Milking the Weather - December 2010 Edition
Who let the dogs out?
Zita Ritchie, DPI Warrnambool
If you think Victoria’s weather has gone to the dogs then you are right. Victoria is well known for its variable climate. From year to year four global climate processes vary their behaviour, potentially resulting in wetter or drier seasons.
The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has launched the ‘Climatedogs’ animation series and they really are something to bark about. Short animated videos featuring these dogs are used to explain what drives the climate in Victoria, and how climate drivers are changing over time.
The team of Climatedogs are Enso, Ridgy, Indy and Sam. Each Climatedog represents a climate process which influences Victorian rainfall.
Enso: (El Niño Southern Oscillation) rounds up tropical moist air in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Ridgy: (Sub-tropical Ridge) and high pressure systems can block rainfall in Victoria.
Indy: (Indian Ocean Dipole) delivers moisture from the Indian Ocean.
Sam: (Southern Annular Mode) influences the strength and frequency of cold fronts over Victoria.
So far this season we have already seen Indy and Enso working together to get our growing season off to a great start with good rainfall in many parts of Victoria. Sam is also an important Climatedog as he herds cold fronts up from the Southern Ocean. But like some farm dogs Sam is unreliable and can change behaviour in a matter of weeks. When he is stuck on the chain, the number and strength of cold fronts reaching Victoria is reduced because the westerly winds remain closer to Antarctica.
Ridgy spends his time from November until April chasing away cold fronts from southern Australia for days or even weeks at a time. As winter sets in Ridgy heads north and the cold fronts find it much easier to reach Victoria and deliver rain until Ridgy returns in November.
So if you would like to watch a short and humorous animation that gets the key message across but remains true to the latest climate science, then visit the DPI Climate Program website www.dpi.vic.gov.au/climate There you can watch the Climatedogs in action and get a better understanding of what rounds up Victoria’s climate.
To see which is your favourite Climatedog visit: www.dpi.vic.gov.au/climaterisk
Check out the work of INDY and ENSO to help understand why it has been a wet winter/spring this year.
Cropping state round up
Mallee: GSR Decile (6-10)
Harvest has been underway for barley and most canola has been windrowed. Wheat is not far away. Yields are excellent although initial quality concerns with both protein and screenings in barley indicate a range of quality. Hopefully the current rain event will not cause havoc with grain quality. Barley yields are record breakers in many paddocks with 3.0-5.5 t/ha averages being cited. Summer weeds are growing profusely and may cause harvesting issues with green contamination.
Wimmera: GSR Decile (4-9)
Barley is ripening quickly and wheat is still a couple of weeks away from harvest. Late germinations of ryegrass are widespread.
North East: GSR Decile (6-10)
Wheat is drying down, generally standing well and showing high yield potential. Canola has lodged and caused windrowing headaches.
South West: GSR Decile (5-9)
Wheat and barley paddocks are generally very healthy, however stem rust in wheat and scald in barley may impact on yield and quality in some crops.
Adapted from the The Break Newsletter DPI.
