Flood Journal Entry
Rains Help Ease Australian Drought (January 16, 2008)
This month's rains helped ease the severe drought along Australia's east coast. Areas in green got over 4 inches of rain. Some areas got up to 10 inches (orange). NASA.
When it rains, it pours. Like most of the continent, Australia's east coast has suffered from the "Big Dry," the nation's worst drought in a century. Suddenly, heavy rains started falling this month.
The rains triggered widespread floods along the coast. Some areas were drenched with 10 inches of rain over a one-week period. The Brisbane area was hit particularly hard. Hinze Dam south of the city overflowed and flooded. The rains dumped over four months supply of water into the area's thirsty reservoirs.
Meteorologists say this year's La Niña has helped turn the weather around. La Niña brings cooler ocean temperatures to the tropical Pacific Ocean. It's also linked to above-average temperatures in the Western Pacific. This increases evaporation off the ocean and brings heavy rain.
