Climate and Water briefing presentations

The July 2012 National Climate and Water Briefing presentations are now available on the Bureau’s website.

Water storage levels

Map of Australia showing water storage icons

	Latest	Previous year
	% full	% full
Australia	83.7%	77.0%
ACT	97.9%	92.8%
NSW	84.4%	71.0%
NT	88.8%	91.7%
Qld	97.9%	95.2%
SA	95.7%	93.7%
Tas	70.7%	64.0%
Vic	85.6%	76.2%
WA	90.5%	93.8%

Capital cities	Latest	Previous year
Adelaide	53.2%	73.0%
Brisbane	99.2%	84.0%
Canberra	99.1%	97.0%
Darwin	88.8%	91.7%
Hobart	99.4%	100.0%
Melbourne	73.3%	59.4%
Perth	23.2%	20.7%
Sydney	95.8%	78.3%

Bureau of Meteorology
Mailing Address:
Bureau of Meteorology
Communication Section
700 Collins St
Docklands, Victoria 3008
www.bom.gov.au

August 2012


	Perth and Ord water statements on tap
	As part of the National Water Account 2011, the Perth and Ord regions are now freely available on the Bureau’s website. The other six regions – Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, South East Queensland, Sydney and the Murray–Darling Basin – will be available in coming months. Senior Hydrologist Yves Bessard said the 2010–11 Statement for the Perth region highlights the reduction in inflows to groundwater and surface water stores due to low rainfall. “The 2010–11 year saw record low surface water store inflows," he said. "The region is becoming more reliant on groundwater and desalinated water to compensate for the climate variability of the region.” Yves added that the Statement for the Ord region shows that the area's water resources well exceeded current use. The region relies mainly on surface water inflows, which were at near-record highs in 2010–11. The National Water Account is prepared by the Bureau in partnership with more than 30 organisations, such as water agencies, local government and natural resource management authorities, irrigation service providers and electricity generators. Visit the National Water Account 2011 website


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Record breaking La Niña

The successive La Niña events of 2010–12 that contributed to record-breaking rainfall and cooler temperatures across Australia, particularly eastern Australia, have been chronicled in a new Bureau publication.

The 24-page booklet and online publication Record-breaking La Niña events gives an insight into how La Niña (and El Niño) events occur and why they change Australia’s weather and climate. It also details the significant impacts of the 2010–12 La Niña events.

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Spectre of El Niño looms

Rather than another La Niña, conditions in the Pacific Ocean remain primed for an El Niño to develop later this year, with sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean currently close to El Niño thresholds, trade winds in the region weakening, and the Southern Oscillation Index (pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin) generally below zero.

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	New streamflow forecasts for Queensland
	Streamflow forecasts are now available for nine sites in Queensland. Five new locations have been added in New South Wales, taking the total number of forecast sites to 50. Current streamflow forecasts are favouring near median or high flows for most forecast sites except for low flows at four locations in the Murrumbidgee, Upper Murray and Ovens basins. As climate indicators continue to show a shift towards El Niño conditions (see previous article), this may affect the streamflow forecasts for spring. Visit the Seasonal Streamflow website


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Environmental information makes a statement

The publication of the Statement of Australian Government Requirements for Environmental Information is an important first step towards greater collaboration on environmental information.

The Statement, prepared by the 17-member Australian Government Environmental Information Advisory Group, led by the Bureau through its contribution to the National Plan for Environmental Information initiative, describes the policy, research and operational requirements of the Australian Government that are critically dependent on environmental information.

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Water data for New South Wales Central Coast

A new urban water supply system in New South Wales has been added to the Bureau's Water Storage website. The three major dams in the system supply the large population centre of the Central Coast, north of Sydney.

The storages – Mangrove Creek, Mardi and Mooney Mooney – are owned and operated jointly by the Gosford City and Wyong shire councils.

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Helicopters at the hydrographers conference

The use of a helicopter to drop an instrument-equipped kayak into flood-swollen rivers will be one of the more novel innovations discussed at the biennial Australian Hydrographers Association conference in Melbourne this year. The conference is on 21–24 August at the Moonee Valley Racing Club and the Bureau is the main sponsor.

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Climate and Water briefing presentations

Water storage levels

Perth and Ord water statements on tap

Record breaking La Niña

Spectre of El Niño looms

New streamflow forecasts for Queensland

Environmental information makes a statement

Water data for New South Wales Central Coast

Helicopters at the hydrographers conference