Tag Archives: extreme drought

July 2020: extreme drought lingers

Posted in Australian Climate, Climate events, Manilla NSW, Rainfall from 1883 by

Rain status at Manilla NSW June and July 2020

The lingering long-term drought

As shown, Manilla is still in extreme drought: the rainfall totals from 30-months to 96-months are in the lowest 1% in history. Not only that, but the 42-month total to July (1440 mm) and the 96-month total (4056 mm) are the lowest ever recorded.

Acute drought in 2018 and 2019

This worst-ever drought at Manilla had a false start in September 2017, with severe 2-month and 3-month shortages (below the 5th percentile), but began in earnest in winter (JJA) 2018, with many extreme shortages (below the 1st percentile) that were shorter than one year duration. Such seasonal extreme shortages came again in spring (SON) 2019.
These acute shortages were ended by the rain of February 2020, but extreme and record-breaking shortages with duration of two or more years have persisted up to now.

How to read the graph

This graph shows all the present rainfall shortages at Manilla, short term and long term, as percentile values. The latest values are shown by a thick black line with large circles. Those from one month earlier are shown by a thinner line with small diamonds. [The method is described in “Further Explanation” below.]

Further Explanation

The following notes explain aspects of this work under these listed headings:

Data analysis

Cumulative rainfall totals
Percentile values
Severity of rainfall shortages

Limitations of this analysis

Monthly rainfalls form a single population
Observations are not retrospective
The rain gauge failed

Data analysis

Continue reading →

June 2020: return to a 42-month drought record

Posted in Australian Climate, Climate events, Manilla NSW, Rainfall from 1883 by

Rain status at June 2020 at Manilla NSW

Changing shortages

Rainfall of 20.8 mm in June 2020 was far below the average (44 mm), reaching only to the 28th percentile.
Although this low rainfall did not cause any rainfall total for 12-months or less to become a serious shortage, all totals for longer durations were serious shortages or worse. Two were serious (<10th %-ile), six were severe (<5th %-ile), and nine were extreme (<1st %-ile). Nearly all of them had become drier than in May.
The 42-month total, which had set a driest record of 1468 mm in April, now beat this with 1457 mm in June. At two other durations, rainfall totals were 2nd-driest: at 84-months, 3471 mm; and at 96-months, 4142 mm.

How to read the graph

This graph shows all the present rainfall shortages at Manilla, short term and long term, as percentile values. The latest values are shown by a thick black line with large circles. Those from one month earlier are shown by a thinner line with small diamonds. [The method is described in “Further Explanation” below.]

Further Explanation

The following notes explain aspects of this work under these listed headings:

Data analysis

Cumulative rainfall totals
Percentile values
Severity of rainfall shortages

Limitations of this analysis

Monthly rainfalls form a single population
Observations are not retrospective
The rain gauge failed

Data analysis

Continue reading →

May 2020: as in March, no new drought records

Posted in Australian Climate, Climate events, Manilla NSW, Rainfall from 1883 by

Rainfall shortages at Manilla NSW

Changing shortages

Nine extreme rainfall shortages persisted at Manilla in May, one fewer than in April. No serious shortages occurred at 9-months or less. However, the 12-month total (440 mm) once again became a serious shortage (9th percentile).
The two rainfall totals nearest to record values for dryness were those that made new records most recently. The 42-month total of 1485 mm (2nd driest) had reached the record value of 1468 mm in April, while the 96-month total of 4141 mm (4th driest) had reached the record value of 4104 mm in February.

How to read the graph

This graph shows all the present rainfall shortages at Manilla, short term and long term, as percentile values. The latest values are shown by a thick black line with large circles. Those from one month earlier are shown by a thinner line with small diamonds. [The method is described in “Further Explanation” below.]

Further Explanation

The following notes explain aspects of this work under these listed headings:

Data analysis

Cumulative rainfall totals
Percentile values
Severity of rainfall shortages

Limitations of this analysis

Monthly rainfalls form a single population
Observations are not retrospective
The rain gauge failed

Data analysis

Continue reading →

April 2020: once again a new drought record

Posted in Australian Climate, Climate events, Manilla NSW, Rainfall from 1883 by

Changing shortages

Many extreme rainfall shortages persisted at Manilla in April. That is despite no serious shortages at 12-months or less. Extreme shortages, below the first percentile, occurred at 24-, 30-, 36-, 42-, 48-, 60-, 72-, 84-, 96-, and 240-month durations. Once again, the 42-month rainfall total broke the record for dryness with 1468 mm, surpassing the record of 1477 mm set in December.
The 96-month total of 4116 mm was also very close to the record low total of 4104 mm mm set in February.

How to read the graph

This graph shows all the present rainfall shortages at Manilla, short term and long term, as percentile values. The latest values are shown by a thick black line with large circles. Those from one month earlier are shown by a thinner line with small diamonds. [The method is described in “Further Explanation” below.]

Further Explanation

The following notes explain aspects of this work under these listed headings:

Data analysis

Cumulative rainfall totals
Percentile values
Severity of rainfall shortages

Limitations of this analysis

Monthly rainfalls form a single population
Observations are not retrospective
The rain gauge failed

Data analysis

Continue reading →

March 2020: no new drought records

Posted in Australian Climate, Climate events, Manilla NSW, Rainfall from 1883 by

Changing shortages

Despite high rainfall (165 mm) in February and normal rainfall (53 mm) in March, many severe and extreme shortages persisted. Only at durations shorter than one year were rainfall totals near normal. As in February, the 12-month total remained at 432 mm: a serious shortage.

Three near-record low rainfalls

Although no records were broken this month, three rainfall totals were the third-driest ever: those for 42-months (1508 mm), 84-months (3495 mm) and 96-months (4142 mm).

How to read the graph

This graph shows all the present rainfall shortages at Manilla, short term and long term, as percentile values. The latest values are shown by a thick black line with large circles. Those from one month earlier are shown by a thinner line with small diamonds. [The method is described in “Further Explanation” below.]

Further Explanation

The following notes explain aspects of this work under these listed headings:

Data analysis

Cumulative rainfall totals
Percentile values
Severity of rainfall shortages

Limitations of this analysis

Monthly rainfalls form a single population
Observations are not retrospective
The rain gauge failed

Data analysis

Continue reading →