Darren Linton writes on the front page of today’s Shepparton News, in a story headed “Hot times ahead”, about
what is an obvious sign of how climate change is beginning to truly make its
presence felt in the Goulburn Valley.
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hepparton is facing
its hottest start to October on record with four consecutive days over 30°C.
The Goulburn Valley Football League grand final on Sunday
will be played in a scorching 32°C, the hottest since September 27, 1987, when
Shepparton United defeated Echuca in the same conditions.
The warm temperatures will be a test for the players as well
as the fans packed into Deakin Reserve.
Unusually warm temperatures and the lack of rainfall in
September is also hitting farmers, with some grain growers considering cutting
their crops as hay.
Bureau of Meteorology records dating back to 1965 don’t
record four days above 30°C in the first two weeks of October.
The current forecast for 30°C on AFL Grand Final Day, 32°C
on Sunday, a peak of 35°C on Monday and a fourth 30°C plus day on Tuesday would
set a net benchmark.
Shepparton’s rainfall for September was well below average
as the region experienced warmer than usual temperatures.
The rainfall total for the month was just 15.4mm, only 28 per cent of the long
term average of 54.8mm and less than half of the average from 1986 to 2014
(37.2mm) which included a severe drought.
While the average overnight temperature of 4.7°C was only
slightly above the norm for September, the daytime average of 18.6°C was 1.6°C
above the long-term average.
The highest temperature for the month was 26.5°C on
September 14.
Warmer weather is set to continue during the longer term
with the bureau confirming that the tropical Pacific Ocean and atmosphere are
reinforcing each other, maintaining a strong El Niño that is likely to persist
into early 2016.
Tropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures are more than 2°C
above average, exceeding El Niño thresholds by well over 1°C, and at levels not
seen sin 1997-98,
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