Wednesday, 1 June 2016 - Seasonal Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC23R0

South Australia in autumn 2016: Warm days and nights, with heavy rain throughout

South Australia recorded a wetter and warmer than average autumn in 2016. South Australian had its equal fourth warmest autumn on record. Autumn rainfall was generally well above average across the State resulting from heavy rainfall recorded in early March and late May.

• Fifth-warmest autumn
• Third-warmest autumn nights
• Eighth-warmest autumn days
• Wettest autumn since 1989

Overall, autumn rainfall for South Australia was above average, owing to particularly heavy rainfall events in March and May. While parts of southern agricultural areas and some coastal areas recorded average to below average rainfall, very much above average rainfall was recorded in northern pastoral areas. A slow moving trough tracked across South Australia in early March, bringing heavy rainfall to central districts, resulting in some locations recording their wettest autumn day on record. Several sites had their highest total autumn rainfall on record. April saw generally below average rainfall across much of the State, but a wetter May resulted in some sites having their highest total autumn rainfall for at least 20 years, with large areas of the pastoral districts recording more than double the long term seasonal average.

South Australia's overall mean temperature for autumn was more than 1.5 °C above the long-term average, coming in equal-fourth highest in 107 years of observations, with some sites having their highest autumn mean temperature on record.

Average maximum temperatures for South Australia were more than 1.4 °C above normal and seventh highest on record. High temperatures occurred early in the autumn period, particularly through March, and some locations observed their highest autumn temperature on record. Warm daytime temperatures persisted through April and May. More information about the autumn warmth can be found in Special Climate Statement 56 - Australia's warmest autumn on record.

Autumn nights across South Australia were notably warmer than average as a whole, with the season starting off with Moomba, in the far northeast pastoral district, observing its warmest autumn night on record. Warmer than average nights persisted throughout much of the season, resulting in several locations recording their warmest autumn mean minimum temperature on record or their warmest autumn nights in more than 20 years. Minimum temperatures were highest on record in areas of the State's northeast and northern pastoral districts and were very much above average for most of the rest of South Australia. Extended periods of heat, and relatively few intrusions of colder air from the south meant that temperatures remained above average for much of the season. Average minimum temperatures for South Australia as a whole were third warmest on record coming in at more than 1.7 °C above average.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

---

Extremes in autumn 2016
Hottest day	43.9 °C at Oodnadatta Airport on 2 Mar
Warmest days on average	30.6 °C at Moomba Airport
Coolest days on average	18.6 °C at Mount Lofty
Coldest day	9.2 °C at Mount Lofty on 27 May
Coldest night	0.0 °C at Yunta Airstrip on 24 Apr
Coolest nights on average	10.2 °C at Padthaway South
Warmest nights on average	17.8 °C at Moomba Airport
Warmest night	30.6 °C at Moomba Airport on 2 Mar
Warmest on average overall	24.2 °C at Moomba Airport
Coolest on average overall	14.6 °C at Mount Lofty
Wettest overall	295.4 mm at Lenswood Research Centre
Wettest day	88.0 mm at Lenswood Research Centre on 10 May
Strongest wind gust	111 km/h at Neptune Island on 27 May

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

---

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

---

Record highest autumn daily rainfall
	New record (mm)		Old record		Years of record
Bute	77.5	on 10 Mar	49.3	on 29 May 1893	128
Mount Hope (Fairview)	51.4	on 26 May	49.5	on 25 Apr 1971	104
Balaklava (Wanappe)	51.8	on 10 Mar	50.0	on 1 Mar 1992	48
Tailem Bend (River Downs (Naturi))	51.8	on 10 Mar	51.4	on 16 Mar 1985	48
Tickera	81.1	on 10 Mar	50.6	on 1 Mar 1992	48

---

Highest autumn total rainfall for at least 20 years
	Observed (mm)	Most recent higher		Average for autumn
Bute	200.1	235.6	in 1893*	91.6
Mount Dare	134.7	161.4	in 1979*	37.3
Streaky Bay	142.2	256.3	in 1983	84.4
Moonta	160.3	162.0	in 1983*	98.3
Port Parham	138.5	140.8	in 1983*	86.2
Parachilna (Motpena)	130.8	417.8	in 1989	54.8
Cowell (Winter Springs)	150.2	163.6	in 1992	74.8
Tarcoola (Mobella)	173.0	269.0	in 1989*	43.9
Tarlee	176.8	186.2	in 1992	109.2
Cummins	129.0	164.4	in 1992*	88.8
Mount Hope (Fairview)	180.8	182.2	in 1992*	91.7
Riverton	187.4	208.2	in 1992*	120.9
Marree (Witchelina Station)	94.6	316.5	in 1989*	36.9

