The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest long-range forecast predicts a warmer-than-usual winter for Australia. According to BOM modeling, both minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to be 1-2 degrees above the national average.
Warmer conditions are particularly anticipated across most of Western Australia, Tasmania, and the northern two-thirds of the Northern Territory, with these regions having more than a 70% chance of experiencing temperatures among the top 20% of historical winter highs.
Additionally, there is a 50% likelihood of elevated temperatures throughout May in the western half of Western Australia, as well as in parts of northern and eastern Queensland.
Dr. Andrew King, a climate scientist at the University of Melbourne, notes that the forecast of warmer weather conditions across large parts of Australia is not surprising. He attributes this trend to greenhouse gases, explaining that they are heating the planet and, consequently, Australia can expect more frequent warmer-than-average conditions compared to cooler ones.
The only exceptions to these above-average maximum temperatures are expected in the Carpentaria and Daly districts of the Northern Territory. Moreover, the potential development of La Niña could bring a wetter winter scenario.
Featured Image: Warm Winter Sun: Photo by Glitterchirag/CC/ Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
