This story about flash droughts is interesting.
I am seeing a worsening drought-like effect on my southern Tasmanian farm.
That is anecdotally, as I don’t keep soil moisture or rainfall records.
This blog has already canvassed the fact that Southern Ocean wind speeds are increasing.
Data shows it is getting warmer too, but thankfully much more slowly here than the northern hemisphere.
Regardless, wind + warmth = more evaporation.
Which means dry soil, and hence dry plants.
We had a week of drizzle recently and the ground was dry almost the moment the rain stopped.
The water just evaporated off the ground in the relentless wind.
Having had a burst pipe to my dam, losing all my collected spring rain, we have not had enough rain since to raise the dam even an inch, and this is in a supposedly wet La Nina year.
Growing vegetables this year has been almost futile.
The ground is rock hard. Keeping it wet would use up all our potable rainwater tank supply.
Installing a bore is the only answer for future food security on our farm.
When will mainland wheat crops start keeling over from the combined effect of drought as global warming progresses?
Thankfully, it has been damp enough this year to at least keep Tasmanian bushfires at bay, so far.
Come the next El Nino year, that will all change, big time.