Dry, hot summer on the cards with no relief for drought-stricken farmers

Australians should brace for a dry, hot summer, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, with no relief for drought-stricken farmers.

 Queensland is already sweltering through 40C temperatures,
up to 10C above average for October. The Bureau of Meteorology’s
 summer forecast offers no relief for drought-stricken farmers.

The bureau’s climate outlook for November to January, released on Friday, says there is an 80% chance temperatures will be higher than average for most of the mainland.

“You don’t often see odds that high,” said Dr Andrew Watkins, the bureau’s manager of long-range forecasts. “It’s astounding honestly.”

Read the story from The Guardian by Naaman Zhou - “Dry, hot summer on the cards with no relief for drought-stricken farmers.”

Winter is coming, and it’s looking mighty mild

After an exceptionally warm and dry autumn, it’s time to look ahead to see what’s in store for winter. 

Autumn rainfall map

The Bureau of Meteorology’s climate outlooks for winter, issued today, shows above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall are likely across southern Australia. While some of us will relish the prospect of a mild winter, the dry isn’t necessarily good news for everyone.

Summer-like conditions continued into early autumn for much of southern Australia, including an exceptional heatwave in early April. Temperatures in autumn were warmer than average across much of the continent. New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria all experienced one of their warmest autumns since at least 1900. Overnight temperatures have also been warmer than average in most parts.

Read the report on The Conversation by a Climatologist with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Jonathan Pollock, and the Manager of Long-range Forecast Services, also from the Bureau, Andrew B. Watkins - “Winter is coming, and it’s looking mighty mild.”

Australian weather forecasters say autumn will be dry and warm

A dry and warmer-than-average autumn has been forecast for nearly all of Australia, worrying farmers in southern states hoping for rain after a hot summer.

The chance of above-median maximum
temperatures forecast for the Australian autumn.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest outlook, released on Thursday, has predicted higher temperatures across the country – apart from eastern New South Wales and the upper Northern Territory.

Rainfall is also forecast to be lower than usual in much of central Queensland, the southern NT, north-west Victoria and parts of Western Australia. The bureau’s initial autumn report said these areas had a 70% chance of below-median rainfall.

Agata Imielska, a climatologist from the bureau, said the dry season was a result of high-pressure systems and the weakening of the La Niña system in the Pacific Ocean.

Read the story by Naaman Zhou on The Guardian - “Australian weather forecasters say autumn will be dry and warm.”

NSW farmers urged to plan for dry season as lack of rain increases pressure on landholders

A sheep and cattle farmer from the New South Wales Hunter Valley says conditions in the region have not been as dry as they currently are in almost 40 years.

Large parts of NSW are in desperate need of rain.

The observation came as farmers were urged to plan for the warmer months in a bid to mitigate the effects of the harsh conditions.

Ian MacCallum has worked the land around Moonan Flat in the Upper Hunter for 60 years.

"For the cattle industry, it is particularly bad because our cows have just calved, and we've got young calves on the ground which are this coming year's income.

Read the ABC News story - “NSW farmers urged to plan for dry season as lack of rain increases pressure on landholders.”

BOM: Australia's hottest winter on record, maximum temperatures up nearly 2C on the long-term average

Winter in Australia this year was hot and dry with the average maximum temperature up nearly 2 degrees Celsius above the long-term trend.

Higher temperatures and low rainfall dominated
Australia's winter weather patterns.

The 2017 winter was the hottest since 1910 when national records began, according to Bureau of Meteorology figures released today.

The average maximum daily temperature recorded across all Australian recording locations for June, July and August 2017 was 23.7C.

That is a whopping 1.9C degrees above the baseline 1961 to 1990 average of 21.8C and smashes the previous record of 23.4C set in 2009.

Read the ABC News story - “BOM: Australia's hottest winter on record, maximum temperatures up nearly 2C on the long-term average.”

'Storm of the century' every few months

“Storms of the century” seem to be happening now every few months.

The latest, “Nemo”, has engulfed major parts of America’s north-east coast, disabling infrastructure, disrupting the lives of millions and denting a sweeping sector of the U.S. economy.

Storms or unusual ferocity ripple across various parts of the world, those of us in south-eastern Australia have experienced an exceedingly dry period and now are pondering possible beginning of another drought.

And yet the debate about whether or not climate change is a contributing factor and to what degree it is worsening these “storms of the century” continue with a regularity matched only by the arrival of fierce storms.

However and importantly, our scientists are attributing the exacerbation of those events to climate change and the America’s Huffington Post reports that in a story headed: “Climate Change And The Blizzard: Nor'easters More Fierce With Global Warming,Scientists Say”.