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Coober Pedy has had more rain than Adelaide this year

Anthony Sharwood, Thursday March 20, 2025 - 10:52 AEDT

It took just 7.4mm of rain on Wednesday afternoon to push the running rainfall total for 2025 in the iconic outback opal town of Coober Pedy above Adelaide’s total for the year.

Coober Pedy is located on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert, around 850km northwest of Adelaide. As of 9am this Thursday, March 20:

Coober Pedy had received 14.2mm of rain across six separate rain days in 2025 (days with 0.2mm or more).

By contrast, Adelaide’s meagre running total for 2025 was just 8.2mm across four rain days.

Image: Combined satellite and radar image showing the Wednesday afternoon storm activity in the vicinity of Coober Pedy, SA.

The good news for Adelaide residents whose lawns have turned to dust, and whose city water storage levels are down to 39%, is that rain is falling this Thursday morning.

After 1.6mm fell just before 9am, rain has continued in Adelaide into Thursday morning as a trough crosses South Australia, with a further 4.4mm to 10am (ACDT).

Image: Two-hour radar loop up to 9:30am (ACDT) showing rainfall in southeast SA and nearby areas on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

By the end of the day, Adelaide’s running yearly tally could conceivably exceed Coober Pedy’s. That would take a Thursday total of at least 6.2mm (or another 2.2mm on top of what fell between 9am and 10am).

It’s no huge milestone for Adelaide to overtake the running annual rainfall total of an arid outback outpost whose annual average rainfall is just 145.7mm (compared to Adelaide’s 525.8mm), but any rain is useful in the SA state capital at the moment.

READ MORE: Adelaide's driest summer in 33 years

- Weatherzone

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