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

---

Record highest autumn temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for autumn
Leigh Creek Airport	42.0	on 2 Mar	41.5	on 6 Mar 1986	34	26.2
Loxton Research Centre	41.5	on 6 Mar	41.2	on 12 Mar 2006	32	23.8
Renmark Aero	42.2	on 6 Mar	41.9	on 12 Mar 2006	21	24.4

---

Record highest autumn mean daily maximum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for autumn
Adelaide (Kent Town)	24.4	= 24.4	in 2008	39	22.7
Loxton Research Centre	25.6	25.2	in 2005	31	23.8
Renmark Aero	26.2	= 26.2	in 2005	20	24.4

---

Record highest autumn daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for autumn
Moomba Airport	30.6	on 2 Mar	30.2	on 3 Mar 2009	21	15.5

---

Record highest autumn mean daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for autumn
Woomera Aerodrome	15.0	= 15.0	in 2013	66	13.2
Andamooka	16.1	15.8	in 2013	44	14.1
Arkaroola	13.3	13.2	in 2007	37	11.3
Loxton Research Centre	10.9	10.8	in 2014	31	9.0
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone)	12.3	12.2	in 2013	24	10.8
Kingscote Aero	10.7	10.6	in 2007	21	9.2
Moomba Airport	17.8	17.4	in 2007	20	15.5

Highest autumn mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent higher		Average for autumn
Coonawarra	10.3	10.5	in 1989	8.2
Keith	11.4	11.5	in 1989	9.5
Mount Gambier Aero	10.7	10.8	in 1989	8.9

---

Record highest autumn mean temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for autumn
Arkaroola	20.2	19.9	in 2007	37	18.2
Loxton Research Centre	18.2	17.8	in 2007	31	16.4
Clare High School	16.9	= 16.9	in 2005	21	15.3
Moomba Airport	24.2	23.8	in 2014	20	22.2
Renmark Aero	18.7	18.4	in 2007	20	16.9

