Seasonal climate summary southern hemisphere (autumn 2006): drought returns to Australia

Southern hemisphere circulation patterns and associated anomalies for the austral autumn 2006 are reviewed, with emphasis given to the Pacific Basin climate indicators and Australian rainfall and temperature patterns. May saw the first tentative signs, chiefly in the atmospheric indicators, of the return of El Niño to the tropical Pacific, and the start of another drought across much of the country. Autumn rainfall was above to very much above average over much of the tropical north, but near to below-average over much of the remainder of the country. Lower than average temperatures were also a seasonal characteristic.