Victor Szwed
April has seen mixed weather including some very pleasant Autumn conditions.
Daylesford’s rainfall of 58.2mm for the month has been close to the average of 64.5mm. Year to date we have had 228mm, comparing well to the long-term average of 200mm.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting some rain on Sunday and cooler temperatures into next week. Their longer-term forecasts for May to July continue to be for drier than average conditions and warmer than average days and nights.
As of 21st April, Daylesford’s reservoirs were 74% full according to the Central Highlands Water web site. Last year they were only 43% full at this time as we had several very dry months followed by good rainfalls.
The Wombat Post hosts a local Weather Station in Daylesford. You can access this by going onto the Wombat Post web site and the current “LOCAL WEATHER” information is shown on the right.
The Bureau transitioned to a new web site last year with a lot of controversy about how it functions and the cost: www.bom.gov.au As a result the Bureau still maintains its old web site: https://reg.bom.gov.au
There is lots of good information provided by the Bureau. Do you look at one web site, the other or both? Which do you find easier to navigate?
The Bureau uses several international models to assist forecasting likely weather patterns. These models indicate a likelihood of continued warming of the tropical Pacific waters and other waters around Australia with increasing chances of El Nino conditions developing. This reinforces their forecasts that drier than normal conditions are likely to occur over the coming months. Currently, it is not clear whether these will be mild or stronger El Nino conditions.
It is worth carefully adjusting how we use water and how we maintain our gardens to prepare for the likely reductions in rainfall.
Victor Szwed is a Daylesford resident who has been involved in various community roles in our Shire for more than 26 years.
