Southern hemisphere circulation patterns and anomalies for spring (September - November) 1997 are reviewed, with emphasis given to Pacific basin climate indicators, and Australian rainfall and temperature patterns. In winter, the Southern Oscillation Index was negative coinciding with the drier than normal conditions over southeast Australia. Spring proved to show a continuation in the trends of the large-scale circulation consistent with anomalies in sea-surface temperature (SST) and subsurface temperature and associated convection across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. However, rainfall was largely above average over much of the country during spring, in contrast to what the large-scale circulation might have led one to believe. Heavy rainfall occurred because of various small-scale cut-off lows which have little reflection in the seasonal mean sea-level pressure anomalies which were positive right across the country.
David Walland (Mon,) studied this question.
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