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

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

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

Monthly maps
	Rainfall rank	Maximum temperature rank	Minimum temperature rank
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

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

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top