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Countryside bakes as monsoon fails
3 May 2005
April was the hottest, and nearly driest, start to any year since records began in the 1800s. The Bureau of Meteorology said the average temperature during April of 26.9 degrees celsius was 1.1 degrees above the norm for the four months from January to April period. Average rainfall was 150 millimetres for the month. The previous hottest April was recorded in 1998. The driest start was in 1965 when 148mm were recorded. The north west of Western Australia had been particularly hot, with high temperatures in the early year and a poor monsoon period. More than 100 towns or cities, including Canberra, Wagga Wagga and Alice Springs, set new April mean record temperatures. The National Farmers' Federation said most farmers now had just a small window to get enough rain for winter crops or to provide moisture for pastures to sustain livestock.
Courier Mail, 03/05/05
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