If you can't stand the heat, get out of Adelaide

The average maximum temperature in Adelaide in March is 26 degrees C. Not exactly autumnal, but not high summer either.

For the last 15 days we've been experiencing an official heatwave, where each day the maximum temperature has exceeded 35 deg. The Bureau of Meteorology official figures are available on its website , but I'll reproduce them here:

Observations are from Kent Town, about 2 km east of the city centre.

Date	Day	Temps		Rain	Evap	Sun	Max wind gust			9 am						3 pm
		Min	Max				Dir	Spd	Time	Temp	RH	Cld	Dir	Spd	MSLP	Temp	RH	Cld	Dir	Spd	MSLP
		°C	°C	mm	mm	hours	km/h		local	°C	%	8th	km/h		hPa	°C	%	8th	km/h		hPa
1	Sa	13.5	25.7	0			ESE	46	02:12	17.2	37		E	9	1022.6	24.4	25		SW	17	1020.4
2	Su	13.3	31.1	0		11.4	NE	30	08:08	23.5	16		NE	15	1021.6	30.1	9		W	19	1019.9
3	Mo	15.6	35.4	0	19.6	11.0				25.6	16		NNE	7	1020.0	34.3	6		W	19	1017.5
4	Tu	23.5	35.7		11.8	10.4				27.0	16		WSW	4	1019.4	34.5	12		WSW	13	1017.7
5	We	24.4	37.9	0	10.6	11.2	ESE	35	23:04	28.4	27		NNE	13	1021.1	37.3	9		WSW	15	1019.3
6	Th	19.6	38.5	0	7.2	11.2	SW	30	14:11	26.5	28		ENE	4	1022.2	38.0	8		WSW	17	1020.6
7	Fr	19.9	39.0	0	8.2		WNW	24	11:52	26.5	39		Calm		1022.3	37.3	11		W	15	1020.4
8	Sa	21.1	39.8	0			E	26	20:59	26.8	33		Calm		1021.1	38.9	9		SW	20	1018.9
9	Su	25.4	40.2	0			E	37	00:56	31.5	15		NNE	11	1020.9	39.5	9		WSW	19	1018.7
10	Mo	22.4	40.0	0		11.4	WNW	31	13:01	28.6	26		NNE	4	1019.8	38.0	12		WSW	19	1018.7
11	Tu	22.0	38.4	0	34.4	11.1	WSW	30	13:41	26.2	45		N	6	1020.6	35.9	23		SW	19	1018.1
12	We	22.4	39.2	0	7.8	9.4	WSW	37	14:33	25.7	44		SSW	6	1018.6	38.3	13		WNW	17	1015.9
13	Th	25.0	39.7	0	8.0	10.8	NW	52	12:52	31.4	21		NNE	9	1014.3	38.8	9		NW	30	1011.6
14	Fr	30.2	38.6	0	15.8		WNW	56	12:07	31.2	15		N	20	1012.9	38.1	8		NW	30	1012.4
15	Sa	23.6	38.3	0			NW	31	12:51	26.1	42		NNE	4	1015.9	36.0	17		WNW	15	1014.5
16	Su	22.5	39.9	0		10.9	WNW	31	11:18	28.5	34		NE	7	1015.9	39.7	11		WSW	17	1013.9
17	Mo	25.9		0	22.8					32.0	19		NE	9	1014.7	39.6	10		WNW	19	1011.9
Statistics for the first 17 days of March 2008
Mean		21.8	37.3		14.6	10.9				27.2	27			7	1019.1	36.4	11			18	1017.1
Lowest		13.3	25.7	0	7.2	9.4				17.2	15		Calm		1012.9	24.4	6		WSW	13	1011.6
Highest		30.2	40.2	0	34.4	11.4	WNW	56		32.0	45		N	20	1022.6	39.7	25		NW	30	1020.6
Total				0.0	146.2	108.8

Those who measure heatwaves by the Fahrenheit scale will note that the 100 deg F (37.9 deg C) mark has been passed for the last 13 consecutive days. This is a record for an Australian capital city, breaking Perth's 11 day spell of 35+ deg C days set some years ago.

Despite the consistently high temperatures the days have not been identical: most have been sunny and with relatively moderate winds, but there have been some overcast ones where the sun hasn't shone through for long (or at all).

Today's max was 40.5 deg, but a cool change is predicted for tomorrow with a max in the 20s. At 10.45pm the temperature was, according to the BOM website, 28.5 deg, so I hope the prediction comes true. But if it doesn't I, like so many other people, will maintain (or try to maintain) a stoic fortitude in the face of the climatic adversity.

How well have people coped? i think that two things have helped: (1) widespread air conditioning , particularly in public places, and (2) no (or very few) power cuts despite the system being placed under considerable strain.

My house is made of brick and stone, which means that once it heats up it stays heated up. Opening windows at night has sometimes helped a little but, as the BOM stats show, the minimum temp hasn't always dropped very much. I have one airconditioned room, to which I've retreated at times and a cellar, where I've slept very comfortably for a few nights, and to where I'm about to adjourn. i hope to wake up tomorrow to a cool(er), crisp morning much more typical of mid-March in Adelaide.