Bureau releases climate outlooks for January to March 2017

15/12/2016

The Bureau of Meteorology released its monthly and seasonal climate outlooks for Janurary to March 2017 today.

The outlook indicates:

• Below-average rainfall likely in parts of eastern Australia; above average likely in northwest and central Western Australia.
• Warmer days and nights likely across eastern and northern Australia; cooler than average more likely in Tasmania and southwest Western Australia.
• Climate influences include warmer ocean waters surrounding northern Australia, and a northward shift in the usual position of the westerly winds to Australia's south—known as the Southern Annular Mode.

The outlooks are influenced by the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), as well as warmer waters surrounding northern Australia. SAM is currently negative, and forecast to remain negative through January (a negative SAM means Australia experiences higher pressures than normal, resulting in reduced rainfall and higher temperatures during the summer months). The warmer than normal sea surface temperatures surrounding northern Australia are likely to enhance rainfall in northwest WA.

To view the outlook, go to: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/overview/summary