Climate in-brief

  • The MJO has basically come and gone without any real impact other than scattered areas of Qld receiving some handy falls.

  • The next 3-4 weeks is showing a drier trend, consistent with a fortnight ago, while acknowledging April is one of the driest in the calendar year for most inland locations anyway.

  • A check on seasonal model accuracy from December 2020 for the Jan-Mar period found all models showed a general signal for rain across eastern areas, with no clear winner capturing observations among those surveyed.

  • Very little Tropical Cyclone or activity of any consequence showing for the Australian continent for the remainder of April, with the MJO set to return to Phases 8-1 in the coming weeks.

The chart above shows higher air pressure over SE Australia in the last 7-days. This anomaly has strengthened in the last week.

The chart above shows higher air pressure over SE Australia in the last 7-days. This anomaly has strengthened in the last week.

Australian daily and weekly rainfall observations

Small totals along the coast in the last 24 hours the only areas to trouble the scorer. http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/flood/?ref=ftr

Small totals along the coast in the last 24 hours the only areas to trouble the scorer. http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/flood/?ref=ftr

Weekly rain shows some handy falls across CQ and SE Qld which is timely after these areas have been on the skinny end of totals in 2021.Australian 7-day rainfall map courtesy http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps/rainfall/?variable=rainfall&map=tot…

Weekly rain shows some handy falls across CQ and SE Qld which is timely after these areas have been on the skinny end of totals in 2021.

Australian 7-day rainfall map courtesy http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps/rainfall/?variable=rainfall&map=totals&period=week&region=nat&year=2020&month=12&day=17