Grab Your Wellies!

By David Allen on November 17, 2010 in Other

La Niña, Spanish for ‘The Girl’, is a weather phenomenon in which a massive pool of warmer than normal water gathers off northeastern Australia.  Scientists are not sure exactly what triggers La Niña, but every three to seven years we are exposed to her wet and windy ways.

When La Niña occurs, the difference in barometric pressure between the eastern and western sides of the Pacific becomes apparent. Strong westerly winds combined with ocean currents push warm water to the ocean’s surface.  As this pool of warm water evaporates, the heavy rain is blown across eastern Australia.

La Niña is expected to continue on into next year and this is going to bring higher than average rainfall for NSW. Thus, Sydney can expect a summer soaked by storms and heavy rain.

In contrast to the wet conditions and flooding events that have accompanied a number of La Niña events in the past, night temperatures are usually warmer than average.  And while beachgoers greet La Niña with contempt, we can expect farmers to welcome her with ‘besos’ as the phenomenon is linked to inland rain.

With the assistance of her big brother ‘El Niño’, which is synonymous with drought and high temperatures, these weather phenomena amplify the Australian climate variability everywhere they strike.

So as your Wellington boots pound the puddles on the pavement this summer, the only thong you can expect to see will be one worn by a Brazilian tourist!

Did you know?

How far away is lightning? During a storm, count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, then divide by two. The answer reveals how many miles away the lightning is.

December Willy Weather Stats

Temperature

High – 42.2 (1957)
Low – 9.1 (1924)
Average – 21.35

Rainfall

High – 401.9mm (1920)
Low – 2.8mm (1979)
Average – 77.9mm

Moonphases

New Moon – 5th December
First Quarter – 13th December
Full Moon – 21st December
Last Quarter – 28th December

Sunrise

December 1st:
Rise – 5:37am
Set – 7:51pm

December 31st:
Rise – 5:47am
Set – 8:09pm