Monday, May 09, 2005
Australia's "Big Dry"
Okay, I know I have already recommended it a couple hundred times: Collapse is a good book. It was what got me onto the topic of Australia's ecological fragility. Here is a news article on the same topic.
Jax
Australia has had one of its warmest Aprils on record, opting for sun block and air conditioning, rather than autumn woollies and heaters.
"It was a very spectacular departure from normal," said Peter Dunda from the Bureau of Meteorology in Sydney.
In parts of New South Wales, temperatures hovered just below 30C - more than five degrees above the average.
It has not only been warm, it has also been very dry. Only once before since 1910 has Australia had so little rain in the period from January to April.
As a result, much of the country is in the grip of an unyielding drought, with an increasing number of farmers receiving emergency government aid.
Weather forecasters are warning that Australia's 'Big Dry' could get even worse.
"There are some early signs that there is a slightly higher than normal risk of going into an El Niño episode in our winter and Spring period," Mr Dunda said.
Australia's climate is influenced by changes in sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At different ends of the spectrum lie La Niña - which is associated with floods in Australia - and El Niño - which is linked to drought.
A cocktail of various weather factors lies behind the above average April temperatures.
Firstly, the tropical monsoon has been fairly weak and failed to spread cooling moisture to the interior. High-pressure systems across those central regions have directed warm air across the southern states.
On top of all that, there were almost no cold fronts during April, which would normally bring cooler weather from the south of the continent and the Southern Ocean. (Link)
