Tuesday, 9 January 2018 - Annual Climate Summary for South Australia - Product code IDCKGC53R0
South Australia in 2017: warmer and wetter than average
Rainfall during 2017 was above average for South Australia as a whole, although it was drier than average in some central and eastern areas. Overall, temperatures were warmer than average in all districts, with 2017 coming in as South Australia's fifth-warmest year on record.
Wetter than average
- Rainfall in 2017 was 11% above average for South Australia as a whole
- Rainfall was above average in the Northwest and parts of the Southeast, but it was drier than average in the Far North and most parts of the central agricultural districts
- After a very wet end to 2016, the year began with South Australia's sixth-wettest January on record and resulted in the State's sixth-wettest summer on record
- January, April, and November each had large areas of the State with very much above average rainfall
- Rainfall was above average for most areas of the State during April, making it South Australia's tenth-wettest April on record, with large areas around Port Augusta, Tarcoola, Mount Eba, and Andamooka recording more than four times their April average rainfall
- South Australia had its driest March since 2003 and May, June, and July all had below average rainfall in most parts of the State
- In September, after little or no rain earlier in the month, the last three days saw the northern pastoral districts receive more than 25 mm of rain, with the month ending as one the region's wettest Septembers on record
- Two sites had their highest daily rainfall on record in the first half of the year
Fifth-warmest year on record
- South Australia's overall fifth-warmest year on record, with the State's mean temperature 1.02 °C warmer than average
- Mean temperatures were above average throughout the State, including large parts that were very much above average with an area of highest on record in the northeast
- Most months were much warmer than average, with April and June the only months to have slightly cooler than average mean temperatures
- Daytime temperatures were very much warmer than average during March and July, and night time temperatures were very much cooler than average during June
- During June, Marree Aero had its lowest temperature on record when temperatures dropped to -2.4 °C on the 4th (although the nearby Marree site recorded -2.8 °C on 30 June 1948 and 15 July 1970)
- Extreme heat was observed at times during January and February over South Australia
- During the February heatwave, Yunta Airstrip had its highest temperature on record when it reached 45.5 °C (although the old Yunta site recorded 47.3 °C on 3 January 1990)
- Mean maximum temperatures were South Australia's third-warmest on record at 1.42 °C warmer than average
- Daytime temperatures were very much warmer than average across most of South Australia, including small areas of highest on record in the Far North
- Mean minimum temperatures were 0.62 °C warmer than average for the State as a whole and were warmer than average in most districts, but after several very warm years, they were the coolest since 2012
- Mean minimum temperatures were very much warmer than average in parts of the Pastoral districts, Western Agricultural, and Southeast districts
- Moomba Airport had both its highest mean daily minimum temperature on record and highest mean temperature on record
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
- Enquiries
- helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Extremes in 2017 | |
---|---|
Hottest day |
48.2 °C at Tarcoola Aero on 9 Feb |
Warmest days on average |
30.8 °C at Moomba Airport |
Coolest days on average |
