Predictions by general circulation models of changes in rainfall rates over Australia under the double carbon dioxide scenario are conflicting. As it will be some time before the quality of these predictions improves, our best indicator of rainfall variability and change is the analysis of the behaviour of recorded data over time. This paper presents the results of statistical analysis of annual and monthly rainfall data for 69 rainfall stations around Australia. The annual and monthly time-series are analysed for trend and jump in the mean. Graphical plots of the rainfall data indicate low frequency variations but there is no significant or conclusive evidence of climate change impacts within the analysed annual rainfall records. However, the data from a third of the stations indicate a change in winter rainfall, with the change points being late in the last century or early in the present century.
Srikanthan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.