Warmer season in the northern NT

The Bureau's latest seasonal temperature outlook shows the odds are shifted in favour of warmer than average daytime temperatures in the north and west of the country.

For the July to September period, the chances of above average seasonal daytime temperatures are between 60 and 70% across the northern half of the NT. Close to the Gulf of Carpentaria, the probabilities approach 75%. The probabilities over the NT are mainly the result of recent higher than average temperatures across the Pacific Ocean. So with climate patterns like the current, about 7 seasons out of every 10 are expected to be warmer than average in the north of the NT, with about 3 out of 10 being cooler. In remaining parts of the Territory, the chances of above average seasonal temperatures are between 50 and 60%. The Bureau's July to September maximum temperature outlooks have moderate reliability over the NT (see background information). Warmer than average nights are also favoured over large parts of the country but only over the eastern fringes of the NT. The chances of above average seasonal minimum temperatures are generally between 50 and 60% across the Territory, increasing to above 60% in some far eastern regions. Minimum temperature outlooks for the season have moderate reliability over the eastern half of the NT but low skill in the west of the Territory.

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THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE SEASONAL OUTLOOK IS EXPECTED BY 16^th JULY 2003.

Archive of previous National Seasonal Rainfall Outlooks

Archive of previous National Seasonal Temperature Outlooks

Maximum temperature departures from average for March to May 2003 - base period 1961-1990

Minimum temperature departures from average for March to May 2003 - base period 1961-1990

• The Bureau's seasonal outlooks are general statements about the probability or risk of wetter or drier than average weather over a three-month period. The outlooks are based on the statistics of chance (the odds) taken from Australian rainfall/temperatures and sea surface temperature records for the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are not, however, categorical predictions about future rainfall, and they are not about rainfall within individual months of the three-month outlook period. The temperature outlooks are for the average maximum and minimum temperatures for the entire three-month outlook period. Information about whether individual days or weeks may be unusually hot or cold, is unavailable.

• This outlook is a summary. More detail is available from the contact people or from SILO (www.bom.gov.au/silo/products/SClimate.shtml).

• Probability outlooks should not be used as if they were categorical forecasts. More on probabilities is contained in the booklet The Seasonal Climate Outlook - What it is and how to use it, available from the National Climate Centre. These outlooks should be used as a tool in risk management and decision making. The benefits accrue from long-term use, say over 10 years. At any given time, the probabilities may seem inaccurate, but taken over several years, the advantages of taking account of the risks should outweigh the disadvantages. For more information on the use of probabilities, farmers could contact their local departments of agriculture or primary industry.

• Model Reliability: Strong reliability means that tests of the model on historical data show a high correlation between the most likely outlook category (above/below median) and the verifying observation (above/below median). Low reliability means the historical relationship is weak. In the places and seasons where the outlooks are most skilful, the category of the eventual outcome (above or below median) is consistent with the category favoured in the outlook about 75% of the time. In the least skilful areas, the outlooks perform no better than random chance or guessing. The rainfall outlooks perform best in eastern and northern Australia between July and January, but are less useful in autumn and in the west of the continent. The skill at predicting seasonal maximum temperature peaks in early winter and drops off marginally during the second half of the year. The lowest point in skill occurs in early autumn. The skill at predicting seasonal minimum temperature peaks in late autumn and again in mid-spring. There are also two distinct periods when the skill is lowest - namely late summer and mid-winter. However, it must always be remembered that the outlooks are statements of chance or risk. For example, if you were told there was a 50:50 chance of a horse winning a race but it ran second, the original assessment of a 50:50 chance could still have been correct.

• The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is calculated using the barometric pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin. The SOI is one indicator of the stage of El Niño or La Niña events in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It is best considered in conjunction with sea-surface temperatures, which form the basis of the outlooks. A moderate to strongly negative SOI (persistently below –10) is usually characteristic of El Niño, which is often associated with below average rainfall over eastern Australia, and a weaker than normal monsoon in the north. A moderate to strongly positive SOI (persistently above +10) is usually characteristic of La Niña, which is often associated with above average rainfall over parts of tropical and eastern Australia, and an earlier than normal start to the northern monsoon season. The Australian impacts of 23 El Niño events since 1900 are summarized on the Bureau's web site (www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/).