An Answer to the Long Dry Spell

Thanks to the efforts of Australian research teams led by Dr. Caroline Ummenhofer & Professor Matthew England of the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre, it now appears that an explanation has been found for Australian long-term droughts. 

This weather phenomenon is known as The Indian Ocean Dipole.   Climate observations from over 100 years, extending back to the Federation Drought, were analysed for this study.

Significantly, The Indian Ocean Dipole [IOD] is the dominant weather pattern over the Southern parts of Australia - relegating the El Nino and La Nina events to a secondary role.

Note that Northeast NSW and Southeast QLD regions are affected during BOTH phases of the IOD cycle.  
This is bad news for residents and holidaymakers.  It will have major impacts on water, infrastructure and planning, well into the future.

Further details of this research are provided, courtesy of Bob Beale at the Faculty of Science, on the University of NSW website, link below;

http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/news/indian-ocean-drought/