Editing Adelaide (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Free vector map of Adelaide Australia Level 12 G View.svg|thumb|Adelaide metropolitan area, with some suburbs named]]

Adelaide is north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, on the Adelaide Plains between the Gulf St Vincent and the relatively low-lying Mount Lofty Ranges (Mount Lofty, the highest point, is 710 metres above sea level). The city stretches {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the coast to the foothills, and {{convert|90|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Gawler, South Australia|Gawler]] at its northern extent to [[Sellicks Beach, South Australia|Sellicks Beach]] in the south. According to Regional Development Australia, an Australian government planning initiative, the "Adelaide Metropolitan Region" has a total land area of {{convert|870|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, while a more expansive definition by the Australian Bureau of Statistics defines a "Greater Adelaide" statistical area totalling {{convert|3259.8|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="ABS-GA" /> The city sits at an average elevation of {{convert|50|m|ft}} above sea level. [[Mount Lofty]], east of the Adelaide metropolitan region in the Adelaide Hills at an elevation of {{convert|727|m|ft}}, is the tallest point of the city and in the state south of [[Burra, South Australia|Burra]]. The city borders the [[Temperate Grassland of South Australia]] in the east, an endangered vegetation community.<ref>[https://grasslands.ecolinc.vic.edu.au/grassland_communities/iron-grass-natural-temperate-grasslands-south-australia Iron-grass Natural Temperate Grasslands of South Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907090934/https://grasslands.ecolinc.vic.edu.au/grassland_communities/iron-grass-natural-temperate-grasslands-south-australia |date=7 September 2022 }} Grasslands Biodiversity of South-Eastern Australia. Retrieved 7 September 2022.</ref>

[[File:Adelaide, Australia ESA384290.jpg|thumb|Adelaide's metropolitan area as seen by the [[European Space Agency|ESA]]'s [[Sentinel-2]]]]
Much of Adelaide was bushland before British settlement, with some variation – sandhills, swamps and marshlands were prevalent around the coast. The loss of the sandhills to urban development had a particularly destructive effect on the coastline due to erosion.<ref>[http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/coasts/no27.pdf The Adelaide Metropolitan Coastline] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208214443/http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/coasts/no27.pdf |date=8 December 2015 }} ''Coastline'', South Australian Coastal Protection Board, No. 27, April 1993. Retrieved 6 December 2015.</ref> Where practical, the government has implemented programs to rebuild and vegetate sandhills at several of Adelaide's beachside suburbs. [[Tennyson Dunes Conservation Reserve|Tennyson Dunes]] is the largest contiguous, tertiary dune system contained entirely within Metropolitan Adelaide, providing refuge for a variety of remnant species formerly found along the entire coastline.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wara Wayingga-Tennyson Dunes Conservation Reserve |url=https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/wara-wayingga-tennyson-dunes-conservation-reserve}}</ref> Much of the original vegetation has been cleared with what is left to be found in reserves such as the [[Cleland National Park]] and [[Belair National Park]]. A number of creeks and rivers flow through the Adelaide region. The largest are the Torrens and [[Onkaparinga River National Park|Onkaparinga]] catchments. Adelaide relies on its many reservoirs for water supply with the [[Happy Valley Reservoir]] supplying around 40% and the much larger [[Mount Bold Reservoir]] 10% of Adelaide's domestic requirements respectively.

