Appraisal of Daily Temperature and Rainfall Events in the Context of Global Warming in South Australia

Abstract

In recent decades, there have been significant problems worldwide related to global warming and the intensification of extreme temperature and rainfall events. This research evaluated daily temperature and rainfall indices trends to identify whether warming signals have occurred in South Australia over the past fifty years. Extreme cold, hot, and rainfall events were calculated using climatic data from 37 weather stations. A Mann–Kendall test was used for trend analysis with Sen’s estimator. As a result, we determined that for the 1970–2021 period, the maximum and minimum temperatures increased by 1.1 and 0.7 °C, respectively, while precipitation had a negative trend (−52.2 mm per period). Since statistical significance was found in analysing extreme cold and hot events, we find that warming signals have several impacts on South Australia. In the case of rainfall events, we identified a heterogeneous pattern characterised by a reduction in the annual amount and an increase in extreme rainfall events. The findings enable us to conclude that the area shows signs of global warming that could affect the intensity and magnitude of droughts. This information is essential for continuing with current management strategies to adapt and mitigate the effects of global warming in South Australia.

Keywords

• rainfall and temperature trends
• climate change
• South Australia
• Southern Hemisphere