The Queensland Government has warned residents to prepare their homes and family for extreme weather this summer.
The week of October 9-15 was ‘Get Ready Queensland Week’, helping to raise awareness for the extreme weather Australians may face year-round.
The Bureau of Meteorology has declared that El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are underway, leading to expected warmer and drier conditions over the summer.
Bureau of Meteorology Climate Manager Dr Karl Braganza said both El Niño and a positive IOD tend to draw rain away from Australia.
“Over spring, their combined impact can increase the chance of below average rainfall over much of the continent and higher temperatures across the southern two-thirds of the country,” Dr Braganza said.
“The Bureau’s three-month forecast for Australian rainfall and temperature have been indicating warm and dry conditions for some time.”
Queensland is also likely to experience severe thunderstorms that can bring damaging winds, rain, and hail, according to the Bureau.
The Bureau made the El Niño declaration after three of the four El Niño criteria were met, including a sustained response in the atmospheric circulation above the tropical Pacific.
Prepare now
A statement issued by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Steven Miles detailed three simple steps homeowners can take to properly prepare themselves:
- Understand the risk;
- Prepare a household emergency plan, and;
- Pack an emergency kit – including enough supplies to last three days.
Adding long-life food, drinking water, a torch with spare batteries, and toiletries to your shopping list will help in the event that shops close, water supply halts, or the power goes out.
For more information on storm and natural disaster preparedness, visit getready.qld.gov.au.
