South Australian weather driven by western influence in 2016

Bureau of Meteorology SA acting climate liaison manager Peter Webb said preliminary findings showed this had been the wettest year since 1992. This came after a hot, dry start to the year, driven by a weakening El Nino.

Mr Webb said, overall, the annual temperature was similar to average.

“It was above average in January to April, and below average September to October, so it balanced out,” he said.

He said the cool spring had an impact on crops across the state, delaying the ripening of tablegrapes, fruit trees and wheat crops.

The slow, dry start to the year also impacted sowing.

“Come May, it started to rain and didn’t really stop,” he said.

Mr Webb said eastern parts of the state, including the Mallee, Upper South East and Mount Lofty Ranges had almost double their average rainfall throughout winter and spring, while the Eyre Peninsula had slightly increased rainfall.

The wettest month was September, which had records set in many areas, particularly in the north of the state and pastoral lands.

In Jamestown, 216.2 millimetres of rain was recorded, eclipsing the 1979 record of 145.2mm for September, while Goolwa had 174.8mm, 62mm more than its 1992 record of 112.8mm. 

Mr Webb said the biggest driver to weather for the year was the Indian Ocean Dipole, driven by record warm temperatures in the Indian Ocean off the coast of WA, and cooler water off the coast of Africa.

“The increased rainfall, with any more rain than normal, was nearly all driven by the negative phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole,” he said. “It had quite an extensive influence on weather in winter and spring.”

Mr Webb said this phenomenon had weakened and returned to neutral. 

Earlier predictions for a potential La Nina to form did not come through.

“La Nina got close to the boundary but it stayed neutral,” he said.

Mr Webb said, with the Indian Ocean Dipole, La Nina and El Nino all neutral, the state’s weather would return to more “average” conditions, with a slightly increased possibility of warmer temperatures away from the SA coastline.

“We’re looking at more traditional conditions into the early part of next year,” he said.