Farmers in East Gippsland can now see how the weather patterns and climate risks are changing in the region, thanks to the Regional Weather and Climate Guide by the Bureau of Meteorology, FarmLink and CSIRO.
Climate guides are designed to help farmers make sound business decisions by giving the best possible climate data for their region.
Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester said the guides would be a valuable source of information for East Gippsland farmers.
“Our farmers know their land like the back of their hands, but in these difficult and unpredictable times these guides will provide direction and help them to make informed decisions,” Mr Chester said.
“The ability to look forward and outline significant weather events such as severe drought, will help farmers to prepare and be proactive.
“Ultimately working cohesively will ensure that farmers aren’t left in the lurch and can still farm during difficult times.”
The guide will provide key information such as:
- Variability of rainfall from season to season and year to year
- Typical timing of key events such as: the autumn break, wet season onset and the average date of first and last frost
- The likelihood, duration, severity and return period of climate extremes, such as drought, flood, heatwaves and cold spells.
The information will help inform decisions that affect business resilience such as whether to acquire fodder reserves, lease land in a range of climate zones, develop water storage and purchase loans or insurance.
More than 50 guides covering Australia’s existing Natural Resource Management regions will be developed and released to communities across the country by the end of the year. All guides will be made available via the Bureau website: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/climate-guides/