17.5 °C at Mount Lofty |
Coldest day |
6.0 °C at Mount Lofty on 3 Aug |
Coldest night |
-5.7 °C at Yunta Airstrip on 4 Jun |
Coolest nights on average |
8.1 °C at Keith (Munkora) |
Warmest nights on average |
16.2 °C at Moomba Airport |
Warmest night |
32.8 °C at Moomba Airport on 19 Dec |
Warmest on average overall |
23.5 °C at Moomba Airport |
Coolest on average overall |
13.4 °C at Mount Lofty |
Wettest overall |
1147.8 mm at Uraidla |
Driest overall |
97.6 mm at Moomba Airport |
Wettest day |
106.2 mm at Wilpena Pound on 20 Jan |
Strongest wind gust |
124 km/h at Neptune Island on 6 Aug and 15 Aug |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Maps | |||
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Observed | Anomaly | Decile rank | |
Total rainfall |
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Mean daily maximum temperatures |
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Mean daily minimum temperatures |
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Monthly maps | |||
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Rainfall rank | Maximum temperature rank | Minimum temperature rank | |
January |
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February |
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March |
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April |
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May |
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June |
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July |
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August |
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September |
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October |
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November |
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December |
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Record highest daily rainfall | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
||||
Buckleboo (Karinya) | 76.2 | on 20 Jan | 54.6 | on 15 Feb 2014 | 31 | |
Roseworthy AWS | 58.6 | on 21 Apr | 57.0 | on 31 Oct 1997 | 21 |
Record highest temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
|||
Yunta Airstrip | 45.5 | on 10 Feb | 45.3 | on 7 Feb 2009 | 20 | 24.6 |
Record lowest temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
|||
Marree Aero | -2.4 | on 4 Jun | -1.6 | on 3 Aug 2014 | 20 | 14.0 |
Record highest annual mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
||
Adelaide Airport | 12.5 | = 12.5 | in 2013 | 61 | 11.5 |
Moomba Airport | 16.2 | 16.1 | in 2016 | 21 | 15.5 |
Record highest annual mean temperature | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
||
Moomba Airport | 23.5 | 23.4 | in 2014 | 21 | 22.5 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Summary statistics for 2017 | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
Mean for 2017 |
Diff from average |
Highest for 2017 |
Mean for 2017 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for 2017 |
Total for 2017 |
Average annual total |
Rank of 2017 |
Fraction of annual average |
|||
Northwest (district 16) | ||||||||||||
Andamooka | 28.2 | +0.6 | 46.7 | 9 Feb | 14.3 | +0.5 | 1.3 | 4 Jun | 183.7 | 194.0 | average | 95% |
Coober Pedy Airport | 28.5 | +0.8 | 46.4 | 9 Feb | 14.5 | +0.3 | 2.0 | 5 Jul | 156.0 | 141.1 | average | 111% |
Ernabella (Pukatja) | 27.9 | +0.5 | 40.8 | 17 Dec | 12.9 | -0.3 | -3.1 | 4 Aug | 376.0 | 282.9 | high | 133% |
Mount Ive | 26.3 | 47.6 | 9 Feb | -4.1 | 4 Jun | 234.0 | 240.3 | average | 97% | |||
Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) | 28.3 | +0.6 | 46.8 | 9 Feb | 12.4 | -0.2 | -2.9 | 20 Jul | 121.6 | 148.3 | average | 82% |
