Comments on BoM posting at the Jennifer Marohasy Blog August 2006

Looking at the second of David's maps showing drought areas for the 115 month period Jan 1997 to July 2006, I see "lowest on record" areas in Western Victoria overlapping into far SE South Australia and also an area east of Melbourne, possibly extending to the Thomson River catchment of importance for Melbournes water supply.
First Western Victoria / SE South Australia. Although the map scale is not detailed, it is possible that two High Quality (HQ) rainfall stations fall in this dark red "lowest on record" area.  Penola in SA and Casterton in Vic.
I have prepared graphics of monthly rain totals for Penola and Casterton and both records have experienced past lower periods of 115 month rolling average rain.  So neither supports the "lowest on record" rating.
Maybe neither station is located inside the BoM dark red "lowest on record" zone.
It would help if David provided us with a list of the rainfall stations making up the BoM gridded series.
Now to the area east Melbourne. I have the HQ data for Yan Yean and have prepared a graphic of Yan Yean monthly rain "anomalies" this time, plotting the 115 month rolling average it is plain that Yan Yean has also known drier 115 month periods than the last few years.  Yan Yean is probably just outside the BoM dark red "lowest on record" zone.  I would be interested to hear of HQ stations in this east of Melbourne dark red zone.  I would also be interested to hear what stations the BoM gridding relies on for Melbourne catchments, particularly the dominant Thomson River catchment.

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