A wet weekend for Western Australia by Nina Ridge
Yesterday, my colleague John Hammond reported that Australia had recently recorded ‘its driest four-month period on record’. However, western Australia saw a shift in the weather after heavy rain battered many areas. Some places recorded over 100mm of rain with the city of Perth receiving around 50mm (2 inches) of rain, making it the city’s wettest day of the year so far.
The heavy rains caused travel disruption and minor floods forcing many to leave their homes. The emergency services worked throughout the night to repair damage caused by leaking roofs and ceilings.
The heavy rain has come just at the right time for farmers, preparing to plant this year’s crops, and climate watchers investigating the possiblity of another drought in Australia.
Scientists say that there are continued signs that the El Nino weather pattern is rebuilding in the Pacific Ocean. The Ocean waters along the coast of South America are about two degrees warmer than average and these kinds of anomalies are what we see in the early stages of an El Nino event.
Western Australia’s recent rain was due to an Indian Ocean low and a moist northwesterly wind. The cold front is now clearing through and drier southwesterly winds are setting in for the next few days.
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