===Geology===
Adelaide and its surrounding area is one of the most seismically active regions in Australia. On 1 March 1954 at 3:40&nbsp;am Adelaide experienced its largest recorded earthquake to date, with the epicentre 12&nbsp;km from the city centre at [[Darlington, South Australia|Darlington]], and a reported magnitude of 5.6.<ref>C. Kerr-Grant (1955): ''The Adelaide Earthquake of 1 March 1954'' (PDF). South Australian Museum, 10 November 1955. Retrieved 5 April 2009.</ref><ref>''Adelaide, SA: Earthquake''. EMA Disasters Database. Emergency Management Australia, 13 September 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2009.</ref> There have been smaller earthquakes in 2010,<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-04-17/adelaide-hit-by-earth-tremor/399538 Adelaide hit by earth tremor] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811220012/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-04-17/adelaide-hit-by-earth-tremor/399538 |date=11 August 2018 }} ''ABC News'', 17 April 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2018.</ref> 2011,<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-19/earthquake-adelaide-upper-sturt/3578192 Shallow earthquake jolts Adelaide awake] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426190649/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-19/earthquake-adelaide-upper-sturt/3578192 |date=26 April 2017 }} ''ABC News'', 20 October 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2018.</ref> 2014,<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-06/earth-tremor-shakes-adelaide/5185964 Adelaide shaken by earth tremor which sounded like 'jet taking off'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423133944/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-06/earth-tremor-shakes-adelaide/5185964 |date=23 April 2019 }} ''ABC News'', 6 January 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2018.</ref> 2017,<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-10/second-tremor-in-less-than-two-weeks-shakes-adelaide/8259468 Tremor shakes Adelaide nine days after larger earthquake in city] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417200511/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-10/second-tremor-in-less-than-two-weeks-shakes-adelaide/8259468 |date=17 April 2018 }} ''ABC News'', 10 February 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2018.</ref> 2018<ref>[http://abc.net.au/news/2018-08-08/earthquake-shakes-adelaide-hills/10091262 Earthquake near Mannum felt across Adelaide suburbs and hills rumbled 'like a train'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809111153/http://abc.net.au/news/2018-08-08/earthquake-shakes-adelaide-hills/10091262 |date=9 August 2018 }} ''ABC News'', 9 August 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2019.</ref> and 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-06/adelaide-earthquake-tremor-mt-barker/100886238|title=Earthquake rattles Adelaide but no reports of damage|work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC News]]|date=6 March 2022|access-date=27 May 2023}}</ref>

The uplands of the [[Adelaide Hills]], part of the southern [[Mount Lofty Ranges]] to the east of Adelaide, are defined on their western side by a number of arcuate faults (the Para, Eden, Clarendon and Willunga Faults), and consist of rocks such as [[siltstone]], [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] and [[quartzite]], dating from the [[Neoproterozoic]] to the middle [[Cambrian]], laid down in the Adelaide Rift Complex, the oldest part of the [[Adelaide Superbasin]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Veevers|first1=J. J.|last2=Walter|first2=M. R.|last3=Scheibner|first3=E.|date=1997|title=Neoproterozoic Tectonics of Australia-Antarctica and Laurentia and the 560 Ma Birth of the Pacific Ocean Reflect the 400 M.Y. Pangean Supercycle|journal=The Journal of Geology|language=en|volume=105|issue=2|pages=225–242|doi=10.1086/515914|bibcode=1997JG....105..225V|s2cid=140652348|issn=0022-1376}}</ref>

Most of the Adelaide metropolitan area lies in the downthrown St Vincent Basin and its embayments, including the [[Adelaide Plains]] Sub-basin, and the Golden Grove, Noarlunga and Willunga Embayments. These basins contain deposits of [[Tertiary]] marine and non-marine sands and limestones, which form important aquifers.<ref>Lindsay J.M.  & Alley, N.F. (1995): St Vincent Basin. In: Drexel, J.F. & Preiss, W.V. (Eds.) ''The geology of South Australia. Vol.2, The Phanerozoic.'' pp. 163–171. South Australia Geological Survey, Bulletin 54. {{ISBN|0 7308 0621 9}}</ref> These deposits are overlain by [[Quaternary]] [[alluvial fan]]s and [[Foothills|piedmont]] slope deposits, derived from erosion of the uplands, consisting of sands, clays and gravels,<ref>Callan, R.A., Sheard, M.J., Benbow, M.C.  & Belperio, A.P. (1995): Alluvial fans and piedmont slope deposits. In: Drexel, J.F. & Preiss, W.V. (Eds.) ''The geology of South Australia. Vol.2, The Phanerozoic.'' pp. 241–242. South Australia Geological Survey, Bulletin 54. {{ISBN|0 7308 0621 9}}</ref> interfingering to the west with [[Marine transgression|transgressive]] [[Pleistocene]] to [[Holocene]] marine sands and coastal sediments of the shoreline of Gulf St Vincent.<ref>Belperio, A.P. (1995): Coastal and marine sequences. In: Drexel, J.F. & Preiss, W.V. (Eds.) ''The geology of South Australia. Vol.2, The Phanerozoic.'' pp. 220–240. South Australia Geological Survey, Bulletin 54. {{ISBN|0 7308 0621 9}}</ref>

