DESPITE sunny skies returning over the Easter long weekend, it was an unusually wet start to autumn in the Great Lakes with a disparity between this year and last year’s rainfall.
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According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s weather station at Tuncurry Marine Rescue in March, 2016, 64.4mm of rain was recorded.
However in March this year 289.8mm of rain was recorded – a considerable jump of 225.4mm.
The wet weather has followed into April where in 2016, 6.7mm of rain was recorded in the first 10 days of the month, compared to 47.8mm of rain which has fallen during the same period this year.
The jump in rainfall for autumn of 2017 and the drier summer months was reflected in the bureau’s statistics comparing the mean rainfall (mm) for years 1896 to 2017 (120 years) to 2017.
Mean rainfall:
- January 120 year average: 110.7mm
- January 2017: 89.2mm
- February 120 year average: 120.3mm
- February 2017: 71.4mm
- March 120 year average: 149.3mm
- March: 289.8mm
The Great Lakes Advocate contacted Weatherzone to find out what had made the wet weather stick around for so long.
A spokesperson for Weatherzone said summer had been very dry in NSW and the Great Lakes.
“During summer it never cooled down enough for storms to form,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said ocean temperatures in the Great Lakes remained warm into autumn and were around two to three above average, at 28 degrees.
“Three significant low pressure systems were able to form out at sea, which brought the wind and rain. One of these low pressure systems was also influenced by ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie.”
The spokesperson said average to above average rainfall is set to continue in the Great Lakes region, however rain will likely come in the form of light showers over extended periods of time. Light showers are expected from Thursday, April 20. For information see: http://www.weatherzone.com.au/
