Increase in October-April accumulated rainfall in Australia, 1900-2013. Northern Australian wet season (October to April) rainfall has shown wet and dry decades through the 20th century, but with a slight increase indicated in the linear trend in 1900-2012. In recent decades, increases are discernible across northern and central Australia, with the increase in summer rainfall most apparent since the early 1970s (Figure 4.2.4; Braganza, et al., 2011), and has been large enough to increase total Australian rainfall (averaged over the entire continent) by about 50 mm when comparing the 1900-to-1960 period with 1970-to-2013. Graphic: CSIRO / BOM

27 January 2015 (CSIRO) – Northern Australian wet season (October to April) rainfall has shown wet and dry decades through the 20th century, but with a slight increase indicated in the linear trend in 1900-2012. In recent decades, increases are discernible across northern and central Australia, with the increase in summer rainfall most apparent since the early 1970s (Figure 4.2.4; Braganza, et al., 2011), and has been large enough to increase total Australian rainfall (averaged over the entire continent) by about 50 mm when comparing the 1900-to-1960 period with 1970-to-2013.

Climate Change in Australia: Projections for Australia’s NRM Regions