Analysis of rainfall variability over temporal and spatial patterns: A case study in Adelaide, South Australia

Climate change has significantly impacted weather patterns worldwide, including in Australia. Numerous studies have investigated the changing meteorological data across the country, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding of these patterns. This study aims to explore the variability of rainfall over time and terrain in Adelaide, South Australia. The annual daily maximum rainfall (ADMR) data over a 40-year period (1981-2018) in four stations was collected to identify the distribution of rainfall data across the time recorded. Moreover, the ADMR data in 2018 and elevation data across 86 stations were used to investigate the changing rainfall patterns over the terrain. Two non-parametric tests, including Kruskal–Wallis, and Mann–Whitney, were applied to perform the hypothesis analysis. Correlations, regression, and multivariate tests were performed to identify the relationship between variables. It was found that the ADMR data in four stations did not vary over the 40-year period from 1981 in Adelaide. However, there was a strong correlation between the extreme rainfall data in the year 2018 and the elevation data in these stations. Results also suggested that it is relatively possible to use the elevation data to predict ADMR across Adelaide in certain years.  Policymakers and researchers can use these tests for climate projections and extreme rainfall forecasts.