It was an unseasonably hot and dry August for the South East as the state recorded the warmest August on record (since 1910), with the state’s mean temperature 3.86 degrees above average (based on 1961-1990).


Rainfall totals in August 2024 were below (bottom 30% of all years since 1900) to very much below (bottom 10% of all years since 1900) average in most agricultural districts, but were generally within 10mm of average across the state’s north.


Mount Gambier finished August with 81.4mm of rain, slightly down on the average of 95.4mm with other towns in the South East recording average or low rainfall.


Averaged across South Australia as a whole, August rainfall was 43% below average (based on 1961-1990).


The mean daily wind run for August was above average at most sites across the state.


Mean maximum temperatures for August 2024 were very much above (top 10% of all years since 1910) average throughout South Australia, including areas of highest on record in the northern pastoral districts and the Lower South East.


Mount Gambier, Robe, Naracoorte and Coonawarra all broke records for the highest August mean daily maximum temperature, one of which was over 30 years old.