Bid to put square in the shade
“HUNDREDS” of NT weather records were broken in the first nine months of 2016, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
BOM senior climate manager Greg Browning said 2016 was an “exceptional year”, with hundreds of climate records broken across the NT.
“Maximum temperature records, minimum temperature records, rainfall records (highest and lowest) – these have all been broken at many locations across the NT this year,” he said.
Yesterday was the first official day of the wet season.
Mr Browning said from now until the end of 2016, weather conditions were expected to be “more normal”.
This year was the third war- mest January to September period on record, Mr Browning said, with many months of the highest overnight temperatures on record.
“January-April was an exceptionally dry period in the Top End with many locations (including Darwin) having their lowest rainfall on record,” he said.
After a record-breaking dry season, Territorians experienced a wet start to the build- up. “We have seen an n unusually wet dry season, the second wettest on record for the NT,” Mr Browning said.
“During September more than five times the average monthly rainfall was recorded for the NT, making it the wettest on record – many sites had their highest September rainfall on record.
“We are likely to see a wetter than average build-up (September to November) across the NT, and indications are that we will see average to slightly above average rainfall this wet season.”
Katherine, Darwin River Dam, Jabiru, Humpty Doo and Berrimah all broke records for the wettest dry season this year.
Mr Browning said climate drivers behind the NT’s “unusual dry season” were the decay of the strong 2015/16 El Niño, unusually high sea surface temperatures to Australia’s north, and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole.
Territorian Joanna Kolodziej moved up to Darwin from Tennant Creek about a year ago.
And she said she was “not surprised” to discover the number of NT weather records broken in the first nine months of 2016.
Ms Kolodziej said after a disappointing and short dry season, the weather turned warm very quickly.
“It has been unseasonably warm,” she said.
“It’s been hot, and more humid than I’d like it to be.”
“It has been hard to predict what to wear.” PALMERSTON Council is expected to commission a report on making the recent, multimillion-dollar Goyder Square site more user friendly.
A proposal to explore shade options at the square will be put forward to Tuesday night’s council meeting, in response to persistent community feedback that the square becomes uncomfortably hot during the day.
“It is often lamented by the public that the lack of shade is a detractor to using the area more often,” the proposal says.
“The square is still developing natural shade but will take several years to be effective.”
The square has been one of council’s hallmark projects, but has also been the cause of criticism from detractors, who claim the development has been too costly and that construction has caused problems for local traders.
The proposed report, if approved by council, will explore the cost and effectiveness of a number of temporary and permanent shade options.
Community events at the square this dry season have required organisers to set up temporary shade, adding to the cost of hosting events.
“These events have often been limited to the availability of shade,” the proposal notes.
A report would aim to “potentially activate the square to a greater capacity”.
The proposed report would be presented to council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee.
“We have seen an unusually wet dry season”