Australia records driest August ever
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Australia records driest August ever*
September 05, 2006 06:10pm
Article from: AAP
AUSTRALIA has recorded its driest August on record, increasing the
chance of severe bushfires and giving little hope of an end to the
crippling drought.
The Bureau of Meteorology says last month was the driest August since
accurate record-keeping began in 1900.
It was also the warmest since detailed monthly temperature data came on
line in 1950.
Record low winter rainfall was recorded over a large area of southern
Western Australia and in parts of the eastern states.
Rainfall deficits had also intensified across the nation's south east,
including Tasmania, since the start of autumn.
Australia's most senior meteorologist, bureau director Geoff Love,
warned of severe consequences from the rainfall deficits that showed no
sign of abating.
“If the current low rainfall and high temperatures persist, the
consequences will be wide ranging, including an elevated bushfire risk
this coming summer and escalating water shortages and restrictions,” he
said.
The chances of relief from the dry conditions were not promising, Dr
Love said, with a US Climate Prediction Centre forecast increasing the
likelihood of another El Nino event to 50 per cent.
El Nino is the sustained warming over a large part of the central and
eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that causes reduced rainfall in eastern
and northern Australia, particularly in winter, spring and early summer.
Large areas of eastern Australia have been in drought since 2002.
Dr Love said whether an El Nino developed or not, there was not much
hope of decent rainfall in the months ahead.
“The current warm ocean temperatures in the Pacific mean that the odds
of good rainfall over Australia in late winter/spring are reduced, and
that the above-average temperatures already being observed are likely to
continue,” he said.
The bureau's new drought outlook gives farmers nothing to smile about.
Rainfall deficiencies have expanded over southern Australia, with record
low winter falls over a large part of southern WA and parts of south
eastern Australia.
Record low winter rainfalls were also recorded across smaller patches in
south eastern South Australia, southern and western Victoria, and
northern and south eastern Tasmania.
Forecasters are tipping a warmer than average spring over large parts of
northern, south west and south eastern Australia.
The spring rainfall outlook is a mixed bag, with WA forecast to be
wetter than average. Below average falls are expected in northern
Australia and patches of the country's south east.