More hot weather heading our way – Paul Rosser’s weather report

Time for your August Weather Report 2023. Only 40.0mm for the month. That gives us a YTD of 408.5mm.

How does this compare with other years?

2023 40.0mm (9) 408.5mm (3)

2022 83.0mm (2) 334.5mm

2021 54.5mm (8) 356.5mm

2020 61.0mm (6) 354.0mm

2019 39.0mm 263.5mm

2018 82.5mm (3) 249.0mm

2017 93.0mm (1) 392.5mm

2016 64.0mm (5) 430.5mm (2)

2015 37.0mm 362.0mm

2014 19.0mm 314.0mm

2013 80.0mm (4) 406.0mm (4)

2012 55.0mm (7) 435.0mm (1)

Interesting – our August rainfall was way down by comparison, to ninth position, but our YTD is still good because of a wetter than average Autumn & early to mid Winter. Soils are still damp but drying quickly from now on, so watch those new native plants you put into the ground this year. Any sign of drooping, then give them 10 litres of water – one minute of hose water at full pressure. That will be the rule for this summer!

Do you look at what’s happening in nature every day – I do. I guess that came from having holidays as a kid on farms & a Mum & Dad who grew lots of veggies to feed our hungry family. The Birds that leave in Autumn have been returning since early August, birds have been nesting for three weeks now, Maggies are swooping bike riders like me, Honey Eaters have been aggressive for at least a fortnight, days are warming up with some 20’s forecast, Oodnadatta had its first 30 degree day around a fortnight ago & more since, Jon Lamb is talking of early planting of some species as the soil warms earlier than usual on the ABC & so it goes on. Spring has been here for three weeks at least, creeping up slowly & quietly.

What’s happening in our oceans? El Nina is forming in the Pacific which means warmer oceans, warmer air temperatures. The Indian Ocean & the Arafura Sea are also heating up, as is the Southern Ocean. Ice in the Southern Ocean hasn’t formed as usual in many parts & has scientists worried. All three point to a red hot, dry summer for Australia in general. Weather maps are RED hot all over Australia from September through to Xmas. Rainfall will be down dramatically, so don’t hold your breath waiting for a good down pour. The only consolation is, we may get one or two Tropical Cyclones that give us a good rain dump, but no guarantees.

The River Murray is interesting. After good floods earlier this year to rejuvenate the flood plains the alps are lacking in snow this August, looking more like Spring/Summer which will mean no snow melt to add to the rivers water flow this Spring/Summer. How things change so quickly. July/August are usually the peak snow season for tourists in the alps – not this year!!

Some facts for you to think about. Adelaide has just recorded its warmest winter on record – 13.1 degrees Celsius against an average over the last 130 years of 11.8 degrees. The previous record was 12.9 degrees back in 2009. I’m not saying it was hot, just warmer than records in the past. What is a problem is that the ten highest recorded years are all in our teenage children’s lifetime. July 2023 was the hottest July on earth. It’s interesting, most of the critics of Climate Change have gone strangely quiet over the last two years. Scientists’ calls to change need to be heeded to now not by 2050. Something to ponder over your lunch today!

The First Nations Peoples calendar, like ours is only a guide. We are currently in Kudilla, their Winter. It feels more like their Wirituti (Spring time) though at present. The stars are winter stars but temperatures are up prematurely, snakes are becoming active. They would have been starting preparation for movement back to the coast, taking up locations behind the dunes. It’s time for skin curing. It’s also time for us to recognise them & their wisdom, weather-wise & in agriculture, fishing & land management of this wonderful country of ours. ‘Yes’ we need to recognise their contribution in the past & now. October 14th is an important day for our country.

That’s it for now, catch you next month. Thank goodness our 50k litre tank is full.

Paul