OCTOBER HEAT. All Records Beaten. 23 Oct 1922. 105 deg F = 40.55 Celsius. Never before in the meteorological history of the State— and that goes back for 65 years— has there been so hot a day in the month of October as was experienced on Saturday.
OCTOBER HEAT. (1922, October 23). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929), p. 6. Retrieved October 30, 2021, from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/64125166?searchTerm=october%20heat&searchLimits=#
Saturday’s Temperature 102.9.
Ornithologists and Nature-lovers have been prophesying during the post month or two that the present would be an early and severe summer.
Unfortunately they appear to lave been right so far as the first portion of their prognostication is concerned. Never before in the meteorological history of the State— and that goes back for 65 years— has there been so hot a day in the month of October as was experienced on Saturday.
A falling glass on Friday night indicated higher temperatures, and Saturday morning broke with a cloudless sky and a hot northerly wind.
It was February weather more than October, which some optimists are prone to describe as one of the spring months. Before 9 o’clock the thermometer registered over 86, and the sun’s rays grew fiercer and fiercer until the apex was reached at 2p.m. with 102.9. The progressive figures were:
9 a.m… 88.8
10 a.m… 93.5
11 a.m… 96.0
12 noon… 99.0
1 p.m… 100.5
2 p.m… 102.0
3 p.m… 99.5
While those who were on their way, after luncheon, to fulfill sporting and social engagements, were bemoaning the state of the weather and longing for cooler conditions, officials of the Meteorological Department and statistical fiends were cheering on the mercury in its race against records, and hoping that it would be for them to register the unique experience of a defeat of the highest temperature in the past for the month of October.
They knew that on October 30, 1919, the record had been established, having beaten the previous best of 102.2 in October, 1914. When, on Saturday, at 1 p.m., the century was well passed, they had hopes even higher than the tell tail instrument.
At 2 p.m. the deed was done, and from then onwards the mercury, victorious and proud, slackened of it’s energy, and cooler conditions prevailed. The change had not arrived early on Sunday, however, for the city conditions twere still controlled by the previous day’s depression, and before noon the temperature was 94.6. Southerly winds then set in, and the temperature receded 20 deg. during the afternoon.
The official forecast, issued last night, was:—
“Cooler generally, with southerly winds. Some scattered showers and probably thunder.”
The Weather Office reported at 9 o’clock last night:— The passage of a depression across this State during the past couple of days was attended by a fierce burst of heat on Saturday, when the shade temperature at several stations rose above 100 deg., the highest having been at Fowler’s Bay, 105 deg., and at Port Augusta, 104 deg.
At Adelaide the thermometer rose to 102.9, the highest reading for October and the 65 years record. The trough of the ‘low’ had by 8.30 on Sunday morning passed Cape Borda, but did not reach Adelaide until midday.
Consequently, Sunday morning was warm to hot, the thermometer rising to 94.6. With the advent of cool southerly winds at noon there was a speedy reduction in the temperature, and by 3 p.m. the mercury had receded to 76.2. By Sunday morning the western anti-cyclone had spread across into the Bight, and only a narrow neck of low pressure separated this system from the eastern high.
Cooler weather with southerly winds should prevail on Mon day, and some scattered showers and probably thunderstorms are not unlikely.