Tarcoola Aero | 28.0 | +0.4 | 48.2 | 9 Feb | 11.9 | -0.3 | -3.5 | 5 Jun | 207.8 | 184.3 | average | 113% |
Woomera Aerodrome | 27.0 | +1.2 | 46.8 | 9 Feb | 13.2 | +0.4 | 1.4 | 6 Jul | 154.9 | 183.1 | average | 85% |
Far North (district 17) | ||||||||||||
Leigh Creek Airport | 27.7 | +1.3 | 45.1 | 18 Dec | 13.1 | +0.2 | -0.7 | 4 Jun | 186.0 | 228.6 | average | 81% |
Marree Aero | 29.9 | +0.9 | 47.1 | 18 Dec | 13.9 | -0.1 | -2.4 | 4 Jun | 93.2 | 146.7 | low | 64% |
Moomba Airport | 30.8 | +1.3 | 47.1 | 29 Dec | 16.2 | +0.7 | 1.9 | 4 Jun | 97.6 | 173.8 | low | 56% |
Oodnadatta Airport | 30.5 | +1.4 | 47.1 | 18 Dec | 15.0 | +0.4 | 0.3 | 6 Jun | 218.2 | 177.1 | high | 123% |
Western Agricultural (district 18) | ||||||||||||
Cleve | 22.9 | +0.8 | 43.0 | 8 Feb | 12.1 | +0.7 | 3.0 | 29 Aug | 409.4 | 402.3 | average | 102% |
Cleve Aerodrome | 22.9 | +0.3 | 44.0 | 8 Feb | 11.6 | +0.1 | 1.7 | 29 Aug | 339.4 | 359.2 | average | 94% |
Cummins Aero | 23.4 | 45.4 | 8 Feb | 10.0 | -4.7 | 4 Jun | 386.2 | 430.8 | average | 90% | ||
Elliston | 22.4 | +0.9 | 43.3 | 8 Feb | 12.3 | +0.5 | -0.5 | 4 Jun | 450.8 | 427.3 | average | 105% |
Kyancutta | 26.3 | +1.1 | 46.8 | 9 Feb | 9.9 | +0.6 | -4.2 | 4 Jun | 290.6 | 312.9 | average | 93% |
Minnipa Pirsa | 25.1 | +0.4 | 43.7 | 9 Feb | 11.5 | +0.4 | 2.8 | 24 Aug | 261.6 | 278.6 | average | 94% |
Neptune Island | 19.0 | +0.4 | 30.8 | 8 Feb | 14.5 | +0.7 | 7.5 | 30 Oct | 469.0 | 446.6 | average | 105% |
North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) | 21.8 | +0.5 | 42.0 | 17 Jan | 11.4 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 4 Jun | 378.6 | 393.9 | average | 96% |
Nullarbor | 24.4 | +0.7 | 43.4 | 26 Mar | 10.6 | -0.2 | -2.7 | 3 Jun | 348.4 | 252.1 | high | 138% |
Port Augusta Aero | 26.4 | 0.0 | 47.2 | 9 Feb | 11.7 | -0.5 | -2.3 | 11 Jul | 248.2 | 221.5 | average | 112% |
Streaky Bay | 44.0 | 8 Feb | 12.8 | +0.6 | 3.7 | 1 Jun | 304.1 | 378.0 | low | 80% | ||
Whyalla Aero | 24.4 | +0.7 | 43.6 | 8 Feb | 11.5 | 0.0 | -1.4 | 2 Jun | 247.1 | 266.7 | average | 93% |
Wudinna Aero | 25.8 | +0.4 | 45.0 | 9 Feb | 10.1 | -0.1 | -3.0 | 4 Jun | 288.6 | 275.2 | average | 105% |
Upper North (district 19) | ||||||||||||
Hawker | 26.1 | +0.9 | 45.5 | 9 Feb | 10.9 | +0.3 | -4.5 | 4 Jun | 160.0 | 308.6 | v low | 52% |
Northeast (district 20) | ||||||||||||
Gluepot Reserve (Gluepot) | 25.7 | +0.4 | 47.0 | 9 Feb | 9.3 | 0.0 | -4.5 | 3 Jun | 217.5 | 281.5 | average | 77% |
Yunta Airstrip | 25.3 | +0.7 | 45.5 | 10 Feb | 9.7 | +0.2 | -5.7 | 4 Jun | 214.6 | 207.9 | average | 103% |
Lower North (district 21) | ||||||||||||
Clare High School | 21.9 | +0.6 | 41.3 | 9 Feb | 9.1 | 0.0 | -3.1 | 4 Jun | 497.6 | 555.6 | low | 90% |
Port Pirie Aerodrome AWS | 25.6 | 45.0 | 8 Feb | 11.0 | -0.7 | 4 Jun | 325.6 | |||||
Snowtown (Rayville Park) | 24.6 | +0.4 | 45.4 | 9 Feb | 8.6 | -0.4 | -2.8 | 3 Jun | 382.8 | 380.8 | average | 101% |
Yorke Peninsula (district 22A) | ||||||||||||
Kadina AWS | 23.8 | 0.0 | 42.1 | 8 Feb | 10.0 | +0.2 | -1.8 | 28 Aug | 291.2 | 343.3 | average | 85% |
Minlaton Aero | 23.1 | +0.5 | 43.7 | 8 Feb | 11.2 | +0.3 | 0.9 | 28 Aug | 399.6 | 360.3 | average | 111% |
Stenhouse Bay | 20.8 | +0.4 | 43.5 | 8 Feb | 13.2 | +0.2 | 4.5 | 1 Jun | 529.0 | 447.7 | high | 118% |
Warooka | 21.7 | +0.5 | 40.2 | 8 Feb | 3.5 | 29 Aug | 492.2 | 444.5 | high | 111% | ||
Kangaroo Island (district 22B) | ||||||||||||
Cape Borda | 19.5 | +0.3 | 35.8 | 8 Feb | 11.8 | +0.3 | 3.9 | 28 Aug | 516.8 | 560.4 | low | 92% |
Kingscote Aero | 21.5 | +0.5 | 39.7 | 8 Feb | 9.3 | +0.3 | -1.5 | 2 Jun | 391.2 | 452.0 | average | 87% |
Parndana Cfs AWS | 20.4 | 41.1 | 8 Feb | 9.8 | 2.0 | 29 Aug | 551.2 | |||||
Adelaide Plains (district 23A) | ||||||||||||
