Heaviest rain and snow in years ahead for southern Australia
After two years of high-pressure domination, a triplet of low-pressure systems is about to deliver rain across nearly every agricultural region of Australia, and for once, the best falls will reach all the right places.
Rainfall this week is likely to be the heaviest in one to two years for much of South Australia and the southern Murray Basin, while many Western Australian farmers are rejoicing through the wettest July in four years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Gang-gang cockatoos suffer hypothermia, frozen wings in Victorian Alps
Skiers and holiday-makers are enjoying one of the strongest season openings for years as thick snow blankets the Victorian Alps. But gang-gang cockatoos, who usually prefer cool temperatures, are at risk of dying in the freezing conditions. The endangered birds are being found grounded in the snow, weak and disoriented, suffering from hypothermia. Deb Howie, who has been rescuing stricken birds at Falls Creek, said the "cold and windy" conditions were taking a toll. "This winter has been so brutal … we're finding that there are quite a few gang-gangs that are actually struggling," she said. "They're grounded on the snow, and they don't really move. Falls Creek visitors have been advised to carry cloth bags or pillowcases while walking, so they can gently capture any grounded birds and keep them warm while waiting for help. Ms Howie said of the 10 gang-gangs she had rescued so far, most were juveniles. Wildlife carer Jo Mitlehner has also been involved in the rescue efforts and said it was crucial to reunite separated mates, as gang-gangs pair for life. At the start of the snow season, she rescued a mature female gang-gang that had been separated from her partner. "We found her crawling in the snow at Falls Creek," she said. Ms Mitlehner said as soon as the female was well enough, she was returned to where she had been found because the gang-gangs were preparing to leave the area. On release, another carer believed he heard a nearby gang-gang responding to her call. Ms Mitlehner said the birds were not usually found at such high altitudes in winter. While not strictly migratory, they often move from mountain forests to lower elevations during colder months. Ms Mitlehner said she and her team thought a longer summer might have allowed for a second breeding season, leaving more juveniles unprepared for the cold snap. Sean Dooley from BirdLife Australia said shifting climate patterns could be a factor in why the birds had not moved down the mountains. "It could be related to the fact that over the past decade or so, we have had much milder winters, and perhaps the gang-gangs have started to adapt to this shift in climate and not been moving as far," he said. According to the latest data, gang-gang populations have already suffered a sharp decline — a drop of nearly 70 per cent between 1999 and 2019. The 2019–2020 bushfires caused further devastation. In 2022, the parrot was officially listed as endangered, with an estimated 25,300 mature birds remaining in the wild. "Experts say the likely reason for the decline in gang-gangs has been the destruction of the big old, hollow-bearing trees that they nest in up in mountainous areas, from native-forest logging," Mr Dooley said. A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson confirmed that much of Victoria had endured below-average minimum temperatures for June. And while there is still cold weather ahead in the short term, the bureau's forecast for August to October is for warmer-than-average temperatures. Until then, Falls Creek head of visitor experience David Leathem urged snow-goers to keep an eye out for "vulnerable species, particularly the endangered gang-gang cockatoo". "We encourage residents and visitors to stay alert and contact local wildlife carers for assistance and advice."
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Sunny weather returns to most of Queensland, but cool conditions to come
Queenslanders will enjoy a brief reprieve from rainy conditions before a cloud band moves in mid-week and brings wintry weather to most of the state. Senior meteorologist Shane Kennedy said cooler, clear conditions were expected from Monday, but would not last. A trough in the south-west corner of the state is forecast to reach the coast by Wednesday, bringing widespread cloud cover. "A couple of frosty mornings, then we will get a bit of a break on Wednesday and Thursday as the cloud comes over, then back to even cooler conditions later in the week behind that trough," Mr Kennedy said. Widespread rainfall between 10 and 30 millimetres was recorded between Emerald and the south-east corner over the weekend. Mr Kennedy said south-east Queensland residents could expect clearer, cooler days at the beginning of the week, with isolated minor river flooding around Warwick and Amberley expected to clear. "It will drop back down to average, or slightly below, over the next couple of mornings, as far north as Hughenden," he said. Temperatures in western Queensland would return to average, he said, following the cold snap over the weekend that saw temperatures plummet. Julia Creek and Richmond in western Queensland recorded their coldest July days in two years, reaching just 16 degrees Celsius on Saturday afternoon. "It was a strong enough system that it had that impact," Mr Kennedy said. Mr Kennedy said the next cold snap would arrive later this week, off the back of another cloud band originating in the south-west. "The next cooler snap should push a fair way into northern Queensland, at least to the base of the Cape York Peninsula on Friday and Saturday," he said. This would help to bring temperatures down to average in the state's north. "The next cold snap after that next trough should be more substantial," he said. "It potentially might make it up to Georgetown, and it may even help to drop temperatures around Cairns on Friday and Saturday."
ABC News
13 hours ago
- ABC News
Need for Feed Australia truck convoy hits Nullarbor for SA drought relief
Truck-loads of help has arrived in SA's Eyre Peninsula from across the WA border. It's all part of a huge exercise to deliver thousands of bales of hay to areas in the grip of drought.