=== Urban layout ===
{{Further|William Light}}
Adelaide is a planned city, designed by the first Surveyor-General of South Australia, Colonel [[William Light]]. His plan, sometimes referred to as "Light's Vision" (also the name of a statue of him on [[Montefiore Hill]]), arranged Adelaide in a [[Grid plan|grid]], with [[:Category:Squares in Adelaide|five squares]] in the [[Adelaide city centre]] and a ring of parks, known as the [[Adelaide Parklands]], surrounding it. Light's selection of the location for the city was initially unpopular with the early settlers, as well as South Australia's first governor, John Hindmarsh, due to its distance from the harbour at Port Adelaide, and the lack of fresh water there.<ref>Page, M. (1981): ''Port Adelaide and its Institute, 1851–1979.'' Rigby Publishers Ltd. Pp.17–20. {{ISBN|0-7270-1510-9}}</ref>
[[File:Adelaide South Australia - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The [[Adelaide city centre|city centre]] was built on a [[grid plan]], known as ''Light's Vision''.]]
Light successfully persisted with his choice of location against this initial opposition. Recent evidence suggests that Light worked closely with George Kingston as well as a team of men to set out Adelaide, using various templates for city plans going back to [[Ancient Greece]], including [[Italian Renaissance]] designs and the similar layouts of the American cities [[Philadelphia]] and [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]]–which, like Adelaide, follow the same layout of a central city square, four complementing city squares surrounding it and a parklands area that surrounds the city centre.<ref>{{cite book|title=Adelaide|first=Kerryn|last=Goldsworthy|year=2011|publisher=NewSouth|isbn=9-7817-4224092-3|pages=83}}</ref>
[[File:Transformers - Victoria Square Adelaide SA - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Victoria Square, Adelaide|Victoria Square]], one of the five main squares in the city centre and considered the heart of Adelaide's [[Grid plan|grid layout]]]]
The benefits of Light's design are numerous: Adelaide has had wide multi-lane roads from its beginning, an easily navigable [[cardinal direction]] grid layout and an expansive green ring around the city centre. There are two sets of [[ring road]]s in Adelaide that have resulted from the original design. The [[City Ring Route, Adelaide|inner ring route]] ([[A21 road (Australia)|A21]]) borders the parklands, and the outer route ([[A3 road (South Australia)|A3]]/[[South Road, Adelaide|A13]]/[[A16 highway (Australia)|A16]]/[[A17 highway (Australia)|A17]]) completely bypasses the inner city via (in clockwise order) [[Grand Junction Road]], Hampstead Road, Ascot Avenue, [[Portrush Road]], [[Cross Road, Adelaide|Cross Road]] and [[South Road, Adelaide|South Road]].<ref>[http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/transport_network/projects/better_roads/adelaides_inner_outer_ring_routes.asp ''Adelaide's Inner and Outer Ring Routes''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306220115/http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/transport_network/projects/better_roads/adelaides_inner_outer_ring_routes.asp |date=6 March 2014 }}, 24 August 2004, South Australian Department of Transport.</ref>

Suburban expansion has to some extent outgrown Light's original plan. Numerous former outlying villages and "country towns", as well as the satellite city of [[Elizabeth, South Australia|Elizabeth]], have been enveloped by its [[urban sprawl|suburban sprawl]]. Expanding developments in the Adelaide Hills region led to the construction of the [[South Eastern Freeway]] to cope with growth, which has subsequently led to new developments and further improvements to that transport corridor. Similarly, the booming development in Adelaide's [[City of Onkaparinga|South]] led to the construction of the [[Southern Expressway (Australia)|Southern Expressway]].

New roads are not the only transport infrastructure developed to cope with the urban growth. The [[O-Bahn Busway]] is an example of a unique solution to [[Tea Tree Gully, South Australia|Tea Tree Gully's]] transport woes in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adelaide's Freeways – A History from MATS to the Port River Expressway |work=Ozroads |url=http://www.ozroads.com.au/SA/freeways.htm |access-date=21 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927114830/http://www.ozroads.com.au/SA/freeways.htm |archive-date=27 September 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The development of the nearby suburb of [[Golden Grove, South Australia|Golden Grove]] in the late 1980s followed a planned approach to urban growth.

