 -0.1 2.1 5 Sep 38.0 113.1 lowest 34%
Parafield Airport 23.8 +2.0 38.3 12 Nov 10.2 -0.1 1.3 5 Sep 39.6 113.7 lowest 35%
Roseworthy AWS 23.9   38.5 12 Nov 7.9   0.5 16 Sep 46.2
County Light (district 23B)
Rosedale 23.1 +1.3 36.5 12 Nov 8.2 -0.5 0.6 30 Sep 71.4 126.5 low 56%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS 21.3   37.8 12 Nov 10.8   4.3 9 Sep 47.6
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 19.2   31.0 25 Oct 9.3   3.9 30 Sep 73.4
Mount Barker 21.3 +1.9 33.5 12 Nov 7.4 +0.2 -0.2 9 Sep 63.4 192.2 lowest 33%
Mount Crawford Fire Tower 19.0   33.8 17 Oct 7.6   -3.5 8 Sep 82.0
Noarlunga 21.6   35.3 12 Nov 11.7   6.8 24 Sep 35.8
Parawa 17.4   32.3 12 Nov 9.4   3.6 17 Sep 84.2
Victor Harbor 20.7   37.1 12 Nov 9.4   0.6 9 Sep 66.4
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre 25.1 +1.1 38.2 30 Oct 8.5 0.0 -0.2 9 Sep 30.2 73.0 very low 41%
Renmark Aero 25.7   39.5 13 Nov 8.9   -0.7 17 Sep 37.4
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda 22.0 +1.5 34.3 12 Nov 8.6 +0.4 2.0 16 Sep 73.4 118.8 low 62%
Meningie 21.5 +1.1 35.1 12 Nov 9.8 +0.2 1.8 16 Sep 46.8 114.6 very low 41%
Murray Bridge 23.9   38.2 12 Nov 7.8   -0.4 5 Oct 31.8
Murray Bridge Comparison 24.7 +2.1 37.7 12 Nov 9.2 +0.1 0.6 9 Sep 41.5 95.5 very low 43%
Strathalbyn Racecourse 21.9   37.1 12 Nov 8.9   2.1 9 Sep 45.6
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda 24.0   37.0 12 Nov 8.5   -0.4 9 Sep 45.3 91.4 very low 50%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith 22.6 +1.0 37.0 12 Nov 8.4 0.0 0.5 4 Sep 41.5 125.4 very low 33%
Keith 23.0   45.1 15 Sep 6.2   -2.8 22 Oct 44.4
Lameroo 23.8   37.6 12 Nov 7.5   0.0 9 Sep 34.4
Lameroo Comparison 24.3 +1.7 36.9 12 Nov 8.8 +0.9 1.5 30 Sep 39.0 105.9 very low 37%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa 18.9   35.2 12 Nov 9.6   2.3 4 Sep 61.4
Coonawarra 20.5 +1.1 35.3 12 Nov 7.3 -0.1 -1.9 9 Sep 97.6 143.8 low 68%
Mount Gambier Aero 19.1 +1.1 34.7 12 Nov 7.6 +0.4 -0.4 9 Sep 104.0 180.6 very low 58%
Naracoorte Aerodrome 21.2   36.2 12 Nov 6.8   -2.1 22 Oct 69.6
Padthaway South 21.5   35.7 12 Nov 8.2   -0.6 9 Sep 46.4
Robe Airfield 19.1   34.9 12 Nov 8.8   -1.4 9 Sep 59.2
Robe Comparison 18.3 +0.7 30.7 12 Nov 10.7 +0.4 2.0 6 Sep 66.4 133.7 very low 50%

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Notes

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 8 am on Monday 1 December 2008. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Averages 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 20 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.

Further information

South Australian Regional Office
South Australian Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 8366 2600
Email climate.sa@bom.gov.au