Parts of South Australia experience coldest June day ever
On June 27, 2023, parts of South Australia’s outback experienced their coldest June day on record, as an unusually thick northwest cloudband brought heavy rain and low temperatures across the state.
Parts of South Australia’s outback recorded their coldest June day on record on Wednesday, June 27, 2023. This record-breaking cold was brought about by an unusually thick northwest cloudband that delivered heavy rain and low temperatures across the state, as reported by Ben Domasino of WeatherZone.
The cloudband, which was thicker, larger, and more laden with moisture than usual, covered South Australia, shielding the state from the fleeting warmth of the winter sun. This led to near-isothermic conditions in some parts of the state, with temperatures barely budging throughout the day.
In Port Augusta, the temperature hovered around 9 to 10 °C (48.2 to 50 °F) all day and night, peaking at just 10.4 °C (50.72 °F) during the 24 hours to 9:00 LT on Wednesday. This was Port Augusta’s coldest June day on record, with data dating back to 1957.
Similarly, Marree experienced temperatures of around 8 to 11 °C (46.4 to 51.8 °F) amid steady rainfall. Despite only reaching 11.1 °C (51.98 °F) on Tuesday, the official maximum temperature during the 24 hours to 9:00 on Wednesday was 11.9 °C (53.42 °F), marking Marree’s lowest June daily maximum temperature since 1956, and its coldest day for any month since 1998.
The average maximum temperature at Port Augusta and Marree in June is around 18 to 19 °C (64.4 to 66.2 °F), so Tuesday was around 8 °C (14.4 °F) cooler than average for this time of year.
In addition to the chilly daytime temperatures, the thick cloudband also delivered heavy rain to the north and east of South Australia. The heaviest rain occurred south of Marree and north of Yongala, where 10-20 mm (0.39-0.79 inches) fell during the 24 hours to 9:00 on Friday, June 23.
Andamooka’s 16 mm (0.63 inches) was its wettest June day since 2013, while Leigh Creek’s 18 mm (0.71 inches) was its wettest June day in seven years.
References:
1 Record cold June temperatures chill SA outback – WeatherZone – June 28, 2023
Featured image credit: JMA/Himawari-8, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers. Acquired at 04:30 UTC on June 27, 2023
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.