In the 1960s, a [[Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study]] Plan was proposed to cater for the future growth of the city. The plan involved the construction of freeways, [[Controlled-access highway|expressways]] and the upgrade of certain aspects of the public transport system. The then premier [[Steele Hall (Australian politician)|Steele Hall]] approved many parts of the plan and the government went as far as purchasing land for the project. The later [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government elected under [[Don Dunstan]] shelved the plan, but allowed the purchased land to remain vacant, should the future need for freeways arise. In 1980, the [[Liberal party of Australia|Liberal party]] won government and premier [[David Tonkin]] committed his government to selling off the land acquired for the MATS plan, ensuring that even when needs changed, the construction of most MATS-proposed freeways would be impractical. Some parts of this land have been used for transport, (e.g. the O-Bahn Busway and Southern Expressway), while most has been progressively subdivided for residential use.

In 2008, the [[Government of South Australia|SA Government]] announced plans for a network of [[transport-oriented development]]s across the Adelaide metropolitan area and purchased a [[Clipsal site development|10 hectare industrial site]] at [[Bowden, South Australia|Bowden]] for $52.5&nbsp;million as the first of these developments.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081206075528/http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/news.php?id=3826 "Clipsal site at Bowden to become a green village"], Ministerial Press Release, 24 October 2008, SA Govt. Retrieved 20 November 2008.</ref><ref><!-- [http://www.lmc.sa.gov.au/theport/_inc/doc_download.aspx?did=339 "Government reveals Clipsal site purchase price"] -->[https://archive.today/20081206075532/http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/news.php?id=3956 "Government reveals Clipsal site purchase price"], Ministerial Press Release, 15 November 2008, SA Govt, archived. Retrieved 27 November 2018.</ref>

==== Housing ====
{{Main|Australian residential architectural styles}}
[[File:Heritage terraces on Adelaide's North Terrace.jpg|thumb|right|Terraced housing on [[North Terrace, Adelaide|North Terrace]]]]
Historically, Adelaide's suburban residential areas have been characterised by single-storey detached houses built on {{convert|1/4|acre|m2|adj=on|order=flip}} blocks. A relative lack of suitable, locally-available timber for construction purposes led to the early development of a brick-making industry, as well as the use of stone, for houses and other buildings. By 1891, 68% of houses were built of stone, 15% of timber, and 10% of brick, with brick also being widely used in stone houses for quoins, door and window surrounds, and chimneys and fireplaces.<ref>Gibbs, R.M. (2013): ''Under the burning sun: a history of colonial South Australia, 1836–1900''. Peacock Publications. Pp. 58, 333–4. {{ISBN|978-1-921601-85-9}}</ref>

There is a wide variety in the styles of these houses. Until the 1960s, most of the more substantial houses were built of red brick, though many front walls were of ornamental stone. Then cream bricks became fashionable, and in the 1970s, deep red and brown bricks became popular.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} Until the 1970s, roofs tended to be clad with (painted) [[corrugated iron]] or cement or clay tiles, usually red "terracotta"<!--local terminology, do not link-->. Since then, [[Colorbond]] corrugated steel has dominated. Most roofs are pitched. Flat roofs are not common.<ref name=Cadden/>

Up to the 1970s, most houses were of "double brick" construction on concrete footings, with timber floors laid on joists supported by "dwarf walls". Later houses have mainly been of "[[brick veneer]]" construction – structural [[Framing (construction)|timber]] or, more recently, [[steel frame#Cold-formed steel frames|lightweight steel]] frame on a [[concrete slab]] [[Foundation (engineering)|foundation]], lined with [[Gyprock]], and with an outer skin of brickwork,<ref name=Cadden>Rosemary Cadden: ''Building South Australia: celebrating 125 years''. Solstice Media. pp. 77, 87. {{ISBN|978-0-646-51343-0}}</ref> to cope with Adelaide's [[Shrink–swell capacity|reactive soils]], particularly Keswick Clay, black earth and some red-brown earth soils.<ref>Sheard, M. J., & A. P. Belperio (1995): "Problem soils". In: Drexel, J. F. & Preiss, W. V. (eds.) ''The geology of South Australia''. Vol.2, The Phanerozoic. p. 274. South Australia Geological Survey, Bulletin 54. {{ISBN|978-0-7308-0621-9}}</ref> The use of precast concrete panels for floor and wall construction has also increased.<ref name=Cadden /> In addition to this, a significant factor in Adelaide's suburban history is the role of the [[South Australian Housing Trust]].{{Why|date=January 2023}}
<gallery mode="packed">
File:OIC n adelaide carclew (cropped).jpg|[[Carclew, North Adelaide|Carclew House]]
File:Bluestone Balcony (16746204054).jpg|Two-storey house in [[North Adelaide]]. Much of Adelaide's early housing was built with bluestone.
File:House in Adelaide.jpg|Heritage-listed [[bluestone]] 19th-century house in the city centre 
File:Tudor Revival house, Adelaide (01).jpg|[[Tudor Revival]] house in [[Unley Park, South Australia|Unley Park]]
File:House in Lockleys, South Australia.jpg|House in [[Lockleys, South Australia|Lockleys]] with two distinguishing features that characterise Adelaide houses: a brush fence and red brick veneer.
</gallery>

