Indian Ocean Temperatures Point To Even More Australian Drought

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THE drought afflicting much of the nation is set to drag on, with rising sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean expected to cause a warm and dry start to spring.

The latest three-month outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology's National Climate Centre predicts that only a small part of southeast Queensland and northeast NSW has a better than 50 per cent chance of above-average rainfall. North central Queensland has an 85 per cent chance of a drier than average period. Chances for drier conditions are moderate across the rest of the country.

Southwest Western Australia and southeast Queensland stand a 75per cent and 85 per cent chance respectively of hotter than average days.

Climatologist Grant Beard said rapid warming in the Indian Ocean was driving the expected conditions. A vast area of the ocean had warmed by 1C to 2C in the past three months, he said. Persistent high pressure systems in the region had caused the rise in temperature.

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19914648-30417,00.html