Jacobus Cronje, 01 Jun 2016, 2:06 AM UTC
A look at coastal Queensland this May
Significantly less rainfall has fallen this May across coastal Queensland, although there were patches of high totals in the northern parts.
Throughout the region, temperatures have remained about two to four degrees above average during nighttime and the day.
Some of the lowest totals were seen at Townsville, which received a meager 0.6mm, compared to the May average of 32mm. Mackay has seen 15.6mm of rainfall, well below the average of 95mm.
Rockhampton received 5mm, just ten percent of its usual May rainfall, while Gladstone did slightly better, receiving 21mm with an average May rainfall of 38mm. Around the Sunshine Coast, Tewantin received 51mm, less than half of its average May rainfall of 159.6mm.
However, it wasn't all bad news - the obvious winner for May rainfall is Cairns, which received just under 180mm, almost double the average May rainfall of 91mm.
The winter season should get off to a relatively wet start with a significant rainfall event starting later this week. Additionally, longer range forecasting models are increasingly in agreement that most of winter and early spring will see above-average rainfall due to the climate drivers of warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures surrounding large parts of Australia and a good chance of a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event.
These warm sea surface temperatures will also encourage, on average, most days and nights will remain near or above the norm into winter.
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