Coldest Christmas Day in Adelaide in 17 years as the rest of SA had below average temperatures

Adelaide has experienced its coldest Christmas Day in 17 years with hail reported in parts of South Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology reported Adelaide recorded a maximum of 19.7C yesterday.

“That’s been our coldest Christmas Day since 2006 where we’ve saw a maximum temperature of only 17.9C,” meteorologist Jenny Horvat said.

“Maximum temperatures across the state were generally 5C to 10C below average and places around the Riverland almost 15C below average.”

She said Renmark reached a maximum of 18.2C — the coldest December day recorded in 29 years.

An upper trough moving across the state’s south east around Christmas Eve has also brought some unseasonable hail to the Murray Mallee region.

“On Christmas Eve we had upper trough moving across the south east of the state, that resulted in some slow-moving thunderstorms over the area where there has been reports of hail around Pinnaroo,” Ms Horvat said.

She said 38mm of rain fell in Lameroo and 2mm in Pinnaroo while on Christmas Day and overnight, Macclesfield in the Adelaide Hills had 24mm of rain — the highest in the state.

The bureau is forecasting dry and warmer weather to return to South Australia by New Year’s Eve.