Media release

From: Australian Science Media Centre

This summer, the weather has had many of us scratching our heads. The idea that El Niño = hot and dry seems to have gone out the window, as rain lashed the east coast. But if you are struggling to sort your ENSO and Indian Ocean Dipole from your Southern Annular Mode and Madden Julian Oscillation, you are not alone.  

Australia's climate drivers are a confusing bunch, so we have put together this briefing to help you get your head around the forces steering Australia's weather. 

The briefing will discuss the following issues:

• Why we need to ‘level up’ our knowledge of Australia’s climate drivers (using this summer as an example)
• What we can and can’t say about the role of climate change
• Are we getting better at forecasting because our models and computers are better, or worse because climate change is making everything unpredictable?
• What do the next few months hold for our climate? La Niña? Another wet autumn/winter? Is it too early to say?
• How do we prepare for extreme weather and warn people so that they can act on that information?

Speakers:

• Dr Linden Ashcroft is a Lecturer in Climate Science and Science Communication at the University of Melbourne
• Professor Janette Lindesay is a climatologist in the Fenner School of Environment & Society at The Australian National University (ANU)
• Mr Andrew Gissing is CEO of Natural Hazards Research Australia.

A full recording of the briefing is available via the link below.