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

---

Summary statistics for autumn 2016
	Maximum temperatures (°C)				Minimum temperatures (°C)				Rainfall (millimetres)
	Mean for autumn 2016	Diff from average	Highest for autumn 2016		Mean for autumn 2016	Diff from average	Lowest for autumn 2016		Total for autumn 2016	Average for autumn	Rank of autumn 2016	Fraction of autumn average
Northwest (district 16)
Andamooka	28.3	+1.0	43.8	2 Mar	16.1	+2.0	6.0	29 May	85.3	45.9	high	186%
Coober Pedy Airport	28.2	+1.3	42.3	2 Mar	15.9	+1.7	6.2	23 May	97.6	36.6	v high	267%
Ernabella (Pukatja)	27.8	+1.3	39.2	4 Mar	14.9	+2.0	1.3	28 May	92.8	60.7	high	153%
Mount Ive	26.1		39.5	2 Mar	12.5		3.1	10 May	67.5	54.6	high	124%
Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome)	28.1	+1.0	42.7	2 Mar	14.7	+2.1	3.4	24 May
Tarcoola Aero	27.1	+0.1	41.4	5 Mar	13.2	+1.0	2.1	23 May	126.2	43.0	v high	293%
Woomera Aerodrome	27.2	+1.7	41.6	2 Mar	15.0	+1.8	5.7	23 May	54.0	43.4	average	124%
Far North (district 17)
Arkaroola	27.2	+2.1	40.0	2 Mar	13.3	+2.0	1.5	24 May	78.7	63.5	high	124%
Leigh Creek Airport	27.5	+1.3	42.0	2 Mar	14.6	+1.5	3.4	24 May	103.0	52.1	v high	198%
Marree Aero	29.7	+1.2	42.5	1 Mar	15.5	+1.5	4.3	29 May	104.8	29.0	v high	361%
Moomba Airport	30.6	+1.7	43.4	1 Mar	17.8	+2.3	6.3	29 May	62.2	41.3	high	151%
Oodnadatta Airport	30.0	+1.5	43.9	2 Mar	16.5	+2.0	6.8	28 May	76.2	38.6	high	197%
Western Agricultural (district 18)
Ceduna AMO	24.0	+0.1	35.9	5 Mar	12.1	+1.3	1.9	24 Apr	89.8	69.0	high	130%
Cleve	23.2	+0.7	35.3	8 Mar	13.7	+1.3	8.5	18 May	151.2	92.1	high	164%
Cleve Aerodrome	23.2	+0.4	35.2	8 Mar	13.1	+0.7	7.8	25 Apr	126.6	87.0	high	146%
Coulta (Coles Point)	22.4	+0.3	33.3	5 Mar	12.1	+0.2	7.0	13 Apr	135.8	87.6	high	155%
Cummins Aero	23.5		33.9	16 Mar	11.4		4.2	30 Mar	135.6
Elliston	21.9	-0.1	38.0	6 Mar			5.1	18 May	135.3	95.0	high	142%
Kimba	24.8	+1.1	39.0	5 Mar	12.2	+1.0	5.5	24 May	119.2	75.6	high	158%
Kyancutta	26.6	+1.2	39.7	5 Mar	11.2	+1.5	1.1	24 Apr	49.4	66.2	average	75%
Minnipa Pirsa	25.1	+0.5	39.5	5 Mar	12.9	+0.9	6.9	23 Apr	88.8	66.2	high	134%
Neptune Island	20.0	+0.5	24.6	22 Mar	15.8	+0.9	10.0	27 May	83.4	104.8	average	80%
North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS)	22.6	+0.7	32.2	17 Mar	13.3	+0.9	6.5	25 Apr	93.4	85.1	average	110%
Nullarbor	24.2	0.0	37.2	1 Mar	12.3	+0.7	3.0	23 May	79.4	74.0	average	107%
Port Augusta Aero	27.2	+1.0	42.1	6 Mar	14.1	+1.4	4.1	24 May	52.0	51.4	average	101%
Streaky Bay	23.9	+0.2	36.6	5 Mar	13.9	+1.1	7.5	24 Apr	142.2	84.4	v high	168%
Whyalla Aero	24.9	+1.0	36.9	17 Mar	13.4	+1.3	5.1	24 May
Wudinna Aero	26.1	+0.9	39.7	5 Mar	11.8	+1.2	2.0	24 Apr	65.2	61.0	average	107%
Upper North (district 19)
Hawker	26.5	+1.3	41.0	2 Mar	12.5	+1.4	3.0	2 May	88.6	67.5	high	131%
Yongala	23.4	+1.3	37.9	2 Mar			0.7	24 May	112.4	77.0	high	146%
Northeast (district 20)
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot)	26.5	+1.6	42.3	6 Mar	10.3	+1.2	0.7	24 Apr	38.5	57.5	average	67%
Yunta Airstrip	25.5	+1.4	40.8	2 Mar	10.8	+1.6	0.0	24 Apr	59.8	36.6	high	163%
Lower North (district 21)
Clare High School	23.1	+1.6	38.2	5 Mar	10.7	+1.5	3.1	18 May	138.4	119.0	average	116%
Port Pirie Aerodrome AWS	26.2		39.7	8 Mar	13.0		5.3	24 Apr	83.4
Snowtown (Rayville Park)	25.4	+1.1	41.1	8 Mar	11.3	+1.7	3.3	24 Apr	99.4	82.8	average	120%
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A)
Edithburgh	22.0	+1.0	34.0	17 Mar	13.8	+0.6	7.4	23 May	69.4	87.4	low	79%
Kadina AWS	24.8	+1.0	38.6	5 Mar	11.7	+1.0	3.6	24 Apr	136.8	113.6	high	120%
