Record rains hit Sydney, but down south dry lingers

Australia
Image: Photograph of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the Rain - From the Sydney Photos

Story: This month Sydney has endured its LONGEST UNBROKEN WET SPELL FOR 77 YEARS, but the rain has refused to cross the border. Just six millimetres has fallen in Melbourne so far this month, well below the average April rainfall of 57 millimetres. A high pressure zone in the Tasman Sea was preventing the rain hovering over Sydney from moving out to sea. "The weather's been anything but normal over the last six months. I've been in this game for 20 years, and I CAN'T RECALL A LONGER PERIOD OF SUSTAINED WEATHER PATTERNS, of various kinds." The La Nina cycle, in which warm areas of ocean to Australia's north and east create wetter conditions on land, has also played a part. The prospect of good rain has Victorian wheat farmers, who have endured years of drought, preparing their fields for seed planting. With global wheat stocks low and grain attracting record prices, a good wheat harvest this year could help farmers recover from years of financial hardship.

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PORTUGAL - Between last Friday and Saturday, Lisbon registered THE MOST RAINFALL EVER SINCE RECORDS WERE FIRST TAKEN 145 years ago. That day was THE THIRD HIGHEST VALUE OF THE 21ST CENTURY. The record of 62.9 millimetres registered in Lisboa/Geofísico weather station exceeded the previous maximum for the month of April. The first absolute extreme registered this century was on 30th January 2004 with 101.2mm of rainfall and the second being 118mm on 18th February 2008. “Considering the series of daily totals over the past 145 years, the value registered constitutes a new extreme for this month and this station”, smashing the previous records of 55mm on 16th April 1995 and 52.6mm on 9th April 1876.