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Statement on Drought for the 3,6 and 12-month
periods ending 31st March 2006
ISSUED 4th April 2006 by the National Climate Centre
Rainfall deficiencies develop in eastern Australia
A dry start to the year has seen short-term rainfall
deficiencies emerge across parts of eastern Australia, especially
over inland eastern Queensland, the Bureau of Meteorology announced
today. Furthermore, the first six months of the northern wet season were
very dry and hot in southwest Queensland and northwest NSW, while at the
12-month timescale, rainfall deficiencies are largely confined to
southern Victoria.
For the 3-month period from January to March,
serious to severe rainfall deficiencies have developed over an area of
eastern Queensland near and to the west of the Great Dividing Range,
stretching from near Moranbah to around Gympie. There are
numerous other patches in Queensland, NSW and Victoria that are also
affected for this period, the most significant of which straddles the
far eastern Victorian - southeast NSW border region. In addition, a band
of three-month deficiencies stretches from northern to southern
Tasmania.
For the 6-month period from October to March,
serious rainfall deficiencies, with patches of severe deficiencies,
affect some small areas near Mackay and other more substantial districts
in far southwest Queensland and adjacent far northwest NSW. The dry
conditions have been exacerbated by
very much above average to record high temperatures.
For the 12-month period from April to March,
rainfall deficiencies are mainly confined to several patches in
southwest and south-central Victoria.
Rainfall deficiency
maps for longer periods indicate that deficiencies at the
three year timescale, which are particularly relevant to water supplies,
remain prevalent in parts of eastern Australia, especially in Queensland.
Note: The terms used to describe rainfall in these
Drought Statements have the following meanings -
Serious deficiency
- rainfalls in the lowest 10% of historical totals,
but not in the lowest 5%
Severe deficiency
- rainfalls in the lowest 5% of historical totals
Lowest on record
- lowest since at least 1900 when the data analysed begin
Very much below average
- rainfalls in the lowest 10% of historical totals
Below average
- rainfalls in the lowest 30% of historical totals,
but not in the lowest 10%
Average
- rainfalls in the middle 40% of historical totals
Above average
- rainfalls in the highest 30% of historical totals,
but not in the highest 10%
Very much above average
- rainfalls in the highest 10% of historical totals
For more information regarding this rainfall
deficiencies statement, please contact the following
climate meteorologists in the National Climate Centre:
Grant Beard on (03) 9669 4527
Blair Trewin on (03) 9669 4603
External Sites Relating to Drought
The Bureau of Meteorology does not make formal drought declarations
as these are done by either the relevant State Governments or by the
Australian Government. The Australian Government Program is called
Exceptional Circumstances
and it is administered by the Federal Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). General information about Australian
Government drought assistance is available at
http://www.daff.gov.au/droughtassist.
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