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of Adelaide}}
[[File:Lightning in Adelaide, South Australia, 2014.jpg|thumb|A spring storm over Adelaide]]
Adelaide has a hot-summer [[Mediterranean climate]] (''Csa'') under the [[Köppen climate classification]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tapper |first1=Andrew |last2=Tapper |first2=Nigel |title=The weather and climate of Australia and New Zealand |year=1996 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Melbourne, Australia |isbn=0-19-553393-3 |edition=First |editor=Gray, Kathleen |page=300}}</ref> The city has hot, dry summers and cool winters with moderate rainfall. Most [[precipitation]] falls in the winter months, leading to the suggestion that the climate be classified as a "cold monsoon".<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/term-cold-monsoon-used-to-describe-adelaide-climate/9723122 What's a 'cold monsoon'? And is it the best way to describe Adelaide's climate?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529095345/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-03/term-cold-monsoon-used-to-describe-adelaide-climate/9723122 |date=29 May 2018 }} ''ABC News'', 3 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.</ref> Rainfall is unreliable, light and infrequent throughout summer, although heavy falls can occur. The winter has fairly reliable rainfall with June being the wettest month of the year, averaging around 80&nbsp;mm. [[Frost]]s are occasional, with the most notable occurrences in 1908 and 1982. Hail may occur in winter.

Adelaide is a windy city with significant [[wind chill]] in winter, which makes the temperature [[apparent temperature|seem colder than it actually is]]. Snowfall in the metropolitan area is extremely rare, although light and sporadic falls in the nearby hills and at [[Mount Lofty]] occur during winter. Dewpoints in the summer typically range from {{convert|8|to|10|°C|°F}}. There are usually several days in summer where the temperature reaches {{convert|40.0|°C|°F}} or above.

While conditions vary from year-to-year, a warming trend has been [[Climate of Adelaide#Climate data and extremes|increasing in recent years]],<ref>Richards, Stephanie (6 February 2019). [https://indaily.com.au/news/local/2019/02/06/planners-warn-of-climate-change-risks-for-sa/ Planners warn of climate change risks for Adelaide], ''[[InDaily]]''. Retrieved 24 February 2023.</ref><ref>Saunders, Tom (28 February 2025). [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-28/nsw-end-of-summer-weather-spring-warmest/104990526 Australia's heat spell ongoing; spring and summer warmest on record] ''[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]'', Retrieved 28 February 2025.</ref> and with drought conditions experienced in SA in 2024−25, Adelaide has had to rely on [[Adelaide Desalination Plant|desalination]] to augment its water supply.<ref>Mason, Olivia (27 January 2025). [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-27/desalination-production-to-ramp-up-as-reservoir-levels-drop/104864230 Lonsdale desalination plant to quadruple output as reservoirs drop to 20-year low]''[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]'', Retrieved 27 January 2025.</ref>

Temperature extremes range from −0.4&nbsp;°C (31.4&nbsp;°F), 8 June 1982 to 47.7&nbsp;°C (117.9&nbsp;°F), 24 January 2019. The city features 90.6 clear days annually.

