The recent flooding in Australia, covering an area in Queensland the size of Germany and France combined, was not quite so unprecedented as it might appear at first glance. Australia is well known for its weather extremes, and these have taken the form of extended droughts and floods throughout its history.
Australia as a continent has the least average amount of rainfall of all the continents, with the exception of Antarctica. Over 40% of Australia consists of sand dunes. Cold western currents prevent large scale evaporation of water to create clouds and rain and the lack of mountains in the west prevent the formation of clouds and rain due to uplift of air currents.
In the east, the Great Dividing Range or the Eastern Highlands, runs over 2100 miles along almost the entire eastern coast and prevents moist winds from reaching the arid interior, while portions of this coast, especially in the north, are tropical and subtropical and have very high levels of rainfall.
The El Nino/La Nina-Southern Oscillation also causes major fluctuations in the water temperature of the Southern Pacific, and has a deep impact on rainfall in the region, with long term effects on weather patterns, drought and the like.
In the east, the Great Dividing Range or the Eastern Highlands, runs over 2100 miles along almost the entire eastern coast and prevents moist winds from reaching the arid interior, while portions of this coast, especially in the north, are tropical and subtropical and have very high levels of rainfall.
The El Nino/La Nina-Southern Oscillation also causes major fluctuations in the water temperature of the Southern Pacific, and has a deep impact on rainfall in the region, with long term effects on weather patterns, drought and the like.
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