Minlaton Aero	23.8	+0.8	36.5	8 Mar	12.9	+1.0	6.4	8 Apr	79.6	83.0	average	96%
Stenhouse Bay	21.6	+0.7	29.9	22 Mar	14.6	+0.6	7.8	29 May	92.8	102.0	average	91%
Warooka	22.2	+0.3	33.2	16 Mar	13.8	+1.2	7.6	29 May	98.6	103.3	average	95%
Kangaroo Island (district 22B)
Cape Borda	20.0	+0.3	28.5	6 Mar	13.1	+0.7	8.1	29 May
Cape Willoughby	19.6	+0.7	28.5	17 Mar	14.8	+0.7	9.4	28 May	111.4	122.3	average	91%
Kingscote Aero	21.9	+0.4	31.8	17 Mar	10.7	+1.5	3.1	18 Apr	105.2	100.9	average	104%
Parndana Cfs AWS	20.3		30.8	16 Mar	11.3		5.5	7 Apr	102.0
Adelaide Plains (district 23A)
Adelaide (Kent Town)	24.4	+1.7	38.7	5 Mar	13.9	+1.2	7.8	18 Apr	151.4	127.6	average	119%
Adelaide Airport	23.5	+1.4	36.9	6 Mar	13.8	+1.9	6.8	18 Apr	110.6	111.2	average	99%
Edinburgh RAAF	24.5	+1.5	39.1	5 Mar	12.9	+1.1	5.7	18 Apr	115.8	102.0	average	114%
Parafield Airport	24.7	+1.9	39.8	6 Mar	12.8	+0.9	5.2	23 Apr	115.4	110.2	average	105%
Roseworthy AWS	25.0	+1.1	40.0	5 Mar	12.3	+1.7	2.9	23 Apr	128.8	88.5	high	146%
County Light (district 23B)
Nuriootpa Pirsa	23.0	+1.4	38.6	8 Mar	11.0	+1.7	4.1	18 May	137.3	115.5	high	119%
Rosedale (Turretfield Research Centre)	24.5	+1.5	39.7	6 Mar	11.8	+1.0	3.8	23 Apr	143.8	110.6	high	130%
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C)
Hindmarsh Island AWS	21.9	+0.6	35.1	17 Mar	13.4	+1.1	5.5	29 May	59.0	84.4	low	70%
Kuitpo Forest Reserve	20.6	+1.0	36.6	8 Mar	12.2	+1.1	7.0	29 May
Mount Crawford AWS	20.6	+1.5	36.8	6 Mar	11.6	+1.2	5.3	29 May	208.6	144.2	high	145%
Mount Lofty	18.6	+3.0	33.4	8 Mar	10.7	+1.2	4.7	29 May	273.8
Noarlunga	23.1	+1.0	37.9	6 Mar	14.6	+1.1	9.2	29 May	99.2	110.2	average	90%
Parawa (Second Valley Forest AWS)	18.7	+0.7	30.9	8 Mar	12.3	+1.1	5.8	29 May	188.2	193.3	low	97%
Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay)	21.7	+0.5	34.4	17 Mar	11.5	+0.9	4.4	18 Apr	113.2	112.8	average	100%
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A)
Loxton Research Centre	25.6	+1.8	41.5	6 Mar	10.9	+1.9	1.7	18 Apr	54.4	53.3	average	102%
Renmark Aero	26.2	+1.8	42.2	6 Mar	11.2	+1.8	1.6	29 May	44.0	47.4	average	93%
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B)
Eudunda	22.6	+1.3	38.2	6 Mar	11.3	+1.4	4.0	29 May	140.2	99.9	high	140%
Meningie	22.4	+1.0	34.0	17 Mar	12.2	+1.5	5.0	18 Apr	84.6	114.4	low	74%
Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome)	24.3	+1.1	40.9	8 Mar	10.7	+1.1	1.6	18 Apr	66.6	84.7	low	79%
Strathalbyn Racecourse	22.9	+0.9	34.9	17 Mar	12.2	+1.5	5.9	29 May	90.6	91.4	average	99%
Murray Mallee (district 25A)
Karoonda	24.3	+0.9	40.2	8 Mar	10.7	+1.1	3.7	29 May	116.0	77.6	high	149%
Upper Southeast (district 25B)
Keith	23.9	+1.4	41.0	8 Mar	11.4	+1.9	4.6	3 Apr	89.8	105.8	average	85%
Keith (Munkora)	24.1	+1.0	41.8	8 Mar	10.6	+2.3	2.7	3 Apr	86.8	81.1	average	107%
Lameroo (Austin Plains)	24.3	+1.1	41.0	6 Mar	10.9	+1.6	2.9	29 May	62.4	73.8	low	85%
Lower Southeast (district 26)
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone)	20.4	+0.6	31.5	17 Mar	12.3	+1.5	6.0	30 May	122.8	109.6	average	112%
Coonawarra	22.0	+1.0	38.4	8 Mar	10.3	+2.1	2.1	18 Apr
Mount Gambier Aero	20.7	+1.1	35.3	17 Mar	10.7	+1.8	2.7	30 May	130.6	160.8	average	81%
Naracoorte Aerodrome	22.8	+0.8	39.8	8 Mar	10.3	+2.0	1.3	18 Apr	82.6	89.6	low	92%
Padthaway South	22.9	+1.0	39.6	8 Mar	10.2	+1.8	2.5	18 Apr	79.6	87.8	average	91%
Robe Airfield	21.0	+0.7	33.2	17 Mar	11.0	+1.4	2.5	18 Apr	156.6	135.0	high	116%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

---

---