Thursday, January 16, 2020

Late Monsoon Season for Australia

Mid January 2020 and still no monsoon arrival.  Getting quite late but not yet the latest date recorded.

However, it could be some time away  with a few of the global weather drivers looking decidedly dodgy ie not especially positive for a monsoon burst anytime soon.

Read the current Tropical Climate Note from earlier this week  [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/tropical-note/ ] and note the eastwards movement of the MJO away from our region, usually negative for rain across N Australia.

Today's weather reports refer to hot and drier conditions across the north over the next few days, although there may be storms.

Please continue to wait.......and wait...........and wait.

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3 February 2020 - UPDATE - now coming .........the monsoon onset!!   Latest ever for Darwin and even now it is still not quite here YET.  Maybe in a few days still.  While a monsoonal low is moving west several hundred kms  SW of Darwin, officially not yet for Darwin! 

Eyes in the Sky - Drones for Post Fire Hydrologic Assessment

A very topical article appeared in the recent edition of Stormwater Magazine based on US usage but would seem highly relevant for use in Australia right now.

A post grad student used drone flights and various software programs to assess the landscape following fire, in California but this seems highly useful for eastern and south eastern Australia right now in early 2020 to assess our burnt landscapes.

The emphasis was on how the landscape patterns have been changed and how this has influenced how the hydrology of the area has been impacted. 

The link is below and should be readily available.

Seems a very timely application, now that some rain seems to be arriving which may quench a number of the fires.

Link is:

https://www.stormh2o.com/erosion-control/article/21117902/eyes-in-the-sky?utm_source=EC+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS200114039&o_eid=0996E9426678A4U&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C0996E9426678A4U&oly_enc_id=0996E9426678A4U