The average sea temperature ranges from {{convert|13.7|°C|°F}} in August to {{convert|21.2|°C|°F}} in February.<ref>{{cite web |title=Glenelg Sea Temperature &#124; Australia Water Temperatures |url=https://www.seatemperature.org/australia-pacific/australia/glenelg.htm  |publisher=Seatemperature.org |access-date=20 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920141807/https://www.seatemperature.org/australia-pacific/australia/glenelg.htm |archive-date=20 September 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Weather box
| collapsed =
| location = Adelaide (Kent Town) 1991–2020 averages, 1977–2020 extremes
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
|rain colour = green
| Jan record high C = 47.7
| Feb record high C = 44.7
| Mar record high C = 42.2
| Apr record high C = 36.9
| May record high C = 31.1
| Jun record high C = 25.4
| Jul record high C = 23.1
| Aug record high C = 30.4
| Sep record high C = 34.3
| Oct record high C = 39.0
| Nov record high C = 43.0
| Dec record high C = 45.2
| Jan high C = 30.0
| Feb high C = 29.7
| Mar high C = 26.6
| Apr high C = 23.0
| May high C = 19.0
| Jun high C = 16.2
| Jul high C = 15.6
| Aug high C = 16.7
| Sep high C = 19.3
| Oct high C = 22.5
| Nov high C = 25.4
| Dec high C = 27.6
| year high C = 22.6
| Jan mean C = 23.8
| Feb mean C = 23.6
| Mar mean C = 21.0
| Apr mean C = 17.9
| May mean C = 14.6
| Jun mean C = 12.3
| Jul mean C = 11.7
| Aug mean C = 12.4
| Sep mean C = 14.6
| Oct mean C = 17.1
| Nov mean C = 19.8
| Dec mean C = 21.7
| year mean C = 17.5
| Jan low C = 17.6
| Feb low C = 17.5
| Mar low C = 15.3
| Apr low C = 12.7
| May low C = 10.2
| Jun low C = 8.3
| Jul low C = 7.7	
| Aug low C = 8.1
| Sep low C = 9.9
| Oct low C = 11.7
| Nov low C = 14.1
| Dec low C = 15.8
| year low C = 12.4
| Jan record low C = 9.2
| Feb record low C = 9.5
| Mar record low C = 7.2
| Apr record low C = 4.3
| May record low C = 1.5
| Jun record low C = -0.4
| Jul record low C = 0.4
| Aug record low C = 0.9
| Sep record low C = 2.6
| Oct record low C = 4.7
| Nov record low C = 5.3
| Dec record low C = 7.9
| Jan rain mm = 21.2
| Feb rain mm = 20.0
| Mar rain mm = 24.9
| Apr rain mm = 37.6	
| May rain mm = 59.3
| Jun rain mm = 77.7
| Jul rain mm = 71.1
| Aug rain mm = 66.9
| Sep rain mm = 59.6
| Oct rain mm = 40.0
| Nov rain mm = 31.0
| Dec rain mm = 28.3
| year rain mm = 536.5
| unit rain days = 0.2 mm
| Jan rain days = 4.7
| Feb rain days = 3.7
| Mar rain days = 5.9
| Apr rain days = 8.2
| May rain days = 12.7
| Jun rain days = 14.6
| Jul rain days = 16.3
| Aug rain days = 16.2
| Sep rain days = 13.5
| Oct rain days = 9.9
| Nov rain days = 8.3
| Dec rain days = 7.2
| year rain days = 121.2
| humidity colour = green
| Jan afthumidity = 36
| Feb afthumidity = 36 
| Mar afthumidity = 40
| Apr afthumidity = 45
| May afthumidity = 55
| Jun afthumidity = 61
| Jul afthumidity = 59
| Aug afthumidity = 54
| Sep afthumidity = 50
| Oct afthumidity = 44
| Nov afthumidity = 40
| Dec afthumidity = 38	
| Jan percentsun = 74
| Feb percentsun = 75
| Mar percentsun = 71
| Apr percentsun = 65
| May percentsun = 53
| Jun percentsun = 45
| Jul percentsun = 48
| Aug percentsun = 54
| Sep percentsun = 55
| Oct percentsun = 64
| Nov percentsun = 65
| Dec percentsun = 67
| Jan sun = 325.5
| Feb sun = 285.3
| Mar sun = 266.6
| Apr sun = 219.0
| May sun = 167.4
| Jun sun = 138.0
| Jul sun = 148.8
| Aug sun = 186.0
| Sep sun = 204.0
| Oct sun = 257.3
| Nov sun = 273.0
| Dec sun = 294.5
| year sun = 
| source = [[Bureau of Meteorology]].<ref name="ABOM">{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=023090&p_prim_element_index=0&p_comp_element_index=0&redraw=null&p_display_type=full_statistics_table&normals_years=1991-2020&tablesizebutt=normal |title=Climate statistics for ADELAIDE (KENT TOWN) 1991–2020 averages |work=Climate statistics for Australian locations |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date= December 18, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_023090_All.shtml |title=Climate statistics for ADELAIDE (KENT TOWN) all years |work=Climate statistics for Australian locations |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date= December 18, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_023090.shtml |title=Climate statistics for Australian locations – Summary statistics ADELAIDE (KENT TOWN)  |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=1 July 2023 <!-- this is source of rainy days figures --> }}</ref> }}

