Wednesday, 1 September 2010 - Seasonal Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC13R0

South Australia in winter 2010

A colder and wetter than average season

  • Maximum temperatures well below average, with overnight minimum temperatures generally below average, for South Australia.
  • Near average winter rainfall in the agricultural districts, well above average across much of the pastoral districts.

Details Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall

Rainfall totals were above average to well above average in the northeast this winter. Most of the rest of South Australia ended up with near average winter rainfall, though some areas in the northern agricultural districts were slightly below average for winter rainfall this year.

Winter started with below average June rainfall around the state, tending above average in the north through July, and above average to well above average extending throughout much of the state during August.

Growing season rainfall (April to October) across the state to the end of August is above average across most of the pastoral districts of the state, but nearer average across agricultural areas further south.

Pastoral Districts

Rainfall in winter 2010 was above average in the far north and north-east, but nearer average in the west. Rainfall totals were typically from 30 to 70mm, with some locations recording larger totals in isolated thunderstorm events. Yardea recorded 113.1mm and Moomba Airport 122.6mm, as the highest winter totals in the pastoral areas for this year.

Agricultural Districts

Rainfall totals were generally near average but varied quite significantly locally with some locations tending below average through northern agricultural districts.

Rainfall totals were typically 100 to 200mm for the winter season, but more 30 to 60mm in the Upper Murray Valley, and 80 to 120mm in the Upper North districts. Higher totals of 200 to 400mm were recorded at most stations through the Lower South East district, Kangaroo Island, and the Mount Lofty Ranges , with several stations recording totals in excess of 500mm in this area. The highest total for the state was 561.8mm in the Adelaide Hills at Uraidla.  

Some sites had their highest total winter rainfall for at least 25 years. Some sites had their lowest total winter rainfall for at least 25 years. See a map of rainfall deciles.

Temperature

For winter 2010, stronger than usual high pressure systems over southern Australia, particularly in June and July,  contributed to overnight minimum temperatures tending more below average over the southern half of South Australia in winter 2010.

Maximum temperature

Maximum temperatures were below average this winter, with temperatures generally up to 1°C below average in the agricultural areas tending 1 to 2 °C below average in the pastoral areas. Mean maximum temperatures ranged from 9.5 °C at Mount Lofty in the Mount Lofty Ranges to 19.3 °C at Marree Comparison in the Far North District.

The warmest winter daily maximum temperature was 28.4°C recorded at Ceduna Meteorological Office in the Western Agricultural District on 31st August. The coldest daily maximum was 5.7 °C at Mount Lofty on 4 August.

Minimum temperature

Minimum temperatures were within 1°C of the long-term mean this winter, but generally slightly below average. Mean minimum temperatures average for the whole season ranged from 2.1°C at Yongala in the Upper North District to 10.1°C at Cape Willoughby on Kangaroo Island.
The lowest overnight winter minimum temperature recorded was at -4.5 °C at Renmark Aero on 6 July.  The highest minimum temperature recorded was 16.8°C at Moomba Airport on 30 July.

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 in winter 2010
Hottest day 28.4 °C at Ceduna AMO on 31 Aug
Warmest days on average 19.3 °C at Marree Comparison
Coolest days on average 9.5 °C at Mount Lofty
Coldest day 5.7 °C at Mount Lofty on 4 Aug
Coldest night -4.5 °C at Renmark Aero on 6 Jul
Coolest nights on average 2.1 °C at Yongala
Warmest nights on average 10.1 °C at Cape Willoughby
Warmest night 16.8 °C at Moomba Airport on 30 Jul
Wettest overall 561.8 mm at Uraidla
Highest wind gust 126 km/h at Cape Willoughby on 10 Jul

Details Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Highest total winter rainfall for at least 25 years
Total rainfall
for winter 2010 (mm) 		Most recent higher
for winter		 Years since
higher		 Average for
winter
Marree Comparison 80.3 95.8 in 1978 31 33.1


Lowest total winter rainfall for at least 25 years
Total rainfall
for winter 2010 (mm) 		Most recent lower
for winter		 Years since
lower		 Average for
winter
Port Neill 54.1 50.0 in 1977 25 115.7


