Will December bring the rain Australia needs?
October was characterised by aridness and below-normal rainfall, possibly forcing some businesses and homeowners to tap into their water tanks.
However, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has predicted December will bring higher-than-average rainfall throughout much of the country. So, Australia may not experience the dry, hot summer many believe will arrive.
A strong October sun
The BOM noted that October's rainfall was 53 per cent lower than the long-term average. Digging deeper into the data, the South West Land Division in Western Australia, a coastal stretch from Cenduna, South Australia to South Gippsland, Victoria and much of Tasmania ranked in the lowest 10 per cent of historically dry periods.
However, it's more appropriate to break down national data across regions and states. For example, while much of Australia did not receive the rainfall it typically experiences in October, the BOM recorded above-average rainfall in the northern half of Western Australia.
What's interesting about this latter statistic is that northern Western Australia is typically dry during the month of October. This could be an indication that October was somewhat of an anomaly in regards to meteorological events.
A wet December?
The BOM recently released a map detailing the chances of above-median rainfall occurring throughout various parts of Australia. Throughout much of the southern part of Western Australia, there is an 80 per cent chance that the region will experience rainfall that exceeds the median rate.
In fact, much of South Australia may experience rainfall above the median. In Adelaide, there's a 70 per cent chance that such an event will transpire. So, those living in Adelaide looking for water tanks may collect quite a bit of rain. For Sydney and Canberra, the odds are much lower, with their being an 'equal likelihood' of encountering median rainfall.
As of 6 November, Australia's total accessible water storage assets were at 56.8 per cent capacity. Whether or not this amount lasts Australians the summer partly depends on the weather and consumption habits.
