Record cold June temperatures chill SA outback
Parts of the SA outback shivered through their coldest June day on record yesterday as a thick northwest cloudband brought heavy rain and chilly temperatures across the state.
While winter is northwest cloudband season in Australia, this week’s cloudband has been thicker, larger and more laden with moisture than usual.
After delivering seven times the June monthly average rain over parts of WA’s Kimberley region earlier this week, the cloudland engulfed SA on Tuesday, shielding the state from the fleeting warmth of the winter sun.
Video: True-colour satellite images showing thick cloud covering SA on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
Temperatures barely budged in some parts of SA on Tuesday, with many inland areas experiencing a near-isothermic day.
In Port Augusta, the temperature hovered around 9 to 10ºC all day and night, only getting as high as 10.4ºC during the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday. This was Port Augusta’s coldest June day on record, with data from several weather stations collectively dating back to 1957.
Marree also spent Tuesday hovering around 8 to 11ºC amid steady rainfall. Despite only reaching 11.1ºC on Tuesday, the official maximum temperature during the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday was 11.9ºC, which occurred on Wednesday morning. This was Marree’s lowest June daily maximum temperature since 1956, and its coldest day for any month since 1998.
Image: Temperature and rainfall observations at Marree, SA on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
The average maximum temperature at Port Augusta and Marree in June is around 18 to 19ºC, so Tuesday was around 8ºC cooler than average for this time of year.
In addition to chilly daytime temperatures, yesterday’s thick cloudband also delivered rain to the north and east of SA.
The might Alberga River!
— Gillian Fennell (@stationmum101) June 27, 2023
48mm all up - still very overcast but I think the rain has stopped for now.#StationLife pic.twitter.com/a97doJ8zDC
The heaviest rain occurred south of Marree and north of Yongala, where 10-20 mm fell during the 24 hours to 9am on Friday. Andamooka’s 16mm was its wettest June day since 2013, while Leigh Creek’s 18mm was it wettest June day in seven years.