Details Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for winter 2010
Maximum temperatures
for winter
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for winter
(°C)		 Rainfall
for winter
(millimetres)
Mean for
winter
2010		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
winter
2010		 Mean for
winter
2010		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
winter
2010		 Total for
winter
2010		 Average
for
winter		 Rank of
winter
2010		 Fraction of
winter
average
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka 18.0 -1.2 25.3 18 Aug 6.3 -0.4 0.0 11 Jul 59.4 41.6 high 143%
Coober Pedy Airport 17.9   25.6 18 Aug 6.3   0.7 1 Jul 33.8
Ernabella (Pukatja) 17.7   25.1 31 Aug 5.0   -3.7 2 Jul 45.8
Nonning 15.9 -1.3 21.9 18 Aug 3.8 -0.6 -2.3 28 Jun 92.7 78.1 average 119%
Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) 17.4   24.8 18 Aug 4.5   -2.0 8 Jul 34.2
Tarcoola Aero 18.0   23.8 24 Jun 4.2   -2.7 8 Jul 41.2
Woomera Aerodrome 16.8 -0.9 24.2 18 Aug 5.8 -0.7 0.7 8 Jul 48.2 44.9 average 107%
Far North (district 17)
Arkaroola     24.0 24 Jun 3.9 -0.3 -2.5 7 Jul 49.3 44.4 average 111%
Leigh Creek Airport 16.4 -1.2 22.6 24 Jun 5.1 -0.3 -0.5 28 Jun 74.2 51.6 high 144%
Marree Aero 18.5   25.3 18 Aug 6.1   -0.5 28 Jun 12.2
Marree Comparison 19.3 -0.7 26.0 18 Aug 6.5 +0.8 0.0 29 Jun 80.3 33.1 v high 243%
Moomba Airport 19.2   27.3 31 Aug 6.8   0.1 28 Jun 122.6
Oodnadatta Airport 19.1 -1.4 25.8 31 Aug 6.4 -0.2 -0.6 8 Jul 58.0 30.8 high 188%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO 17.2 -0.9 28.4 31 Aug 5.9 -0.2 -0.4 15 Jun 105.0 109.7 average 96%
Cleve 15.4 -0.6 22.4 31 Aug 7.3 -0.2 4.0 15 Jun 150.4 140.7 average 107%
Cleve Aerodrome 15.1   22.6 31 Aug 7.0   2.7 27 Jun 130.0 130.8 average 99%
Coulta (Coles Point) 15.6   20.1 30 Aug 6.9   -1.7 14 Jun 195.8
Cummins Aero 15.5   20.4 30 Aug 6.0   0.6 3 Jul 209.6
Elliston 16.7 -0.2 21.8 30 Aug 7.8 -0.4 1.1 7 Jul 193.7 202.5 average 96%
Kimba 14.8 -1.4 23.0 31 Aug 5.2 -0.2 0.5 15 Jun 92.6 123.0 low 75%
Kyancutta 16.9 -1.0 25.0 31 Aug 4.9 -0.1 -1.6 5 Aug 74.3 117.9 low 63%
North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) 16.0   20.3 30 Aug 7.3   2.7 5 Jul 187.8
Nullarbor 17.2 -1.7 26.6 30 Aug 5.4 -0.3 0.0 5 Jul 121.6 82.2 high 148%
Port Augusta Aero 17.3   24.9 31 Aug 5.0   -1.3 6 Aug 60.2
Streaky Bay 17.0 -0.1 23.1 31 Aug 8.6 -0.2 3.6 25 Jul 177.6 174.0 average 102%
Whyalla Aero 16.7 -0.9 25.3 31 Aug 5.2 -0.5 -0.8 15 Jun 52.9 68.8 low 77%
Wudinna Aero 16.8   25.6 31 Aug 5.6   -1.5 5 Aug 84.4
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker 15.2 -1.5 22.0 31 Aug 3.4 -0.8 -2.6 6 Aug 63.4 103.7 low 61%
Yongala 13.1 -0.5 19.4 31 Aug 2.1 -0.4 -4.3 28 Jun 97.0 122.3 low 79%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) 16.7   25.5 31 Aug 3.8   -3.6 9 Jul 57.0
Yunta Airstrip 14.9   21.7 18 Aug 3.4   -3.6 6 Aug 46.0
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School 12.8   18.0 31 Aug 3.9   -2.5 6 Jul 160.8
Port Pirie Aerodrome 16.4   22.9 31 Aug 5.2   -0.6 6 Jul 93.5
Port Pirie Nyrstar Comparison 16.8 -0.4 22.6 31 Aug 7.6 -0.5 3.0 14 Jun 102.1 109.5 average 93%
Snowtown (Rayville Park) 15.3   20.7 31 Aug 4.3   -1.4 14 Jun 110.8
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh 15.3   19.7 30 Aug 7.5   2.0 27 Jun 159.2
Kadina AWS 15.7   21.5 31 Aug 5.1   -0.9 6 Jul 96.4
Maitland 14.9 -0.1 19.5 31 Aug 7.3 0.0 3.3 27 Jun 207.8 195.9 average 106%
Minlaton Aero 15.4   19.6 31 Aug 6.9   2.3 5 Aug 183.0
Stenhouse Bay 15.6   19.4 30 Aug 9.1   4.1 15 Jun 200.6
