Is global warming become increasingly evident in Australia? by Matt Taylor
Huge weather extremes are currently being played out across Australia in a spectacular fashion. The most striking conditions have been in the southeast of the country.
As hot and moist air across Victoria and New South Wales interacted with much cooler conditions flooding up from the Southern Ocean, a deep and vicious area of low pressure developed.
Victoria bore the brunt of the turbulent conditions on Wednesday, with Melbourne particularly badly affected. In a space of 24 hours, the city saw rainfall records tumble. 120.2 mm (4.8 inches) of rain fell in total, causing widespread flash floods and traffic chaos throughout the city. This amount not only dwarfs Melbourne’s usual average February rainfall of 47mm (1.9mm), but it also shatters the previous 24-hour record of 108mm (4.3 inches) set in January 1963.
Torrential rain was not the only part of story. With the rain, the temperatures plummeted. At Melbourne Airport, the coldest ever February day was recorded as the mercury edged up to just 12.8 Celsius (55F). Temperatures at this time of year typically reached a much hotter 26.5 Celsius (80F). Strong winds made the day even more miserable – whipping up high seas around the coasts.
The low pressure’s influence didn’t just stop at Victoria’s borders. To the north, parts of New South Wales and Queensland also endured some torrential thunderstorms and strong winds.
However, across the Northern Territories and Western Australia the differences in the weather are stark by contrast. Not only have some parts just experienced their hottest January on record, but in the town of Nyang, an average maximum temperature of 44.8 C (113F) made it the hottest January ever recorded anywhere in Australia.
It’s perhaps not surprising then to learn that it’s in these very areas where drought is continuing to be a huge issue. A significant portion of Western Australia and the Northern Territories, especially around the state boundaries, have just had their driest July to January on record.
In a week where climate change has been at the forefront of the news in the UK, whether this is a definite sign of global warming and that of weather pattern to come remains to be seen. However, such extreme conditions across just one country will definitely be strengthening the global warming argument.
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