• National Health Alert for Australian Encephalitis is Issued Due to Above Average Rainfall
• Below Average Temperatures Continue Over Western Australia

A national health alert was issued in Australia after 8 people, including 2 babies, were diagnosed with the potentially fatal Australian Encephalitis. Above average rainfall and flooding in the affected areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory resulted in huge numbers of mosquitoes that transmit the viral disease. (ProMED)

Agriculture
Crop Calendars

In the Southeast mostly dry weather supported summer crop harvesting.

Climate

Temperatures Western Australia once again experienced below average temperatures. The remainder of the continent saw near average conditions.

 

Temperature Difference from the 1961-1990 Mean

Temperature Mean from April 1961-1990

NOAA NCEP CPC CAMS Temperature Anomaly

Precipitation Tropical cyclone activity was primarily responsible for above average precipitation in northeastern Western Australia and much of the Northern Territory.

For detailed discussion of assumptions and methods used in generating this Australia forecast, please refer to the Forecast Discussion

Precipitation Outlook
 

Maps are given showing expected precipitation probabilities in tercile classes. The maps indicate probabilities that seasonal precipitation will fall into the wettest third of the years (top number), the middle third of years (middle number) or the driest third of the years (bottom). An outlook of climatology "C" (light grey) indicates equal probabilities in each class; i.e., there is no basis for favoring the forecast of any particular category. Areas marked "D" (dark grey) experience a pronounced dry season during the forecast period, typically receiving less than 15% of their annual precipitation or less than 5 cm total during this three-month period. Boundaries between sub-regions should be considered transition zones, and their location considered to be only qualitatively correct

• Climatological Average of Seasonal Precipitation
• Tercile Thresholds of Seasonal Precipitation

The temperature map shows expected probabilities that the seasonal temperatures will fall into the warmest third of the years (top number), the middle third of the years, or the coldest third of the years (bottom number). A qualitative outlook of climatology "C" (light grey) indicates equal probabilities in each class; i.e., there is no basis for favoring the forecast of any particular category. Boundaries between sub-regions should be considered transition zones, and their location considered to be only qualitatively correct.

• Climatological Average of Seasonal Temperatures
• Tercile Thresholds of Seasonal Temperatures

The full IRI seasonal forecast for April-June 2000 can be found at http://iri.ldeo.columbia.edu/climate/forecasts/net_asmt/
 
 

Links to Climatological Organizations in Australia:

• Australian Oceanographic Data Centre
• Bureau of Meteorology research Centre
• Australia's Drought Policy
• The Long Paddock, DNR/DPI Climate Information Highway
• SILO

Links to Meteorological Organizations in Australia and New Zealand:

• Bureau of Meteorology, Australia
• Meteorological Service of New Zealand
• National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand
• Weather and Global Monitoring, Charles Stuart University, Australia
• Project Atmosphere Australia On-line Home Page
• University of New South Wales Oceanography and Meteorology Department, Sydney
• SILO