Adelaide

Geography

Adelaide is located north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, on the Adelaide plains between the Gulf St Vincent and the low lying Mount Lofty Ranges. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Adelaide Metropolitan Region has a total land area of 870 km², which is at an average elevation of 50 metres above sea level. There are a number of creeks which flow through Adelaide, most of which connect to the Torrens or Onkaparinga River systems.

Related Topics:
Fleurieu Peninsula - Gulf St Vincent - Mount Lofty Ranges - Australian Bureau of Statistics

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Climate

Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate which generally means mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. All of Adelaide's weather data has been collected at the College Road, Kent Town weather station since February 1977, when the office moved from its previous location at West Terrace in the CBD.

Related Topics:
Mediterranean climate - Kent Town

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Of all the Australian capital cities, Adelaide is the driest. Rainfall is unreliable, light and infrequent throughout Summer, where rain does not fall for months at a time. In contrast, Winter weather is fairly uniform with June being the wettest month of the year, averaging 80 mm.

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Adelaide can usually expect around 3 days a year when the daytime temperature is 40°C or above.

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Climatic Averages*:

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• Mean January maximum temperature ? 28.8°C (83.8°F)
• Mean January minimum temperature ? 16.8°C (62.2°F)
• Mean January daily sunshine ? 10.5 hours
• Mean July maximum temperature ? 15.3°C (59.5°F)
• Mean July minimum temperature ? 7.4°C (45.3°F)
• Mean July daily sunshine ? 4.9 hours
• Mean annual rainfall ? 558 mm (22.0 in.)
• Wettest month on average ? June, 83 mm (3.3 in.)
• Driest month on average ? February, 14 mm (0.5 in.)

Recorded extremes*:

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• Hottest temperature ? 44.3°C (111.7°F)
• Coldest temperature ? minus 0.4°C (31.3°F)
• Wettest month ? June, 175 mm (6.89 in.)

(*Kent Town weather station 1977-present)

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