Topic: Drought

[Robi]

Hi,

where is serous drought? In your country...?
If so, how long it has been?

Here there is no enough rain since fall of 2006...If something come, that is severe event and downpour..."Slow" rain has become very rare.


Can this happen due to El Nino and/or La Nina?

[Jimmy Deguara]

Robi,

Most of the areas around Australia suffered from some form of drought since 1992 with some breaks in between of heavy rains. I say 1992 because Sydney has not experienced MAJOR flooding since that time!

The worst drought period was during the 2001 to late 2006 period. Very few places on earth seem to have droughts so widespread as we do here for so long.

There are still most parts of Victoria that at least until recently still were in drought so it basically seem to continue through 2007. We just seemed to not have sufficient rain when it did come.

Harley could probably provide some more input statistically for the country.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Robert1984]

Dont forget the South East Of South Australia jimmy as we havent seen any decent rainfalls since early-mid last year and most if not all the significant weather events that were supposed to hit my area always took a U Turn

[Richary]

When I was back in South Australia a few weeks ago it was looking really dry for this time of year.

Sydney has also been suffering below average rainfall, but the low moving down from Queensland is forecast to give us up to 100mm over the next week. Badly needed, hope it falls over the catchment areas.

[Robi]

Thank you for the informations!



I still need to complete the truth, that in my country there are average 28 drought years in a century. So it is not new for us…What new for us is local severe events all the time. Less than 100 mm has been fallen at some places (!!, this year for example) meantime heavy rains produce 80-90 mm during an hour or two.
Less than 100mm, where, as of yet, statistical average quantity is 700-800mm annually.

This seems to be more frequent.

Decent rain throughout the country has been arrived long time ago.

Dry weather was in 50s, 70s, also in first part of 90s, but this time it is more serious, because for a long time now, drought years were not cut by really wet years.

I don’t how and when it will ends, but if this period will be continued, catastrophy !!


Background??
I intend to say global warming. Me think. But i still hope for wet years. Sooner than later!

[Harley Pearman]

Hello

Robi, I have been covering the current drought in Australia in "Lets look to the other side" on this web site. There is allot of statistics already provided here. I need to put some May figures into the discussion which will be done.

Generally, continuing from April 2008, May 2008 was very dry across NSW and rainfall deficiencies are still significant across inland NSW and inland Victoria. I have figures for inland centres indicating that rainfall was well below average and half that of what should be falling.

Large areas of southern inland NSW recorded just one half of expected normal rainfall for Autumn.

For the Murray Darling Basin, I have learnt that despite the La Nina event that has now waned, the Murray Darling Basin has recorded the 4th driest Autumn (When rainfall is averaged out across the region) since records begun although rainfall models for the next 3 months suggests neutral conditions only.

I will prepare the May findings shortly.

Harley Pearman

[Richary]

Shame about the low rainfalls for the Murray-Darling system. Though there was rain coming down from Qld earlier with a few roads cut near Louth, so it must be the Murray isn't living up to it's share of the bargain.

In the first 5 days of June Sydney has had 2/3 of it's average rainfall for the month, so lets hope it continues. Though it has been making work rather hard (mostly rooftop stuff). And that is after the driest May for years.

[Robi]

Hi,

what is the current situation now in down under? Winter rain or snow is on the way to reach the land?

Here the June produced very good rainy days and storms, serious stormes sometimes, hail and downpour... So we have had a good first month of summer.

Last year, extreme Africa-type heatwave caused some suffering but this is not really forecasted for this summer, but everything can happen...This sumer is cooler than last year. But drought is a source of danger and can be occured more times:-(


I found an interesting article, just read it!

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23584524-11949,00.html

My opinion it is stupidity. By one year, we can't state an exact tendency. Seems...just saying this and effect of global warming will be balanced, so we just "release" pollution in atmosphere, no problem...