The Advertiser’s weather watcher Darren Ray predicts short term rain relief – but says dry pattern could be permanent

Some short-term relief could be in sight after SA’s record dry spell but The Advertiser’s weather watcher says there are worrying signs for the future.

A senior meteorologist fears South Australia might be shifting into a permanent dry weather pattern as atmospheric changes in the northern hemisphere force tropical weather patterns north.

But The Advertiser’s weather watcher Darren Ray said short-term modelling should give drought-stricken farmers some hope for rain the next few months.

Mr Ray, who has more than two decades of experience, said farmers should expect an average amount of rain throughout autumn and winter and even wetter conditions in spring.

“The trouble is, this is what we were seeing last year – the modelling was saying it was going to get wetter, and it didn’t,” he said.

“It’s looking like it’s not going to be as bad (dry) as last year but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be particularly wet, either.”

Mr Ray said a consequence of new regulations that cut shipping pollution was reduced cloud cover over northern hemisphere oceans.

The Advertiser’s weather watcher Darren Ray. Picture: Dean Martin

He suspected this was partly to blame for increased global temperatures.

“I think what’s going on is that the warming in the northern hemisphere is shifting the tropics further away from Australia,” he said.

“What that means is we could be in the start of a period now where we’re shifting into a drier pattern... a period or a shift in our climate that could be sustained that’s going to make it harder for moisture to come down and produce rain.”

Originally published as The Advertiser’s weather watcher Darren Ray predicts short term rain relief – but says dry pattern could be permanent