Oh My My Oma

Oma is – or was – a cyclone. It was – is – still a German name for Grandmother and Grandfather – see the Quora post about this. But I’m looking at the cyclone, and I’m a bit upset with it! 

This morning I looked up the BOM, hoping that the rain they had predicted would come today. But I found out that Oma had turned on itself, and was heading back out to sea, moving north-northwest. Very frustrating! Yes, but would I call this cyclone onto mainland? Well, no, but the very edge of it was supposed to cause 70-80% rain in Brissie. Now it’s not.

 

Many areas up north in Queensland had floods, and more than half a million animals died. ABC reported about the group of men who had chosen this job, helping the farmers. SBS reported that Defence personnel arrived around Townville to help evacuate people and clean up. I truly hope that Townsvillers – at least – gets back inside their homes quickly rather than waiting for insurance. I still have memories of the similar floods in SEQ 8 years ago.

Yet this year Brisbane had highest temperatures on record and only 20% of the average rain in January. February was dry, according to Accu Weather, and only had 5 days throughout the whole month which met the previous history temperatures. Two thirds of the month was hotter.

Courier Mail titled their 2014 article with “Southern Queensland and northern NSW’s worst drought in 113 years”. 

97.3 said in October 2018 that Australia “could enter mega drought lasting 20-years”. 

The Conversation, also October 2018, said that “recent Australian droughts may be the worst in 800 years”.

In 2015 BOM had a map of the Millennium Drought which showed deciles between 2001 and 2009: much less rain than any of that time. It compared La Nina with El Nino. La Nina is a rainfall system and El Nino leads to drought. Whilst La Nina rained excessively throughout Aus in 2010 and 2011, El Nino seems to have taken over again. At the end of their article they wrote “In the longer term, large year to year rainfall variability is expected against a background state which is expected to further change through time.” Climate change? They seemed to know this back in 2015 – maybe all the population should read about it now!

So why am I frustrated with Oma? I watched the ABC weather reports, and the people didn’t seem to know any more about what was happening with this cyclone. They are very good weather people, and this is the first time I can remember that any of them have said this: that this cyclone might come over the shore or might turn back on itself. Oma, what have you done? Are you working with La Nina or El Nino? Will we still be under a drought and will it get worse? When can we expect some rain?

Can you please tell me? 

(Song Oh My My by nomad, giving me the title of this post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWXIsmftqIc)