Graph of Rainfall Shortages

This graph shows all the present rainfall shortages at Manilla, short term and long term, as percentile values. The latest values, as at the end of August, 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.]

Record low rainfall values

August rainfall of only 5.6 mm at Manilla has brought more drought records. The rainfall totals for 18-, 24-, 36-, 72-, and 84-months are new record lows.
The record-low 36-month total is remarkable. Only the great droughts of 1947, 1914, and 1967 had rainfall nearly so low for so long, but the current 36-month total (1283 mm) is more than 50 mm lower than in those great droughts. Given that Manilla’s mean  annual rainfall is 652 mm, 1283 mm represents less than two years of rainfall in three years.

Severe and extreme rainfall shortages

For plotted durations longer than four months, only the very longest (30 years) is not a severe or extreme rainfall shortage. For durations beyond 84 months (including 30 years) every total is lower than has been seen since 1954, 65 years ago.

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 →

At Manilla, most rainfall totals just got lower.

Graph of Rainfall Shortages

This graph shows all the present rainfall shortages at Manilla, short term and long term, as percentile values. The latest values, as at the end of July, 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.]

Results for July

Rainfall totals for months to July 2019 are the lowest ever registered here for six of the twenty-five chosen rainfall durations: 15-, 18-, 24-, 30-, 72- and 84-months.
Only three of the chosen durations do not have serious rainfall shortages below the 10th percentile: 1-month, 3-months and 360-months. Even those three values are far below normal, at the 12th, 14th, and 14th percentiles.

Weatherzone forum closed

I posted a provisional version of this graph to catch the final deadline for posting to the weatherzone forum. My first post was nearly 16 years ago.
That forum is now closed to postings and will close completely in November. It closed due to lack of public interest in climate and weather in Australia.

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 →

Graph of Rainfall Shortages

This graph shows all the present rainfall shortages at Manilla, short term and long term, as percentile values. The latest values, as at the end of June, 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.]

Changes from May to June

The June rainfall of only 4.8 mm took Manilla’s rainfall status curve back to where it was in April.
Five records for low rainfall totals have been broken yet again: the totals for 15-, 18-, 24-, 30-and 72-months. The 84-month total at June (3660 mm) is also extremely low, but ranks second-driest to April 2019.
The record for a 15-month dry spell, which had stood at 404 mm since 1912, has been broken four times in this drought, and now stands at 367 mm. That is down by 37 mm, or nearly 10% below the 1912 figure. The 24-month record had stood at 766 mm since 1966 when it was broken this April, May, and June. It now stands 73 mm lower, at 693 mm.

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 →

Graph of Rainfall Shortages

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

Changes from April to May

Above-average rainfall in May relieved the drought situation in some ways. Rainfall shortages of 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-month duration are no longer serious. The 9-month shortage is reduced from severe to serious, and the 12-month shortage from extreme to severe.

May rain did not prevent the rainfall total for 15 months falling to the record low value of 388 mm. The record, which had been set at 404 mm in 1912, has been broken three times in this drought: to 400 mm in September, 397 mm in April, and 388 mm in May.

Nearly all rainfall shortages at long and very long durations have been reduced to some extent. However, extreme shortages persist not only at 15-months, but also at 18-, 24-, 30-, 72- and 84-months.

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 →