Weather Alert

La Niña Event Forecast

2020-2021 Summer Strong Potential for Severe Weather Events

11 December 2020

A La Niña event has been officially declared by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for the Australian summer of 2020-2021.  

La Niña typically brings with it heavy rainfall, intense storms and the possibility of strong wind events such as cyclones. The last time Australia saw a fully-fledged La Niña was from 2010 through 2012.

This alert is issued as a reminder to begin preparations for the likelihood of these severe weather events in the coming months.

Of immediate concern is the weather event forecast from tomorrow, Saturday 12 December through Monday 14 December. Those in Northern NSW, the Gold Coast and SE QLD should be prepared for:

> strong winds of ~75 km/hr

> storms and heavy rain

> seas in excess of 6.0 metres Check the Toolbox Weather page or local BOM warnings in your location for more information.

WHAT IS LA NIÑA?

La Niña is a complex weather pattern that occurs every few years, as a result of variations in ocean temperatures in the equatorial band of the Pacific Ocean. It occurs as strong winds blow warm water at the ocean's surface away from South America, across the Pacific Ocean towards Indonesia.

RESOURCES FOR SITE

The below resources are available to assist in the preparation for and in the aftermath of severe weather events. These are also available on the Doc Library and via HammerTech.