Fortnight of extreme heat grips South Australia, fires rage near Moonta and a dust storm brings relief
Date
28 January – 3 February 1880
Summary / Overview
A period of intense and oppressive heat affected large parts of South Australia in early February 1876. Temperatures reached around 109–110°F (42.8–43.3°C) in Adelaide and Port Pirie. Newspapers and reports described disrupted farm work, stressed livestock, extensive fires and damaged fencing near Moonta, residents seeking relief by bathing at Kingston, and heat-related concerns over poorly ventilated housing in Adelaide. On 6 February, a westerly squall, dust storms, cooler winds and some light rain brought relief to parts of the colony.
Meteorological data recorded at the time
Adelaide Observatory (5 Feb): maximum 109°F (42.8°C) in shade; 156.6°F (~69.2°C) in sun. Reported as the greatest heat there since 20 Jan 1875, when 109.5°F in shade and 161.6°F in sun were recorded.
Port Pirie (5 Feb, ~3 pm): 110°F (43.3°C) at the Bank of Adelaide.
Historical descriptions / observations
The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide) Mon 7 Feb 1876: ‘Moonta, February 7. The weather here, till last night [6 Feb], was fearfully hot, the thermometer registering 310 in the shade. Extensive fires have been raging in the neighborhood of Penang and Kalkabury amidst the farms. Considerable damage has been done. A large amount of fencing is burnt. The fire extended 16 miles from north to south, and 10 from east to west’.
The Narracoorte Herald (SA) Tue 8 Feb 1876: ‘Kingston 5 February –every topic, however, pales before that of the heat of the weather, which has for the last fortnight been intense. Fortunately, the sea-beach affords a source of relief after an extra roasting day, which is thoroughly appreciated by the bathing portion of the community; indeed, the ‘saline aquarians’ turn out so numerously of an evening that for some hours after sunset, in the vicinity of the jetty, the shoal fish have hardly room enough to swim for the bathers who are doing likewise. I trust, however, a change in the weather is not far distant, and am sure that whenever a shower does come it will undoubtedly be the reigning theme’.
Evening Journal (Adelaide) Tue 8 Feb 1876: ‘Our meteorological table shows a maximum temperature of 109° in the shade, as registered on Saturday [5 Feb] last at the Observatory, the maximum in the sun having been 156° 6′. This is, we believe, the greatest heat registered since January 20,1875, when the thermometer stood at 109°5′ in the shade and 161° 6′ in the sun’.
Northern Argus (Clare) Tue 8 Feb 1876: ‘The weather has been so frightfully hot of late that I could neither write by day nor sleep by night. On the areas very little work has been done during1 the past fortnight. The farmers have their crops pretty well secured, and have acted, very sensibly in taking what rest they could while the hot weather lasted. Working cattle have fallen off in condition in consequence of the long hours in the yoke, little water, and a broiling sun’.
Yorke’s Peninsula Advertiser and Miners’ and Farmers’ Journal, Tue 8 Feb 1876: ‘The terrific heat which characterised the weather last week was succeeded on Sunday [6 Feb] evening by a furious squall from the westward, which enveloped the district in dense clouds of dust. During the night a most refreshing change occurred in the temperature, a cool breeze set in and a few slight showers of rain fell. On the following day the breeze increased to a gale, accompanied by a disagreeable quantity of dust’.
Kapunda Herald and Northern Intelligencer, Tue 8 Feb 1876: ‘Port Pirie Gazette –During the past fortnight, the weather has been most oppressive. One day last week we had occasion to move a piece of sperm candle from one position in. our office to another, and, about an hour after, on seeking for it in the place we had left, to our astonishment it was no more! It had completely melted. The perspiration poured off us in streams, and a perfect deluge in our boots was the result. The thermometer in the Bank of Adelaide about 3 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, s tood at 110. A change came about 3.30. on that afternoon, in the shape of a dust storm, and on Sunday the wind blew from the south-west, cooling th e atmosphere to an appreciable degree. We have heard of grease spots being all that have been left of persons after excessive heat, and we can quite understand the sensation after the weather of the past fortnight’.
Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA) Wed 9 Feb 1876: ‘The Advertiser, after referring to several deaths in Adelaide, caused by the recent heat, contends that the majority of the dwelling houses in the city are more or less unsuited to a hot climate. This it remarks, ‘may be easily accounted for. Notwithstanding the excessive heat we have at times to endure in this part of Australia, the total number of extremely hot days is small. We have each summer a few spells of burning weather, lasting from three to ton days, and then a change comes, and we soon forget all about our discomfort. Had we several months’ continuance of; oppressive, heat we would build a different class of houses from those in Adelaide’. It strongly urges the building of goodly sized bedrooms, with extensive ventilation as ‘persons in this colony who are dangerously ill are sometimes killed by the heat of their dwellings, or are deprived by that cause of any chance of recovery’’.
The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide) Wed 9 Feb 1876: ‘As a rule the would be suicide is not particular by what means he makes his exit from this world.” remarks the Melbourne
Telegraph of February 3, “but it is somewhat significant to find that the hot weather invariably causes a large increase in the vital statistics, and more especially in that gloomy column devoted to ‘bodies found drowned’’.
Impacts / Stories
Evening Journal (Adelaide) Mon 2 Feb 1880: ‘The management at the Theatre Royal produced on Saturday night the last play of their season. Albery’s brilliant comedy ” The Two Roses” was chosen, and from the manner in which it was played deserved a much better house than it received. We think, however, that the great heat of the weather kept many away who would otherwise have been present’.
The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide) Mon 2 Feb 1880: ‘Clare, 2 Feb – The weather yesterday [1 Feb] and today [2 Feb] has been very hot, indeed almost unbearable’. South Australian Register (Adelaide)
The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide) Tue 3 Feb 1880: ‘Is life worth living with the thermometer over 100 in the shade is a question that may possibly have suggested itself to not a few persons during the past week… It has been often stated that the climate of South Australia is changing and is getting cooler than in the early days of the colony. This notion is not founded on facts, but arises mainly from defective memory. Probably the heat of the first few summers made a deep and lasting impression upon the imaginations or recollections of many colonists who endured it, and they have thought less of subsequent bursts of hot weather, for which they were prepared’.
The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide) Tue 3 Feb 1880: ‘Mount Gambier, February 2. The weather is excessively hot. A heavy fire broke out yesterday at Glenburnie, and about 150 people went out last night to assist in protecting properly, but no serious damage wan done. It broke out again today, however. Another fire has been raging outside the farms at Compton. Several people have gone out. I have not heard the’ extent of the damage’.
Evening Journal (Adelaide) Tue 3 Feb 1880: ‘Redhill February 2 – The weather for the last week has been almost unbearable, and there are no prospects of any change’. Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA: 1861 – 1954)
The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide) Wed 4 Feb 1880: ‘Goolwa, February 3 – We have had several days of very hot weather, but today [3 Feb] the wind changed, and it is now pleasant and cool, with a sea breeze blowing. The change is most acceptable, as the heat threatened to interfere with the attendance at tomorrow’s champion swimming match’.
South Australian Register (Adelaide) Wed 4 Feb 1880: ‘Yarrowie February 2 – A change seems it be approaching. A fearful dust storm has been raging all the afternoon, coming from the south’. Southern Argus (Port Elliot)
Thu 5 Feb 1880: ‘After a long spell of intensely hot weather, an agreeable change has just taken place, and there is a prospect of a few cool days — we shall all be glad of then, the recent heat having quite done up most of us’.
Source
Glaisher