Adelaide (Kent Town) | 23.3 | +0.9 | 42.4 | 8 Feb | 12.7 | +0.4 | 1.7 | 4 Jun | 536.2 | 550.6 | average | 97% |
Adelaide Airport | 22.4 | +0.8 | 41.7 | 8 Feb | 12.5 | +1.0 | 1.8 | 4 Jun | 414.4 | 442.2 | average | 94% |
Edinburgh RAAF | 23.3 | +0.7 | 42.6 | 13 Dec | 11.5 | +0.4 | 0.8 | 4 Jun | 426.2 | 434.4 | average | 98% |
Parafield Airport | 23.8 | +1.4 | 42.2 | 8 Feb | 11.5 | +0.3 | -0.5 | 4 Jun | 419.6 | 453.0 | average | 93% |
County Light (district 23B) | ||||||||||||
Nuriootpa Pirsa | 22.0 | +0.4 | 42.1 | 9 Feb | 9.3 | +0.1 | -3.5 | 4 Jun | 487.3 | 481.7 | average | 101% |
Rosedale (Turretfield Research Centre) | 23.6 | +1.0 | 42.4 | 8 Feb | 9.9 | -0.1 | -1.6 | 28 Aug | 495.8 | 468.6 | average | 106% |
Mount Lofty Ranges (district 23C) | ||||||||||||
Hindmarsh Island AWS | 21.4 | +0.6 | 42.2 | 8 Feb | 12.2 | +0.4 | 2.1 | 2 Jun | 382.6 | 393.9 | average | 97% |
Kuitpo Forest Reserve | 19.6 | +0.3 | 38.9 | 8 Feb | 10.7 | +0.4 | 2.7 | 1 Jun | 760.6 | 715.9 | average | 106% |
Mount Barker | 21.5 | +1.5 | 40.0 | 8 Feb | 9.6 | +1.5 | 0.5 | 29 Aug | 797.2 | 765.3 | average | 104% |
Mount Crawford AWS | 19.6 | +0.6 | 39.2 | 9 Feb | 10.1 | +0.4 | 2.2 | 28 Aug | 701.4 | 662.7 | average | 106% |
Mount Lofty | 17.5 | +2.3 | 36.2 | 8 Feb | 9.3 | +0.7 | 1.1 | 28 Aug | 1052.8 | |||
Noarlunga | 22.0 | +0.3 | 41.9 | 8 Feb | 13.2 | +0.5 | 3.9 | 28 Aug | 433.2 | 459.0 | average | 94% |
Victor Harbor (Encounter Bay) | 21.0 | +0.4 | 41.9 | 8 Feb | 10.6 | +0.4 | -0.6 | 2 Jun | 590.6 | 551.8 | average | 107% |
Upper Murray Valley (district 24A) | ||||||||||||
Loxton Research Centre | 25.0 | +1.0 | 46.6 | 9 Feb | 9.6 | +0.5 | -3.3 | 2 Jul | ||||
Renmark Aero | 25.6 | +0.7 | 47.1 | 9 Feb | 9.8 | +0.1 | -4.2 | 4 Jun | 216.8 | 242.5 | average | 89% |
Lower Murray Valley (district 24B) | ||||||||||||
Eudunda | 22.0 | +0.9 | 41.5 | 9 Feb | 9.8 | +0.5 | 0.3 | 21 Jul | 408.2 | 448.6 | average | 91% |
Meningie | 21.7 | +0.9 | 39.9 | 17 Jan | 11.0 | +0.7 | 0.1 | 4 Jun | 567.2 | 469.8 | high | 121% |
Murray Bridge (Pallamana Aerodrome) | 23.7 | +0.4 | 42.5 | 7 Jan | 9.0 | -0.1 | -4.1 | 2 Jun | 303.0 | 330.0 | average | 92% |
Strathalbyn Racecourse | 22.1 | +0.5 | 40.8 | 8 Feb | 10.6 | +0.3 | 0.3 | 3 Jun | 499.4 | 426.8 | high | 117% |
Upper Southeast (district 25B) | ||||||||||||
Keith | 23.0 | +0.7 | 42.0 | 8 Feb | 9.5 | +0.3 | -1.2 | 28 Aug | 493.3 | 461.1 | average | 107% |
Keith (Munkora) | 23.1 | +0.2 | 43.0 | 8 Feb | 8.1 | +0.1 | -2.8 | 28 Aug | 510.4 | 414.9 | high | 123% |
Lameroo (Austin Plains) | 23.6 | +0.2 | 43.3 | 17 Jan | 8.8 | 0.0 | -1.6 | 28 Aug | 351.8 | 321.0 | high | 110% |
Lower Southeast (district 26) | ||||||||||||
Cape Jaffa (The Limestone) | 19.8 | +0.5 | 38.1 | 6 Jan | 10.9 | +0.6 | 1.1 | 2 Jul | 550.6 | 502.4 | average | 110% |
Coonawarra | 20.9 | +0.4 | 39.0 | 8 Feb | 8.7 | +0.6 | -3.2 | 3 Jun | 675.6 | 568.7 | high | 119% |
Mount Gambier Aero | 20.2 | +1.2 | 39.0 | 7 Jan | 9.0 | +0.8 | -2.1 | 3 Jun | 812.6 | 712.4 | high | 114% |
Naracoorte Aerodrome | 21.5 | -0.2 | 40.5 | 7 Jan | 8.8 | +0.7 | -2.5 | 2 Jun | 607.4 | 490.5 | high | 124% |
Robe Airfield | 20.0 | +0.4 | 37.5 | 29 Nov | 10.0 | +0.5 | -1.7 | 7 Jun | 672.2 | 608.5 | average | 110% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
The Annual climate summary, generally published on the second working day of the year, 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. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.
This statement has been prepared based on information available on Tuesday 9 January 2018. 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.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
- Enquiries
- helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au