Warooka 15.4 -0.1 18.6 3 Jun 7.5 -0.4 3.8 2 Jul 223.2 190.3 high 117%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda 14.3   17.2 21 Jun 9.0   5.4 2 Jul 276.5
Cape Willoughby 14.5 0.0 17.5 19 Jun 10.1 +0.1 6.4 20 Aug 230.1 230.6 average 100%
Kingscote Aero 15.9   19.5 20 Jun 5.7   -0.3 5 Jul 169.6
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide (Kent Town) 15.4 -0.6 20.1 31 Aug 7.4 -0.5 2.2 14 Jun 240.8 222.2 average 108%
Adelaide Airport 15.2 -0.4 19.6 30 Aug 7.0 -0.4 1.8 15 Jun 185.2 165.1 high 112%
Edinburgh RAAF 15.3 -0.6 19.7 31 Aug 6.1 -0.3 0.3 15 Jun 140.4 156.0 average 90%
Parafield Airport 15.7 0.0 21.1 31 Aug 6.0 -0.7 -0.3 6 Jul 168.0 166.8 average 101%
Roseworthy AWS 15.3   19.6 18 Aug 5.8   -0.2 5 Aug 111.6
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa Viticultural 13.3   18.2 18 Aug 4.3   -2.1 6 Jul 154.4
Rosedale (Turretfield Research Centre) 14.8 -0.6 19.5 30 Aug 4.9 -0.9 -0.5 6 Jul 161.6 172.5 average 94%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS 15.2   19.5 31 Aug 7.8   2.0 15 Jun 192.0
Kuitpo Forest Reserve 12.3   17.6 31 Aug 6.4   1.7 15 Jun 353.2
Mount Barker 13.9 +0.3 18.5 30 Aug 4.5 -0.4 -1.2 15 Jun 350.8 308.2 average 114%
Mount Crawford (Mt Crawford AWS) 11.1   15.6 30 Aug 5.6   2.6 17 Aug 302.2
Mount Lofty 9.5   14.6 31 Aug 4.9   0.6 14 Jun 490.4
Noarlunga 15.0   18.9 31 Aug 8.4   4.0 5 Jul 198.4
Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS) 12.0   14.8 24 Jun 6.9   3.0 15 Jun 350.8
Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay) 15.5   19.5 30 Aug 6.7   0.2 9 Jul 275.6
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre 15.8 -0.7 22.6 31 Aug 4.0 -0.3 -3.9 6 Jul 66.3 81.3 average 82%
Renmark Aero 16.0   23.5 31 Aug 4.0   -4.5 6 Jul 57.8
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda 13.1 -0.6 18.4 30 Aug 5.0 -0.3 0.0 15 Jun 169.0 159.2 average 106%
Meningie 15.4 -0.1 20.0 30 Aug 6.3 -0.7 0.3 15 Jun 221.8 179.7 high 123%
Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome) 15.4   20.1 30 Aug 4.5   -3.2 5 Jul 89.6
Murray Bridge Comparison 16.3 -0.5 21.5 30 Aug 5.2 -0.6 -1.2 5 Jul 120.1 110.1 average 109%
Strathalbyn Racecourse 15.0   20.1 31 Aug 6.5   0.4 9 Jul 150.4
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda 15.3   20.6 30 Aug 4.5   -1.3 6 Jul 122.5 108.0 average 113%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith 14.9 -0.6 20.0 30 Aug 5.2 -0.6 -1.2 27 Jun 173.8 165.5 average 105%
Keith (Munkora) 14.8   19.3 30 Jul 4.5   -1.2 27 Jun 167.4
Lameroo (Austin Plains) 14.6   19.5 30 Aug 4.2   -0.9 6 Jul 103.6
Lameroo Comparison 15.3 -0.4 20.7 30 Aug 4.8 0.0 -1.0 6 Jul 106.6 126.4 average 84%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) 14.0   16.7 21 Jun 7.2   1.6 15 Jun 242.0
Coonawarra 13.9 -0.5 17.8 30 Jul 4.5 -0.8 -2.5 27 Jun 217.4 232.1 average 94%
Mount Gambier Aero 13.5 -0.2 17.2 30 Aug 5.1 -0.4 -0.8 15 Jun 322.2 277.3 high 116%
Naracoorte Aerodrome 14.0   18.1 30 Jul 4.5   -2.7 15 Jun 195.2
Padthaway South 14.3   18.8 30 Aug 4.6   -3.0 27 Jun 200.8
Robe Airfield 14.6   18.3 30 Aug 5.8   -1.8 15 Jun 308.0
Robe Comparison 13.9 -0.2 17.0 2 Jun 8.1 -0.3 1.9 15 Jun 321.8 285.8 average 113%

Details Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notes

A Seasonal Climate Summary is prepared to list 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. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, usually published in the fourth week of the month.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 1 pm on Wednesday 1 September 2010. 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