{{Weather box
| collapsed    =  
| metric first = yes
| single line  =  yes <!-- Any entry in this line will display metric and imperial units in the same cell. Leave blank or remove this line for separate table rows. -->
| location     =  Parafield Airport (15km N of Adelaide, 10m ASL, 1991−2020 averages,  1939−2024 extremes)
<!-- Record high temperatures -->
<!-- Note that record temperatures should only be used when the data period is of the greatest length possible. -->
| Jan record high C =47.7
| Feb record high C =44.7
| Mar record high C =42.7
| Apr record high C =38.2
| May record high C =31.1
| Jun record high C =26.3
| Jul record high C =26.5
| Aug record high C =30.4
| Sep record high C =35.0
| Oct record high C =39.2
| Nov record high C =44.3
| Dec record high C =46.7
| year record high C =
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high C  =30.9
| Feb high C  =30.6
| Mar high C  =27.4
| Apr high C  =23.7
| May high C  =19.3
| Jun high C  =16.2
| Jul high C  =15.6
| Aug high C  =16.7
| Sep high C  =19.6
| Oct high C  =23.2
| Nov high C  =26.6
| Dec high C  =28.6
| year high C =
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean C  =23.8
| Feb mean C  =23.7
| Mar mean C  =20.9
| Apr mean C  =17.6
| May mean C  =14.2
| Jun mean C  =11.5
| Jul mean C  =10.9
| Aug mean C  =11.6
| Sep mean C  =13.9
| Oct mean C  =16.8
| Nov mean C  =19.9
| Dec mean C  =21.8
| year mean C =
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low C  =16.7
| Feb low C  =16.7
| Mar low C  =14.3
| Apr low C  =11.5
| May low C  =9.0
| Jun low C  =6.8
| Jul low C  =6.2
| Aug low C  =6.4
| Sep low C  =8.2
| Oct low C  =10.3
| Nov low C  =13.1
| Dec low C  =14.9
| year low C =
<!-- Record low temperatures -->
<!-- Note that record temperatures should only be used when the data period is of the greatest length possible. -->
| Jan record low C  =7.6
| Feb record low C  =5.0
| Mar record low C  =5.9
| Apr record low C  =0.6
| May record low C  =-1.4
| Jun record low C  =-2.4
| Jul record low C  =-2.8
| Aug record low C  =-2.0
| Sep record low C  =-0.2
| Oct record low C  =1.4
| Nov record low C  =2.5
| Dec record low C  =5.6
| year record low C =
| rain colour  =  green <!-- Enter "green" for green rainfall colours, "none" for no colours, remove this line for blue colouring. -->
| Jan rain mm  =19.7
| Feb rain mm  =18.4
| Mar rain mm  =22.4
| Apr rain mm  =33.2
| May rain mm  =46.9
| Jun rain mm  =54.2
| Jul rain mm  =55.6
| Aug rain mm  =50.7
| Sep rain mm  =46.6
| Oct rain mm  =31.8
| Nov rain mm  =23.0
| Dec rain mm  =22.6
| year rain mm =
<!-- Average number of rainy days -->
| Jan rain days  =4.3
| Feb rain days  =3.5
| Mar rain days  =5.3
| Apr rain days  =7.9
| May rain days  =11.5
| Jun rain days  =12.9
| Jul rain days  =15.4
| Aug rain days  =14.6
| Sep rain days  =12.8
| Oct rain days  =8.5
| Nov rain days  =6.9
| Dec rain days  =5.8
| year rain days =
|source =<ref name="cw_023013_All">{{cite web
|url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_023013_All.shtml
|title = Climate statistics for Australian locations
|publisher = BoM
|access-date = 18 May 2024}}</ref>
}}

