AI
Saturday, January 15, 2011 12:49:00 PM
Victoria sees La Nina's brighter side
Lake Eyre is expected to reach its highest levels in 21 years.
Picture: South Australian Tourism Commission
SOUTH-EASTERN Australia has reaped the flip side of La Nina's fury, amid the devastation and tragic human toll in Queensland.
Brigid O'Connell
Sunday Herald
Sun January 16, 2011 12:00AM
Monash University's Prof Neville Nicholls, president of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, said that while La Nina was a tropical Pacific event typically confined to northeast Australia, the phenomenon's extraordinary strength [see e.g. http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=58637855 ] had meant good news for Victoria.
"It's possible that us further down south have seen the worst of the effects already - or the best of the effects," Prof Nicholls said.
"The fact that we had above-average rains through spring for the first time for 13 years, that's associated with La Nina."
Melbourne's water storages are 53.8 per cent full, compared with 37.4 per cent this time last year - and the record low of 25 per cent in mid-2009.
"There are always different sides to each story, so the areas that have had the rain, and not a terrible amount of rain, have really benefited," head of the Victorian Climate Services Centre Dr Harvey Stern said.
"The long-term benefits are that you're really restoring the river system in the end.
"The only part of Australia that's dry at the moment is Western Australia and they have the bushfires."
South Australia's Lake Eyre is expected to reach its highest levels in 21 years as a result of flowing rivers caused by the Queensland floods.
Australia's biggest lake is tipped to rise from 1.1m to 4m over the next few months. This would create an oasis for birds, fish and reptiles.
Above average rainfall is also expected to turn deserts across New South Wales, SA and the Northern Territory into patchworks of multi-coloured wildflowers.
Livestock prices at saleyards rose last week, with the higher prices triggered by the expected shortage of animals because of the floods.
Cotton crops are still on target to make a national production record for 2010-11, despite the majority of Queensland cotton properties affected by flooding.
Meanwhile, the La Nina event has also created abundant powder snow for a prolonged ski season at North American resorts.
© Herald and Weekly Times
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/victoria-sees-la-ninas-brighter-side/story-e6frf7l6-1225988554416 [no comments yet]
Lake Eyre is expected to reach its highest levels in 21 years.
Picture: South Australian Tourism Commission
SOUTH-EASTERN Australia has reaped the flip side of La Nina's fury, amid the devastation and tragic human toll in Queensland.
Brigid O'Connell
Sunday Herald
Sun January 16, 2011 12:00AM
Monash University's Prof Neville Nicholls, president of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, said that while La Nina was a tropical Pacific event typically confined to northeast Australia, the phenomenon's extraordinary strength [see e.g. http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=58637855 ] had meant good news for Victoria.
"It's possible that us further down south have seen the worst of the effects already - or the best of the effects," Prof Nicholls said.
"The fact that we had above-average rains through spring for the first time for 13 years, that's associated with La Nina."
Melbourne's water storages are 53.8 per cent full, compared with 37.4 per cent this time last year - and the record low of 25 per cent in mid-2009.
"There are always different sides to each story, so the areas that have had the rain, and not a terrible amount of rain, have really benefited," head of the Victorian Climate Services Centre Dr Harvey Stern said.
"The long-term benefits are that you're really restoring the river system in the end.
"The only part of Australia that's dry at the moment is Western Australia and they have the bushfires."
South Australia's Lake Eyre is expected to reach its highest levels in 21 years as a result of flowing rivers caused by the Queensland floods.
Australia's biggest lake is tipped to rise from 1.1m to 4m over the next few months. This would create an oasis for birds, fish and reptiles.
Above average rainfall is also expected to turn deserts across New South Wales, SA and the Northern Territory into patchworks of multi-coloured wildflowers.
Livestock prices at saleyards rose last week, with the higher prices triggered by the expected shortage of animals because of the floods.
Cotton crops are still on target to make a national production record for 2010-11, despite the majority of Queensland cotton properties affected by flooding.
Meanwhile, the La Nina event has also created abundant powder snow for a prolonged ski season at North American resorts.
© Herald and Weekly Times
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/victoria-sees-la-ninas-brighter-side/story-e6frf7l6-1225988554416 [no comments yet]
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