South Brisbane climate update: March temperatures are warmer than they were 35 years ago

Dr Christa Pudmenzky explains how March temperatures are changing in south Brisbane. Plus, how is climate change impacting Queensland's wildlife?

A typical March day in south Brisbane is one degree warmer than it was 35 years ago. Southwest Brisbane, 11 March 2021, Source: Monash University.

Data from the Bureau of Meteorology suggests south Brisbane's climate is getting warmer.

A typical March day sits around 30 degrees - one degree warmer than it was 35 years ago.

One degree may not sound like much, but small changes in the climate have a big impact on our planet.

Warming trends are linked to sea level rise and extreme weather events.

Did you know?

The Bramble Cay melomy was a tiny species of rodent only found on a small sand island at the northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef - but it hasn't been sighted since 2009.

It was the first mammal to be declared extinct due to the impacts of climate change.

It's thought that rising sea levels and severe storms wiped out large areas of their habitat.

Voices from your community

Tyron Roberts has lived in Brisbane's CBD for three decades.

"I feel that autumn and spring are warmer than usual, and we end up having some days that feel like the middle of summer," he said.

"Summer feels like it has begun moving into autumn now, it is staying hotter for longer.

"The grass hasn't been very nice at our local park recently and some creeks have dried up completely.

"It's probably made it harder for local sporting groups to try and deal with the heat."

Community voices like Tyron'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.

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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