=== Liveability ===
[[File:Rymill Park in autumn.jpg|thumb|[[Rymill Park, Adelaide|Rymill Park]] in autumn]]
Adelaide was consistently ranked in the world's 10 [[Global Liveability Ranking|most liveable cities]] through the 2010s by [[The Economist Intelligence Unit]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability|title=Global Liveability Ranking|website=eiu.com|access-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501141508/http://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability|archive-date=1 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/msn/the-worlds-most-liveable-cities-in-2018/ar-BBLTwDy|title=The world's most liveable cities in 2018|publisher=MSN|access-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815164406/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/msn/the-worlds-most-liveable-cities-in-2018/ar-BBLTwDy|archive-date=15 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=Liveability2016|title=Global Liveability Ranking 2016|first=EIU digital|last=solutions|website=eiu.com|access-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504225324/https://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=liveability2016|archive-date=4 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/17/melbourne-vienna-vancouver-ranked-top-three-most-livable-cities-by-the-economist-intelligence-unit.html|title=These are the most livable cities in the world|first=Saheli Roy|last=Choudhury|website=[[CNBC]]|date=17 August 2016|access-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815164523/https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/17/melbourne-vienna-vancouver-ranked-top-three-most-livable-cities-by-the-economist-intelligence-unit.html|archive-date=15 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> 
In June 2021, ''The Economist'' ranked Adelaide the third most liveable city in the world, behind [[Auckland]] and [[Osaka]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-09/adelaide-declared-worlds-third-most-liveable-city/100200836 |title=Adelaide outperforms interstate rivals to be declared world's third most liveable city |date=9 June 2021 |website=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=22 June 2021}}</ref> In June 2023, Adelaide was ranked the twelfth most liveable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-worlds-most-liveable-cities-have-been-revealed-heres-how-australia-ranked/hjbxpsogp|title=The world's most liveable cities have been revealed. Here's how Australia ranked|work=[[SBS Australia|SBS]]|date=22 June 2023|access-date=24 June 2023}}</ref>

In December 2021, Adelaide was named the world's second National Park City, after the state government had lobbied for this title.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/adelaide-named-the-worlds-second-national-park-city-at-the-world-urban-park-congress/news-story/7ed9eb6a39dbfed5c3de337b9081a5eb?amp&nk=18fdf904b5b20207861d6efb7319548e-1639211239|website =Adelaide Now |title =Adelaide becomes world's second National Park City|date =10 December 2021|url-access =subscription }}</ref><ref>[https://www.adelaidenationalparkcity.org/ Adelaide National Park City] Green Adelaide. Retrieved 9 January 2022.</ref>

It was ranked the [[most liveable city]] in Australia by the [[Property Council of Australia]], based on surveys of residents' views of their own city, between 2010 and 2013,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/22/3118843.htm?section=business |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729135451/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/22/3118843.htm?section=business |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 July 2012 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News Online]] |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=22 January 2011 |title=Adelaide crowned nation's most livable city |access-date=23 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/adelaide-voted-nations-most-liveable/story-e6frea83-1226309173646 |work=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]]|location=Adelaide |date=25 March 2012 |title=Adelaide voted nation's most liveable |access-date=2 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701092114/http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/adelaide-voted-nations-most-liveable/story-e6frea83-1226309173646 |archive-date=1 July 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/adelaide-the-countrys-most-liveable-city-20130304-2ffeh.html |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=4 March 2013 |title=Adelaide the country's most liveable city |access-date=4 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305150329/http://www.smh.com.au/national/adelaide-the-countrys-most-liveable-city-20130304-2ffeh.html |archive-date=5 March 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> dropping to second place in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/Web/Content/Media_Release/NSW/2014/Novocastrians_Crave_Change.aspx|website=Australian Property Council|title=Novocastrians Crave Change|first=Andrew|last=Fletcher|date=4 March 2014|access-date=29 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407062505/http://propertycouncil.com.au/Web/Content/Media_Release/NSW/2014/Novocastrians_Crave_Change.aspx|archive-date=7 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>