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For the 6 and 7-month periods ending 30th November 2007
Deficiencies ease following a wet November
LINKS:
rainfall deficiencies definition
6-month rainfall deficiencies
7-month rainfall deficiencies
Above average November rainfall across much of Australia’s eastern half eased
short-term rainfall deficiencies, with the notable exception of Tasmania which
experienced its driest November on record (records date from 1900). South
Australia and Western Australia continue have the most extensive rainfall
deficits for periods starting at the end of autumn or start of winter.
See November
rainfall pattern
For the 6-month period from June to November 2007 an area
of serious to severe rainfall deficiencies covered much of central and
northeast SA, together with patches in the southern NT, southwest Queensland,
southern NSW, Victoria, scattered parts of WA and an area in eastern Tasmania.
Large areas of lowest on record covered South Australia which has experienced
its sixth driest winter-spring on record with a state-average of only 56 mm.
Above to very much above average November rainfall resulted in the easing or
removal of deficits across large parts of northern Victoria, western NSW and
southwest Queensland in comparison with the situation at the end of October.
Rainfall deficiencies for the 7-month period from May to
November 2007 were widespread across the southern half of Western Australia
as May rainfall was also below average in this region. SA was also affected,
but to a lesser extent than for the six-month period. There were relatively
small areas of lowest on record in both WA and SA.
The deficiencies discussed above have occurred against a backdrop of
multi-year rainfall deficits and record high temperatures that have severely
stressed water supplies in the east and southwest of the country. Several
years of above average rainfall are required to remove the very long-term
deficits. Furthermore, the combination of heat and drought during the past
five to ten years over the MDB and southeastern Australia, is outside the
typical range of variability experienced during the previous 100 years.
For more information go to a recent
Special Climate
Statement on the six years of widespread drought in southern and eastern
Australia, November 2001 to October 2007.
Rainfall
deficiency maps for standard periods out to three years are
available.
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
Lyn Bettio on (03) 9669 4165
David Jones on (03) 9669 4085
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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