Autumn is here, but summer temperatures are sticking around for longer in south Brisbane

Dr Christa Pudmenzky discusses south Brisbane's March climate. Plus, research shows summer temperatures are extending into March.

South Brisbane experiences seven more March days reaching 30 degrees compared to 35 years ago. Southeast Brisbane, 4 March 2021, Source: Monash University.

Autumn brings cooler temperatures to southeast Queensland, but March wasn't always this warm.

The number of March days reaching at least 30 degrees have doubled in the past 35 years.

In 1985, south Brisbane experienced around seven March days when temperatures climbed to 30 degrees.

Now, it's more like 14 such days.

Voices from your community

Forest Lake resident Joel noticed similar warming trends.

"We are definitely getting warmer weather than we used to," he said.

"Summer seems to last so much longer heat-wise.

"My suburb doesn't look as green and fresh as it used to... the grass and plants everywhere are extremely dry."

Community voices like Joel's tell us how residents and business owners in south Brisbane feel about their local climate. If you would like to contribute your voice to our column, you can fill out our 5-minute survey here.

Fast fact

Research from The Australia Institute, a Canberra-based think tank, found that Brisbane summers are around two weeks longer than they were in the mid-20th century.

This means temperatures that residents typically associate with summer are now occurring well into March.

All capital cities across Australia are experiencing longer summers and shorter winters, compared to a few decades ago.

These warming trends are linked to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, such as burning fossil fuels.

Want more information on how your climate is changing? Check out last week's article here.

Dr Christa Pudmenzky is a climate scientist at the University of Southern Queensland.

This column is part of a collaboration between the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub and News Corp to deliver hyperlocal weather and climate information.

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