2007 - weather - a "not quite record" year

B.o.M. rainfall map 2007
red = dry
blue = wet
The Bureau of Meteorology has announced its calculations for Year 2007. Australia is a large land, covering tropical and temperate climate zones - so what happened was that the south-east corner was hot and dry (as most of us will remember), as was the coastal strip near Perth. But the north and most of the west was hugely wet, and that helped cool the averages.

So, despite some spectacular figures, such as Sydney's record New Year's Day last year (45.2 degrees C at Mascot Airport), it was not the hottest year on record. That claim is held by 2005. Instead we achieved 11th place (since comparable records have been available in 1910).

Rainfall was well below normal in the southeast and far southwest, but close to normal when averaged over the whole country. The south-eastern region scored the second-driest year on record.

*****

In Robertson it is raining, for the 3rd day in a row. Not huge rain, just a steady drizzle. But it all adds up. However, this level of rain does not add to the catchment. We need heavy rain in Robertson to get much run off, as the soil is so porous.

So, for the sake of the dams (and the Kangaloon Aquifer) we need more, and heavier rain.