LAST year saw Nuriootpa swelter through its warmest year ever, while Williamstown received 281mm of rain less than average during what was the state’s driest year on record.
The Bureau of Meteorology released its Annual Climate Report on Thursday, which revealed 2019 was South Australia’s driest and second-warmest year on record.
According to the report, Nuriootpa recorded an annual mean daily maximum temperature of 22.6C, just breaking the previous record of 22.5C in 2007.
Mean maximum temperatures in the Barossa town were 1C above average, compared to 2.3C across the state.
The town also had its driest summer on record, receiving 23.8mm of rain, beating 2007’s previous low of 26.8mm.
Further south in Williamstown, a rainfall total of 427.8mm was the lowest since 388.8mm fell on the town in 1982.
Despite not being their driest years ever, BOM weather stations in Edinburgh, Roseworthy and Nuriootpa all received only 65 per cent of their average annual rainfall.
BOM head of climate monitoring Dr Karl Braganza said temperatures are likely to remain warmer than average for the rest of the summer.
“Unfortunately the outlook is not indicating a widespread return to wetter than average conditions over drought and fire affected parts of eastern Australia,” he said.
“But with the likely return of the monsoon by mid-January for northern Australia, it’s raises the chances that we could see some periods of higher rainfall move south in the coming months.
“It’s important the community remains vigilant to the risk of more heat and fire days this summer, particularly given how dry the country has been over the past 12 months.”
Across the region, record highest temperatures were recorded at BOM weather stations in Edinburgh (47.5C), Nuriootpa (46C) and Roseworthy (48.3C) on January 24.
The Edinburgh station also recorded its highest minimum temperature of 34.2C on December 20.
In response to the report, National Rural Health Alliance chief executive officer Dr Gabrielle O’Kane urged state and federal governments to come together to create a “climate and health strategy”.
“It’s (the BOM report) also a timely reminder that climate and health are inextricably linked and that public health policy needs to consider the effects of climate change,” she said.
“We know that climate change affects everyone but that rural Australians are often hit the hardest. The fires that are still impacting so much of rural Australia are a devastating reminder of that.
“Rural Australians are more likely to be exposed to extreme weather events and the physical and mental health effects that come from bushfire and drought.
“Issues like food insecurity, water scarcity and the spread of disease are all made worse by climate change and all hit rural Australia particularly hard.”
