El Niño strengthens, raising bushfire risks for millions across Australia
Eastern Australia is facing a growing bushfire risk as a strengthening El Nino pattern combines with an unusually dry winter.
Weather forecasters are warning that the coming weeks could bring challenging conditions, particularly across parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
Rainfall was well below average across many areas during winter. El Nino has weakened the trade winds that normally carry moisture towards eastern Australia from the tropical Pacific.
Brisbane has recorded less than 1mm of rain so far, while Sydney received just 6.2mm. Rockhampton recorded only 9.8mm throughout winter, while Bega on the NSW South Coast received 26.6mm between June and August.
Melbourne has also had a relatively dry start to September, with just 12.6mm of rainfall, although the city recorded slightly above-average rainfall during winter.
The latest Relative Nino3.4 Index reading was 2.51 for the week ending September 13. The strongest recorded reading is 2.65, indicating the El Nino pattern remains strong.
The Bureau of Meteorology expects October to be drier than average across much of eastern Australia.
There is some relief in the longer-term outlook, with wetter conditions expected to develop in November. Warmer ocean temperatures around Australia could also provide additional moisture and partly offset El Nino’s drying influence.
However, forecasters say significant rainfall will be important in the coming weeks as dry ground conditions increase the risk of fires across eastern Australia.
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Source : 9 News
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