The upcoming bushfire season will be brought forward by one to two weeks in parts of South Australia due to a dry winter and warm spring.

The bushfire season will commence on Monday, October 22nd in the Flinders, North East Pastoral and North West Pastoral Fire Ban Districts, which is one week earlier than usual.

Most other districts in South Australia will start their bushfire season on November 1st. This includes the Mid North, Murraylands and Riverland districts, which have all been brought forward by two weeks.

Winter rainfall was below average across most of South Australia and this trend continued into the start of spring. The state as a whole registered its fourth driest September on record, and its driest since 2006. As a result, vegetation is drier than usual, boosting bushfire fuel loads in some parts of the state.

Adding to the bushfire threat posed by vegetation dryness is the prospect of warmer than average temperatures during the coming months.

Developing El Nino and positive Indian Ocean Dipole events in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are expected to promote warmer than usual weather in South Australia during the rest of spring and into early summer. Warmer air can aid bushfire growth and development.

Visit https://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/warnings_and_incidents.jsp for the latest information on bushfires in South Australia this season.