TASSIE’S BIG DRY

EASTERN Tasmania received the lowest rainfall on record in June and the next three months are predicted to be below average across the state, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Several sites in the east and the Midlands received their lowest total June rainfall on record or their lowest total for many years.

Bureau climatologist Ian Barnes-Keoghan said rainfall had been below 10mm in some areas which would normally expect 10 times the amount they received.

Fingal, which has 133 years of records, received 2mm compared with a long term average of 66mm for the month. Coles Bay received 3mm for the month and Hobart received 6.6mm compared with its long term average of 54mm.

“It was Hobart’s equal second-driest June, behind 1.8mm in 1979, and with no measurable rain until the 18th it was Hobart’s longest recorded winter dry spell,” Mr BarnesKeoghan said.

Total rainfall for the state was half the June average, making it the driest June since 2007.

Mr Barnes-Keoghan said the cause of the low rainfall was the dominance of abnormally strong and persistent high pressure systems that pushed the cold front and rain bearing systems further south.

He said the outlook was for a continuation of the high pressure pattern.

“The outlook is not saying there will be above average rain which is what is needed after a very dry June,” he said.

“It’s concerning because winter is when the evaporation is less and the soil gets moist in preparation for the growing seasons.”

The bureau predicts rainfall of between 200-300mm on the western half of the state in July and 400-800mm for the three month period from July to September.

The North-West is predicted to receive 400-600mm while the eastern half of the state is predicted to receive 100-300mm over the three months.